On-farm outdoor recreation is different from typical agritourism activities such as U-picks, farm stands or demonstrations. “We’re talking about adding true outdoor recreation into your farm. This might be hiking, kayaking, biking, fishing, mountain biking or rock climbing. We’re thinking about the ...

Dr. Kari Peter, associate research professor, tree fruit pathology at Penn State, wants growers to be aware of a relatively new orchard problem. “Southern blight (SB) is a lethal, soil-borne disease,” said Peter. “It produces sclerotia, which are tiny round structures that resemble seeds. That’s a v...

Growing plants need water, and many growers use natural bodies of water to irrigate. Unfortunately, lakes and ponds tend to support other forms of life – life that can harm carefully cultivated crops. Talking about the proactive control of water molds (and other waterborne pathogens) at the most rec...

Dry bean diseases can be caused by fungi and bacteria, but Dr. Sarah Pethybridge had a reminder about plant diseases in general. “It’s not just the presence of our pathogen. We need three factors to occur all at the same time to get disease in our field,” said Pethybridge of Cornell AgriTech. She wa...

Many new and beginning farmers (as well as seasoned farmers) rely on USDA programs for technical guidance and funding. While it’s impossible to access most programs without assistance, trained technicians are eager to help farmers and rural landowners. Latoyia Elliott, USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA)...

Strawberries are a high demand/high value crop, so growing a healthy crop means successfully managing pests, especially mites. A recent and ongoing study from the Michigan State Department of Entomology, conducted by Lauren Goldstein, Joshua Striegle, Caz Schwennesen, Mia Bianchi and Rufus Isaacs, e...

In a paper titled “Nature’s GM sweet potato and the rock from space,” English investigative science writer Claire Robinson tackles the intentions of British biotech entrepreneur Jonathan Jones. Jones hoped to dismantle safety testing and assessment for genetically modified (GM) foods. He justified h...

Griffin Greenhouse Supplies recently hosted a virtual expo featuring a wide variety of educational sessions. George Grant, Griffin’s technical specialist manager, presented about the current hot topics in insect control, mite control and plant growth regulators. Grant emphasized that “starting clean...

While the organic vegetable market can be lucrative, successfully growing a healthy crop using organic methods can feel impossible at times. Multiple issues can arise, caused by either biotic (insect pests and diseases) or abiotic (temperatures, light and moisture) stressors. Organic insecticides ca...