Artificial intelligence (AI) isn’t a new concept, but it’s getting more advanced every day. As AI gains popularity, more education is needed to responsibly use the programs in everyday life. Jessie Wright, a University of New Hampshire Extension field specialist, is a big advocate for using AI. She ...

Most growers are familiar with the term IPM (short for integrated pest management). While it is crucial, pests aren’t the only enemy growers face. Speaking specifically about diversifying weed management strategies for improving weed control in cole crops – but with a larger message about all weed c...

Everyone in agriculture has either managed a cash crunch or will eventually deal with one. Jodi Gauker, Extension educator, business development at Penn State, defines a cash flow crunch as the result of insufficient money in an account to pay bills. “Some may have the philosophy that if there’s mon...

If you’re new to growing, growing in a new field or simply wanting to improve what you’re growing, you need to get to know your soil better. Vicki Morrone, an organic field crop and vegetable outreach specialist at Michigan State, talked about soil matchmaking at the most recent Great Lakes Expo wit...

The American Floral Endowment hosted a webinar recently to help growers prepare for changes in trends in 2025. Dr. Melinda Knuth, an assistant professor at North Carolina State University, focused on the long-term trends they’ve seen with customers in the industry. Knuth was happy to announce that t...

In a presentation for Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, financial advisor Henry Mondschein, Connect Financial Group LLC, provided farmers with information on estate planning. Mondschein’s admonition was “a will does not make a transition plan.” “Today, there are about two million family farms across the nat...

It can feel impossible for one person to make a difference when it comes to a large problem, but every voice  matters. Pasa Sustainable Ag recently hosted a webinar to help agricultural enthusiasts find their voice in ag policy. In this virtual training session, Noah Erwin, a policy specialist at Pa...

There’s a reason agronomists and Extension educators are constantly urging growers to have their soil tested. Sometimes it contains things they definitely do not want in their crops. Consider root crops especially. The part of the plant that’s in the soil is the part consumers will eat. If those roo...

Hello, farm family! Welcome to “Farmers First,” a new column devoted to your farm’s most important asset: You! Let me introduce myself. I am a fifth-generation farm kid from Rhode Island who provides remote and in-person consulting to farmers who want more satisfying, efficient and peaceful farm liv...