Harvesting techniques can improve efficiency
So, what do you like best about what you do?” This question was tossed out at Frank while visiting with Johnny’s Selected Seed’s founder Rob Johnston at the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) conference last February. Frank is not usually at a loss for words, but a noncommittal “Uh…I don’t really know…” was all […]
Organic seed workshops scheduled
The burgeoning organic seed market and the National Organic Program rule requiring farmers to use organic seed are prompting many growers to consider integrating seed production into their farming operations. Additionally, the organic seed industry is feeling pressure to improve and ensure seed quality standards including varietal integrity, high levels of seed purity and germination […]
Time to get your act together
It is a little hard to believe, but that time of year is here again. The time of great stress and greater returns. No, not Christmas, the opening of the farmers’ market. We all know that growing great vegetables takes a lot–a lot of planning, management and labor. We have to decide on what we […]
New biodegradable mulch is cheaper than plastic when removal and disposal costs are also considered
By Laura Sorkin As a farmer and consumer, I’ve accepted plastic as being necessary in my life but cringe at the amount of waste it causes. I use plastic containers in my greenhouse but encourage my clients to return them to me at the end of the season where I wash them and reuse them. […]
Letters from the readers: Kestrel warning
I just read the article about kestrels and barn owls in the April 2006 issue and have a couple of thoughts of caution to share about this. While these predators can be an ally in some locations, they can also be of detriment in others; it just depends on where you live. In northern Idaho, […]
Fertilizer from the barber shop
Hair and waste wool can be used as slow-release fertilizers, according to research reported in the April issue of HortIdeas. Hair was collected from barber shops, wool was from ewes shorn in spring and stored for as long as two years. Average analyses (on a weight basis; the first of each pair of numbers refers […]
Organic transplants cost more
USDA plant physiologist Vincent Russo investigated whether organic practices can produce vigorous vegetable seedlings. The first 2 years, organically grown bell pepper transplants appeared to be less vigorous than those in a conventional potting soil. Further examination revealed that an organic fertilizer, added to a commercially available, organically certified potting medium, had to be applied […]
Organic opposition to NAIS
Opposition is building to USDA’s National Animal Identification System, but the government is moving ahead with the plan. On April 6, USDA released its implementation schedule, which calls for “benchmarks for progress” by which the program can be assessed according to the level of voluntary participation. The benchmark for January 2009 is 100% participation. The […]
Standing seeder
Standing seeder The Stand ’N Plant Seeder can be used for seeding large seeds, bulbs or onion plants without bending over. It was developed in 1986 on a farm in Pennsylvania, whose owners have just now started selling it to other growers for about $50. For more information, visit www.standnplant.com or phone 724-349-5167.
Whos doing farm work?
Who’s doing farm work? A majority, 56%, are from Mexico. According to Pew, 4% of illegal aliens are farm workers, and illegal aliens account for 24% of all farm workers. According to a Zogby poll, 78% of U.S. citizens consider Mexicans hard working and 42% consider them honest. In the same poll, only 26% of […]