Fun fact: Potatoes are the top vegetable crop in the U.S. According to USDA-NASS, one million acres of potatoes were harvested in 2020, with a total value of $3.88 billion. That’s why protecting them is a valuable investment. Luisa Parrado, Emilie Cole and Marisol Quintanilla of the Department of En...

Before I get into my thoughts on cool season crops, I wanted to mention a new book. It is the sixth edition of “ Knott’s Handbook for Vegetable Growers ,” updated and improved on by my friends and colleagues, Drs. George Hochmuth, University of Florida, and Rebecca Sideman, University of New Hampshi...

Marketing plans present ways to promote and advertise your product or service. While these plans may be delegated to special teams or external agencies, there are benefits to linking back to your own employee training and orientation programs. As an important component of training, sharing current m...

Those black plastic pots are most likely the containers that comes to mind when talking nursery sales of potted plants. But today, the use of petroleum-based plastics can be both a social and an environmental faux pas. What’s a nursery grower to do? Plastic waste is a serious problem worldwide, and ...

While the meetings and education sessions at events like Great Lakes Expo are valuable and informative, the posters sharing research from graduate students shouldn’t be ignored. They provide bite-sized nuggets of larger projects worth looking into. The title on this one is a bit unwieldy, but the re...

The 2023 Mid Atlantic Nursery Trade Show (MANTS) welcomed more than 11,000 attendees, including exhibitors, in Baltimore from Jan. 11 – 13. Known as the Masterpiece of Trade Shows™, MANTS jump-started the 2023 green industry trade show season on a high note bringing together horticulture industry le...

Ben Clark was raised on a generational fruit farm in Deerfield, MA, but he didn’t think that’s where he’d be today. Ben’s father Tom was the third generation on the farm, and Ben grew up working in the orchard during summers. After high school, Ben went to college and lived the city life as he built...

Using temperature to maximize crop quality and profitability is a critical part of growing in greenhouses. It was also the topic discussed by John Erwin, Ph.D., of the Plant Science & Landscape Architecture Department with the University of Maryland at Cultivate’22. “We don’t appreciate temperature ...

This past year brought some tweaks to the H-2A program. Employers who use the program should be aware of the changes and be prepared to ensure compliance. In October 2022, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced the issuance of a final rule for the H-2A program, which Penn State staff attorney ...