Vulnerability, exposure and sensitivity may not be terms you expected to use when you got into farming. Yet, according to author-scientist-farmer Laura Lengnick, these terms are key to the new language of growing produce in our changing climate. There are multiple options available to determine your land’s vulnerabilities, exposures and sensitivities. Perhaps the easiest place … Read more
Greenhouse growers nationwide are well versed in thrips, aphids and spider mites. These three pests are the most persistent greenhouse pests across the country. Thrips, Aphids and Spider Mites “Mealybugs and scale, whiteflies and leafminers are also important,” said Frank A. Hale, Ph.D., professor of Horticultural Crops Entomology, Entomology and Plant Pathology at the University of … Read more
It’s no secret that the number of farmers markets has been growing exponentially in the U.S. From 1994 until 2004, the number of markets doubled, and over the next decade, from 2004 to 2014, that number doubled again, and then some. According to the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), the number of farmers markets operating in … Read more
Fungicides differ from other pesticides. Most insecticides and some herbicides ‘knock down’ pests, but fungicides work best when applied before pests appear. Almost all fungicides are developed to protect healthy plants from a pest pathogen before infections occur. Most fungicides are classified as protectants. Strength of Your Fungicides Read about: BelleWood Acres’ Holistic Approach to Apple Management … Read more
To understand the principles that John and Dorie Belisle have devised and applied over 20-plus years of apple farming, consider a phrase familiar to many agriculturalists: integrated pest management (IPM). Apple Management Read about: 3 Lingering Issues with Produce Safety Rule IPM refers to a holistic approach to pest management – an information-based strategy of constant monitoring, … Read more