Rod Wert has been growing Christmas trees since 1986. He named his operation Blue Ridge Christmas Tree Farm as it was in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Pennsylvania. Then he, his wife Jodi and their family moved 20 miles east to Annville. “We had a good market but it got too crowded. We had a farm surr...

The Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP), organized by USDA’s National Organic Program , has helped farmers navigate the transition process from conventional to organic production with the help of mentors and organic farming resources. Three Michigan farmers who benefited from the progra...

A farm bonfire has a certain magic. Hayrides roll in from the fields, boots crunch across the ground and a crackling blaze gives families a warm place to gather as the evening cools. For farms offering agritourism events, that combination can turn a simple autumn night into a memorable experience. B...

“One thing I’m not going to tell you today is that as a founder or as a producer that you need to start recording more videos and being on social media more. I recognize that everyone’s busy," said Mallory Seargeant, a marketing strategist and founder of Ramper Creative . Rather, Seargeant emphasize...

Dr. Kelly Hamby, associate professor and Extension specialist, University of Maryland, is determined to help growers of brambles and other soft fruits understand and manage spotted wing drosophila (SWD). Measures such as cooling fruit as soon as possible after harvest to prevent SWD larvae from deve...

On a hot mid-July afternoon, the crowd was hopping at Running Brook Vineyards in North Dartmouth, MA. It’s market day. Food trucks, music and wine tastings invigorated the crowd. The grapevines growing across the winery’s 16 acres benefit from the hot weather, according to Justin Seney, who became m...

Keeping post-harvest water clean is one of the quiet challenges of commercial apple packing. Flumes and dump tanks help move fruit quickly and efficiently but they can also become highways for harmful microbes if water quality slips. That balancing act was the focus of a presentation from Laura K. S...

Most who own forested land have never dealt with trespassers who willingly go onto private property and cut trees, but it happens often enough that states have strict laws to handle the problem. Ross Pifer, professor of law and director of Penn State’s Center for Ag & Shale Law, recently presented i...

Hiring seasonal employees challenges many farm operators as many aspects of the hiring process and other human resources matters differ from that of non-seasonal employees. Farm consultant Erica Leubner recently presented a “Seasonal Employees” webinar, hosted by Cornell as part of New York’s Annie’...