Leasing versus buying needed equipment is a complex decision, and is not a simple cost calculation. Factors including cash flow, tax implications, payment structure, age of equipment being considered, type of lease, financing terms and more must be considered. And in every instance, new calculations...

Nothing happens until your ideal customer knows you exist. That was the blunt message presented by Monica Hemingway, a digital strategist for the green industry, during “Five Keys to Getting Your Green Industry Business Found Online in 2021,” her presentation for Nursery Guide Live (produced by the ...

A few weeks ago I was enjoying a chat in the greenhouse of vegetable-growing friends. In April, everything is lush in the trays and full of possibilities. Conversation turned to June and my friend called it “the Abyss.” The hoopla of Mother’s Day is over, the bedding plants have been sold and they a...

When you’re talking tree fruit nutrition, both soil and plant nutrients play important roles. Taking a soil sample analysis and adjusting nutrients accordingly does not translate directly into the optimum nutrient availability for fruit production and quality. Many variables play a role in how and w...

We’re back with Part 2 of our Constant Contact walkthrough! Hopefully Part 1 provided you with enough information to start your own email marketing account and begin growing your messaging audience. Don’t forget to reach out with any questions you may have – the Country Folks Grower family would be ...

Marketing has always fascinated me. I remember a marketing course I took in college where we had to invent a product and then develop the pertinent marketing research to support the sale of it. Today, let’s look at what’s involved in marketing vegetables. First, let’s define marketing versus selling...

A picture may be worth a thousand words but when it comes to marketing, pictures (or video in particular) are proving to be worth a great deal. Using video as a primary marketing tool is now recognized as one of the top marketing trends this year. The pandemic changed marketing strategies during 202...

If nothing else, 2020 gave us all an understandable reason to enjoy a good beer (or possibly several). But for brewers to provide us with good beer, they first need access to high quality hops. In Maine, that’s where Aroostook Hops comes in. Situated on four acres in Westfield, Maine, Aroostook Hops...

Spring 2021 is a time of renewal. New crops are popping up, and people are becoming more comfortable with going out to eat again. So what better time to think about welcoming visitors back for farm dinners? Abra Berens of Granor Farm and author of the cookbook “Roughage” presented “Hosting Successfu...