“If I bought everything new,” Mock said, “I’d only be able to put up three houses, instead of 10.” Over the years Mock has sourced his used houses and equipment from sellers in a number of states, including North Carolina, Kentucky, Virginia, Iowa, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. “I compare it to an...

by Heather Bryant, Regional Field Specialist, Food and Agriculture Bright and early Thursday morning, Oct. 29, 126 people arrived in Whitefield for the annual North Country Fruit and Vegetable Seminar and Tradeshow. This was the sixth year we’ve run this program at the Mountain View Grand and as usu...

Growers who use greenhouses or tunnels strive to keep crops in them for as much of the year as possible. Whether a greenhouse is used for a continuous cropping cycle or to extend the season, sanitation is critical to minimizing disease and ensuring a healthy crop. Steve Bogash, Penn State University...

ROME, NY — When produce farmer, Ron Wagner got on TV and on social media asking for help to harvest a monumental crop of squash destined for local food banks, little did he realize he would inspire a community. “The epiphany for me was seeing the train of volunteers all working together for a common...

When you hear the words tobacco farm you might imagine the rolling fields of North Carolina or a plantation in tropical Havana, Cuba as the ideal setting. There is, however, a long-standing tobacco farm that sits in the temperate climate of Southwick, MA. “Tobacco farming has been in the Connecticut...

If you want to farm, the nonprofit Grow Food Northampton can help. Right now, the nonprofit oversees three farms on some 120 acres. The three leasable spots are on Crimson and Clover, Sawmill Farm and Slow Tractor Farm. “We’re full,” said Clem Clay, the Executive Director of Grow Food. Currently, 10...

When the economy gets rough, savvy business owners figure out ways to keep going. Jim Gehlsen was a masonry contractor for more than 30 years, but when the economy tanked in 2008, he had some decisions to make. “I hung in,” he said, “but it got worse and worse. I thought, I have the farm and it’s a ...

At this time of year, one can almost hear the strains of O Tannenbaum sung by the University of Michigan Men’s Glee Club; they appear on the Mannheim Steamroller album Christmas Extraordinaire, as the preface to a Johnny Mathis solo. It is easy to imagine them standing in a curved stone stairwell in...

y As gardening enthusiasts in the Strasburg, PA area begin their spring planting and garden preparations, many look to Good Harvest Farms, owned by Chris and Cindy Powell, for their flower and vegetable plants to get them off to a good start. Good Harvest Farms, a 30-acre Lancaster County farm that ...