As she begins her fifth year of farming, Allison Akbay falls under the USDA’s definition of “beginning farmer.” But Allison doesn’t fit the beginner mold. “I have a long history in agriculture,” said Allison. “My father, Dr. Harry Motto, ran the Rutgers Soil Testing Lab from 1967 to 1997 and taught ...

“Why value-add?” asked AmandaKinchla, associate Extension professor in the Food Science Department at UMass-Amherst during this spring’s virtual Harvest New England. She answered her own query: “There are lots of different benefits – consumers appreciate the extra help. For producers, it helps exten...

Baby greens have become a consumer favorite, and many growers have added the crop to their lineup. Baby leaf hemp is the latest green to entice both growers and consumers. Dr. Neil Mattson, Cornell University, said hemp seed and grains are generally recognized as safe by the FDA. However, the USDA-A...

If you’ve ever worked a retail job, whether that was a grocery store or in the local mall, you know how important visual merchandising can be. Humans are visual creatures, and they respond strongly to certain cues. You can learn to take advantage of that, even in your nursery or farm stand. Joe Baer...

Many who visit garden centers in late summer and early autumn are looking for mums to brighten the landscape, so mum growers strive for full, healthy plants. Nick Flax, Penn State Extension horticulture team, provided tips for successfully growing mums. For those starting with unrooted cuttings, Fla...

Much like a superhero, as a nursery owner you know that once you defeat one villain, another pops up – such as the redheaded flea beetle. A native chewing insect, it exists from Maine to Florida and from Texas to Montana. Nurseries across the country have reported damage from the buggers. Fortunatel...

The University of Maine’s Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station (MAFES) was recently endowed with a grant from the USDA to assist vegetable and fruit specialists evaluate strategies for producing squash more suitable for storage during Northeastern New England’s formidable winters. The grant ...

There are three different ways to improve the precision of existing orchard spraying systems. That’s what Dr. Jason Deveau of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and author of the seminal “Airblast 101,” believes. And when you’re trying to improve accuracy, the best advice f...

It’s a given that sometime during the growing season supplemental irrigation is going to be required if one is to grow good quality vegetables. Uneven precipitation can cause plant stress, which will affect both crop productivity and quality issues in your produce. Proper timing of water application...