by Carl Cantaluppi
Apple growers need to spray fungicides to control destructive apple diseases that are present on leaves and fruit. Paecilomyces niveus is a fungus found in soil that can survive in orchard soils and can infect fruit through wounds. (more…)
No matter what kind of tree fruit you are growing, many factors influence the end-quality. Managing the nutrient levels during differing stages of crop development is one important aspect that can strongly influence fruit size, firmness and quality whether you are growing pome or stone fruits. (more…)
Mid-summer marks a busy season for many direct-marketing businesses, so discussing taking on even more heat may sound illogical – especially if the heat refers to crisis management. (more…)
by Sally Colby
There’s no doubt that pumpkins herald a new season and consumers are anxious for the arrival of this age-old icon of fall. Although most consumers still seek bright orange fruit, pumpkins of all colors, shapes and sizes are selling well. (more…)
by Catie Joyce Bulay
Alongside the Walla Walla Valley’s farmlands, where friendly neighbors share private road access and pheasants and quails are often spotted running between rows, sits Walla Walla Nursery Company, situated partly in Washington and partly in Oregon. (more…)
by Sally Colby
Christmas tree growers devote considerable time and effort to bringing a crop to harvest, but even the most seasoned growers have periodic issues with fertility, disease and insect pests. (more…)
by Sally Colby
Perhaps no one truly knows when the ‘everything pumpkin’ craze began, but it’s become tradition for consumers to seek pumpkin flavors, designs and decorations not long after children are back in school. While selecting the perfect, traditional orange fruit is often the highlight of a family’s visit to your farm, fall isn’t just about pumpkins. For many families, a chance to pick apples, tackle a corn maze or simply enjoy the tranquility of a farm is enough reason for a visit. (more…)
When fruit trees are stressed, so are the growers. Getting to the root of the issues, investigating what went wrong and taking measures to correct the situation can be a lot like solving a crime. There are the usual suspects, but things can get complicated when further insult is added to initial injury. (more…)
by Carl Cantaluppi
As the vegetable growing season continues, we know that diseases will start to appear on vegetables, so we must practice constant vigilance to assure that we can control them when they are first noticed. (more…)
A quick definition of ambience relates to the character or atmosphere of a place — the quality it seems to have. Ambience is one of five major factors identified with customer satisfaction as noted by Miguel Gomez, a Cornell University researcher, and mentioned by Penn State wine bloggers. (more…)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — As part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s ongoing effort to make the oversight of food safety stronger and more efficient, USDA and FDA announced the alignment of the USDA Harmonized Good Agricultural Practices Audit Program (USDA H-GAP) with the requirements of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act’s (FSMA’s) Produce Safety Rule. (more…)
A 24-hour hackathon on Friday, June 1 at research location Bleiswijk of Wageningen University & Research, featuring 14 international teams, has determined which five teams will continue in this year’s Autonomous Greenhouses Challenge, organized by Wageningen University & Research. (more…)
