Most growers don’t grow in a climate that allows year-round field production of crops. With cold temperatures limiting the season at both ends, growers have adopted many methods that allow them to continue growing and harvesting crops despite the weather. In a greenhouse, growers control the environment, providing the proper temperatures, humidity and even light. … Read more
Organic. It’s a word that’s thrown around quite a bit. Not just in this industry, but all over. The term itself signifies “healthy,” “environmentally friendly” and “chemical-free.” Consumers who used to visit out-of-the-way nature food stores now frequent their local supermarket to effortlessly stumble upon produce labeled “organic.” As I traveled this year, I noticed … Read more
Businessman finds new life as a grape grower In his early 40s, Joe Greff sold off a successful multiple-office insurance business in Pennsylvania. Yet, his youthful personality wouldn’t allow him to sit still and, for instance… just sip a glass of wine. Instead, he used that windfall of income to pave the way into the … Read more
Imagine two strawberry growers with side-by-side booths at a local farmers market. One has plump, vibrant red strawberries stacked on top of a bushel basket. The other batch is clearly attacked by anthracnose, speckled with brown and black spots. Which strawberries do you think will sell? It takes hard work and good agricultural practices to … Read more
Raising resilient, high-quality marketable greenhouse crops requires the right mix of nutrients. The variety of commercially available fertilizers allows producers to provide a proper balanced level of minerals and nutrients to produce healthy plants. Incorporating silicon into your fertilizer program can be especially important for plants grown in soil-less substrates as silicon is naturally found … Read more