A Recommitment to Recordkeeping
We have all learned valuable lessons during the pandemic, and one lesson I hear about above all other business concerns is a recommitment to accurate and timely recordkeeping. (more…)
Krueger family keeps it green
Neil Krueger prunes trees for less density while maintaining a desirable shape.
Photo courtesy of Krueger’s Christmas Trees
by Sally Colby
Establishing trees for erosion control was a fairly new concept in 1954, but that’s one of the conservation measures Neil Krueger’s parents undertook on their Stillwater, MN, farm. (more…)
The Christmas flower at Hartman’s Towne and Country Greenhouse
Tom and Diane Hartman of Hartman’s Towne and Country Greenhouse with their new variety, Christmas Wish poinsettia, in mid-October.
Photo by Gail March Yerke
by Gail March Yerke
With over 34 million plants sold last year during the holiday season in the U.S. alone, it’s easy to see why the poinsettia is known as the “Christmas flower.” (more…)
Tubing essential to scaling up commercial maple production
Keeping the proper elevation in the tubing can help keep sap flowing.
Photo courtesy of Keith Otto, Extension support specialist
by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
If you want to expand your farm’s maple production, going with tubing rather than collection buckets can make the entire system work more smoothly. (more…)
Online ticketing a boon for seasonal operation
by Courtney Llewellyn
Earlier this year, NAFDMA hosted an online roundtable to ask producers how they were preparing for an autumn influenced by COVID-19 restrictions. At the beginning of October, the international agritourism association brought in three different growers to discuss how the harvest season has been going. (more…)
Perennial varieties to ponder for 2021
by Enrico Villamaino
Horticultural advocacy group AmericanHort recently hosted “Top Performers From Perennial Variety Trials,” the latest production in the organization’s “Grower Insider Series.” The program was administered by Paul Westervelt, (more…)
Tools and investments to reduce labor
Talking with community members and learning what produce they use is one key to success.
Photo courtesy of Oakland Avenue Urban Farm
by Katie Navarra
A little more than a decade ago, northern Detroit’s commercial district was a food desert. Jerry Ann Hebron kept hearing the same issues emerge (more…)
Nursery management: Cold weather protection for containers
by Tamara Scully
The location of your nursery, what you’re growing and how you’re growing it will influence the type of preparation your plants need to survive the winter season and emerge thriving in the spring. (more…)
Variety is the spice of Christmas tree life in Michigan
The father and son team of Richard and Tony Stefani at Hillside Christmas Tree Farm in Manchester, MI.
Photo courtesy of Hillside Christmas Tree Farm
by Enrico Villamaino
East Coast or West Coast? Which is best? And how do we even judge? (more…)
Battling for broadband access
Precision agriculture tools help farmers reduce waste when it comes to precisely measuring inputs – but they often needs high-speed internet access to work properly.
by Courtney Llewellyn
Reliable, high-speed internet in rural regions has been an issue for decades. (more…)
Going under cover for local salad greens production
Having a “hands-off” policy – where no human hand touches the greens – is one way hydroponic growers keep crops safe.
Photo courtesy of Little Leaf Farms
by Tamara Scully
Chances are that the lettuce or other leafy greens eaten by the majority of consumers aren’t grown anywhere near their homes, (more…)
Agri-culinary business development adjusts to the times
Bottling juice has become so profitable to Red Jacket Orchards that the farm scaled back its farmers markets presence to focus on juice, sold in venues from Maine to Texas.
Photo by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
Founding a successful agriculture/culinary business relies on an owner’s ability to tweak the business to the times. (more…)
