2017 Christmas tree farmers Winter Convention to be held in Binghamton

2017-01-20T09:25:46-05:00January 20, 2017|Grower East, Grower Midwest, Grower West|

The Christmas Tree Farmers Association of NY has announced that their 2017 Winter Convention will be held Jan. 26-28, at the DoubleTree by Hilton, Binghamton, NY. The program kicks off on Thursday evening at 6 p.m. with an informal Taste of Binghamton reception in the exhibit hall. More than 20 vendors are expected to be present. (more…)

Sunflowers: Multi-purpose crop

2016-12-30T11:50:30-05:00December 30, 2016|Grower East|

by Tamara Scully
Farmer Jim Laine is an innovator. He farms about 800 acres in central New Jersey, growing grains and mixing feeds for everyone from gentleman farmers and horse owners to commercial livestock farmers. The farm grows corn, spelt, soybean, rye, barley, wheat, oats and hay. It also grows sunflowers.
Several years ago, as a part of New Jersey Audubon’s efforts to increase habitat for birds, while also enhancing profits for farmers, Laine planted several acres of sunflowers as part of a small group of farmers participating in the S.A.V.E. (Support Agricultural Viability and the Environment) program. (more…)

Manage insects without pesticides

2016-12-30T11:49:11-05:00December 30, 2016|Grower East, Grower Midwest, Grower West|

by Michael Wren
“Pests can be managed, they cannot be controlled,” said Dr. Lily Calderwood during a recent presentation. Dr. Calderwood, Cornell Cooperative Extension Commercial Horticulture Educator, explained different ways to implement insect pest management (IPM).
The first and most important task when undertaking successful pest management is to go out and look at your plants at least once a week — every species, every week. (more…)

Millennial Mysteries: What goes around, comes around

2016-12-30T11:47:54-05:00December 30, 2016|Grower East, Grower Midwest, Grower West|

What if every assumption or stereotype our culture has about millennials in the workforce just isn’t true? What if most millennials aren’t entitled overachievers who expect more than they are worth while doing less work than everyone else?
There have been countless studies regarding the millennial generation — some of which confirm the stereotypes — and we all have that one (or two, or a dozen) millennial in our life who lives up to our worst assumptions about the age group. This has made our culture to fear the worst and believe negative news that we would otherwise doubt. (more…)

Banker plants

2016-12-30T11:47:06-05:00December 30, 2016|Grower East, Grower Midwest, Grower West|

Banker plants are those in which beneficial insects may reside, eat and reproduce even when there aren’t many pest insects to feed on. This is a key part in maintaining a successful integrated pest management system because without them the beneficial insects would leave once they accomplished their task. (more…)

Thriving on diversity

2016-12-30T11:45:31-05:00December 30, 2016|Grower East|

by Sally Colby
When Mike and Gayle Thorpe started farming in East Aurora, NY as first generation farmers in the early 1980s, organic operations in western New York weren’t common.
“They started switching to organic in the 1990s,” said Abigail Thorpe, one of Mike and Gayle’s six adult children who are now on the farm. “My dad was growing field crops and my mom was focusing on fruits and vegetables. (more…)

First New York Cut Flower Conference

2016-12-30T11:44:09-05:00December 30, 2016|Grower East|

by Michael Wren
Dec. 6, 2016 marked the first New York Cut Flower Conference held at the Carey Institute for Global Good in Rensselaerville. The event was put on by Cornell Cooperative Extension and sponsored by the Capital Area Agriculture and Horticulture Program (CAAHP) and The Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers. (more…)

Diversification keeps one NYS tree farm thriving

2016-11-23T11:19:10-05:00November 23, 2016|Grower East|

go-xm-38-3-domestreefarm01596by Samantha Graves
Last year, the Domes Tree Farm outside of Bliss, NY won a statewide competition resulting in one of their 30-foot Concolor Fir trees being selected for display in front of Lincoln Center in New York City’s Upper West Side. “It was quite an honor,” said Bill Domes, who co-owns the tree farm with his wife Katie. (more…)

NOFA-NY’s final on-farm field day at Hawthorne Valley Farms: An eye to the future

2016-11-23T11:16:51-05:00November 23, 2016|Grower East|

go-mr-3-hawthorne-valley78by Michael Wren
GHENT, NY — Oct. 17, 2016 marked the final on-farm field day put on by the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York (NOFA-NY). These events are hosted by farms in New York State and are held from June through October. NOFA-NY’s Executive Director Adrianna Natsoulas and the Grain and Field Crops Coordinator Robert Perry helped to put on the field day. (more…)

Precision planting recommended in ENYCHP cover crops demonstration and workshop

2016-11-23T11:15:32-05:00November 23, 2016|Grower East|

go-mr-3-precision-planting5by Elizabeth A. Tomlin
Stanton’s Feura Farm, Feura Bush, NY, hosted CCE Eastern NY Commercial Horticulture Program’s Cover Crops Demonstration: Not What Grandpa Used to Grow! on Oct. 13.
Featured speakers included Northeast Soil Health Specialist Dr. Paul Salon and Research Agronomist/ Cover Crop Specialist Dave Wilson. (more…)

Arrowhead Acres

2016-11-23T11:14:11-05:00November 23, 2016|Grower East|

go-mr-25-3-arrowhead-acres1by Lorraine Strenkowski
With a major in Horticulture and a minor in Ag-Business Management from the University of Connecticut, 22-year-old Mackenzie Beckwith transformed her great-grandfather’s dairy barn into an inviting farm store.  Arrowhead Acres offers products from over 10 different local businesses/farmers as well as other artisan crafters.  Cookies, muffins, pies, stuffed breads, soup and many other goodies are made right in the store, with much of the produce that’s grown on the property. (more…)

Energy: a greenhouse primer

2016-11-23T11:12:30-05:00November 23, 2016|Grower East, Grower West|

by Tamara Scully
“Heating is typically a very significant component of the overall energy use in a greenhouse operation,’ A.J. Both, Associate Extension Specialist, Bioresource Engineering, Department of Environmental Sciences Rutgers, said in a presentation for The Farm Energy IQ (FEIQ) program.
Greenhouse heating systems typically consist of forced air unit systems, or hot water boiler systems. No matter the system for heat delivery, the heating system needs to be sized to meet the heating needs of the greenhouse. Sizing a system properly requires calculating the expected amount of heat loss. (more…)

Homestead Gardens: Community oriented, making memories

2016-11-23T11:11:46-05:00November 23, 2016|Grower East|

go-mr-42-3-homestead-gardens1by Hope Holland
It might seem that Homestead Gardens of Davidsonville and Severna Park in Maryland is just beginning the peak of its busy season if you didn’t know that Homestead Gardens makes sure that all of its seasons are busy. Ever since Don Riddle started growing azaleas on his parent’s farm in Hyattsville, MD in 1971 the idea of Homestead Gardens has been one of continued development, from its 1973 incorporation through the move to Davidsonville and then to the Severna Park location. (more…)

Protect yourself while hiring: Part 1

2016-11-23T11:10:27-05:00November 23, 2016|Grower East, Grower Midwest, Grower West|

go-rp-60-1-hiring-practiceseThe job description
by Sally Colby
When it comes to labor and hiring practices, attorney Anthony Raimondo knows what he’s talking about. Raimondo has extensive experience in agriculture law, and is an instructor on farm labor contractor licensing.
“Farming has always been a labor-intensive activity,” said Raimondo, who practices in California, “so you need employees. “What can you do at the start of the relationship (with employees) to protect against risk?” (more…)

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