For growers battling stubborn weeds across the Northeast, a new spark of interest is running through the rows. In a presentation titled “Sparks in the Row: What Electrical Weed Control Does to Weeds,” researchers Luísa C. Baccin and Marcelo L. Moretti of Oregon State University joined Joshua W. A. M...

Livestock manure is a plentiful, renewable resource. Nearly 1.4 billion tons of it is created each year in the U.S. alone. Much of it is utilized as fertilizer on commodity crops, but what about using it on vegetables that often go straight from the fields and into hungry mouths? A team from Morehea...

“The famous quote about food hubs is when you’ve seen one food hub, you’ve seen one food hub. They’re like snowflakes,” said Katelyn Porter of the New England Food Hub & Processors Network at a meeting hosted by Healthy Communities of the Capital Area in Hallowell, Maine. According to USDA, a food h...

“’There’s money in the account’ is not an effective business strategy,” Penn State Extension’s Carla Snyder joked during a recent “Lunch & Learn.” As a farm business owner, it’s important to know the status of every cent of cold, hard cash, not just your assets or investments. Effective planning can...

“Enough is enough!” When I was young, those three little words – usually bellowed by one of the Dame patriarchs – always made me freeze. Nothing else needed to be said. The message came through loud and clear: No more talking. No more jumping. No more running. Close your mouth. Sit still. Stop. Who ...

Play is important for children of all ages, and children’s play areas can become an integral part of your agritourism operation – but these spaces must be created with safety in mind. A session at the most recent Great Lakes Expo led by Nate Bosch, landscape architect with Outdoor Discovery Center o...

At the most recent Cultivate Conference , growers packed together to soak up smart strategies on a deceptively simple subject: watering. In a session titled “Optimize Moisture Management to Grow Your Best Crops Ever,” Nick Flax, technical services specialist at Ball Seed Company, made one thing clea...

According to some, elderberries have a taste similar to blackberries and black currants but have a more “earthy” flavor. Their unique flavor is enjoyed by many these days in culinary treats and elderberry medicine extracts. The market for elderberry is still being studied and expanded. So a team of ...

“Are the PFAS in pesticides contaminating our land and water? Unfortunately, there really isn’t enough research yet to give us a firm answer,” said Faith Cullens-Nobis, an Extension educator with Michigan State University. Despite the lack of a firm answer, Cullens-Nobis thinks farmers need more inf...