Thoughts on Food as Medicine
The other day I was getting my annual checkup with my longtime primary care physician Dr. Michael Flanagan. We always have some excellent discussions on why eating (more…)
Choosing an Online CSA Sales Platform
So you want to sell shares to your CSA online. This is an ambitious goal, and seemingly becoming more necessary by the day as the food industry embraces e-commerce. (more…)
Achieving a Flexible Marketing Plan
A marketing plan is a strong component of any business strategy. It outlines how and where you will deploy resources to reach your target audiences. (more…)
Beneficial bacteria and salty solutions
We all know the earth’s surface is about 71% water. However, 96.5% of that water is in the oceans, and that water isn’t necessarily usable by all of land-dwellers, (more…)
Great Lakes Expo returns to Grand Rapids
At the venerable Great Lakes Expo, which took place Dec. 7 – 9 in Grand Rapids, MI, growers of fruits and vegetables, plus those involved in farm markets, met up in person for education, networking and investment. (more…)
Keeping dreams and the spirit of Christmas trees alive
Emmet Van Driesche with his arm full of wreaths ready to be decorated for Christmas at Pieropan Christmas Tree Farm in Ashfield, MA. Photo by Laura Rodley
by Laura Rodley
High on the slopes of Ashfield, MA, is a plentitude of Christmas trees first planted (more…)
Riding a wave of success
Today, Rob Ruhlig is in charge of marketing, promotion and sales of farm and greenhouse products – the position his dad previously held. Photo courtesy of Ruhlig Farms & Gardens
by Sally Colby
In 1970, David and Rose Ruhlig started a 43-acre farm and greenhouse business (more…)
Hydroponic and loco
Along with microgreens, El Loco Coyote Farms grows baby and petite salad greens. Owner Ron Maes has also expanded to peppers, tomatoes and fingerling potatoes. Photo courtesy of Ron Maes
by Aliya Hall
It was Ron Maes’s 25-year background in construction finance that helped motivate him (more…)
Sharing Christmas cheer
Sonya Showers begins making wreaths in mid-November, using fresh-cut greens from trees that either won’t be harvested or have had the tops harvested. Photo by Sally Colby
by Sally Colby
Between operating a Christmas tree farm, an orchard, a tree nursery and raising five children, (more…)
Stumping for houseplant partnerships
Brian and Emily Kellett, founders of STUMP, shared that their key to success is knowledgeable employees who know the plants they’re selling inside and out. Photo by Courtney Llewellyn
by Courtney Llewellyn
Perhaps you know someone who describes themselves as a plant mom (more…)
Managing deer
An electric fence with offset wires interferes with depth perception and can deter deer from attempting to jump it. It’s important that any electric fence remains “hot” with a good charger. Photo by Sally Colby
by Sally Colby
Nearly everyone who grows a crop outdoors has encountered (more…)
CSAs: Thinking inside the box
Mandy Way said adding greens was an easy way to diversify their CSA, which they call a “market share membership.” Photo courtesy of Way Farms
by Courtney Llewellyn
Data collected in 2015 by the USDA indicated that 7,398 farms in the U.S. sold products directly (more…)
