Karen and Aaron Bouchard in northeastern New York weren’t always farming full-time. Just a couple of short years ago they both held down full-time jobs. Karen was a teacher and Aaron was in farm machinery sales. “Now we’re working 14-hour days!” Karen attests, and they are loving it. Aaron was raise...

Getting started The thought of wholesaling might appeal to any grower who has dealt with erratic auction prices, finicky farmers’ market customers or the ability to sell all of one crop. A group of farmers and wholesale purchasers gathered recently in Leesburg, VA, to share their experiences as whol...

Sometimes it seems that wine grapes get all the glory. But grapes are meant for eating fresh, too. Table grapes available in supermarkets are generally of the Thompson seedless or Flame seedless variety, both of which are Vitis vinifera , European grape cultivars. European grapes include the well-kn...

One of the most difficult things to know for a person that is interested in growing high value horticultural crops is how to get started. They have many questions to ask and sometimes do not know the right questions to ask. My purpose in this article is to outline some questions that a potential hor...

It does not take long to discover that the journey to marketing success takes many jogs and sidesteps. Working within a fast-paced and ever changing economy equates to constantly juggling strategies to reach key target groups. When you discuss succession planning as a major factor in marketing, howe...

Preston and Rhonda Brown grew up in the Christmas tree business, selling trees at retail lots since they were young. “I was nine years old, helping Rhonda’s grandmother,” said Preston. “We sold trees on a lot for years. Every time we went to a farm to buy trees, I would pick brains, and that’s how I...

A new technology, under study in the U.S. since 2009 by Frank Forcella at the USDA/ARS in Morris, MN shows promise for mechanizing control of in-the-row weeds. Field studies of abrasive weeding in vegetable crops (which uses organic grit propelled by compressed air) headed by Samuel Wortman were mad...

“When we first started, it was literally one-half acre behind 105 Stone Road. That was the farm,” remarked Zaid Kurdieh of Norwich Meadows Farm, Norwich, NY. That was in 1998. Now, nearly 20 years later, Kurdieh farms around 100-acres of certified organic vegetables. His farm consists of nearly 1,00...

Many farms have added another stream of revenue to their operations through farmers markets and agritourism. However, Ontario Orchards in Oswego, NY has created a robust online store selling locally-produced goods with limited retail distribution. At www.ontarioorchards.com , central New Yorkers can...