The Farmers Market Coalition (FMC), a 501(c)(3) devoted to strengthening farmers markets for the benefit of farmers, consumers, and communities, is currently working to document best practices for farmers market operations and management, and needs your help! FMC is currently working on developing fact sheets for use by market managers and market sponsors with a […]
Farmers Market Coalition organized Read More »
If I were Martha Stewart, selling arrangements on 1-800-flowers.com, I could sell six stems of peonies (in a clear glass vase) for $79.95. But I’m not Martha Stewart, and the market for my peonies is not quite the same as Martha’s. So as my peonies are getting ready to burst into bloom, it seems like
Peonies: Supply, demand and prices Read More »
This article is about harvesting garlic, and also about the byproducts of garlic growing that make good crops in their own right: the scapes from hard-neck garlic, which are harvested about three weeks before the garlic bulbs, and garlic scallions, which can be harvested even earlier, in the spring. Here in zone 7, with a
Garlic scallions, scapes and harvest how-to Read More »
There is something irresistible about the scent of thawing earth. We are drawn back to the task of farming by this primal exhalation of soil as if the ground had held its breath all winter, waiting to whisper those sweet nothings in our ear, and compelling us to put another seed into the ground. And
Selling to chefs: Chicories Read More »
From 1852 to 1858, Henry David Thoreau kept records of the flowering dates of more than 500 species of plants near his home in Concord, Mass. Twenty years later, the amateur botanist Alfred Hosmer began recording first flowering dates (FFD) for more than 700 species around Concord. His records were for the year 1878 and
Flowering dates at Thoreau’s home Read More »
The next food label on the horizon: Greenhouse Gas Emissions. When it appears, there is no guarantee that local food is going to get the best score. An analysis of the environmental toll of food production concludes that transportation is a small portion of the total “carbon footprint” of various foods. Beef and dairy are
Food and carbon footprint Read More »
Dan and I were invited to speak at the Alaska Sustainable Agriculture conference in Fairbanks in March. We accepted immediately because we have always wanted to see Alaska. But as the time drew closer, we started worrying that we didn’t know much that would be relevant to Alaska growers. Kansas seems like almost the opposite
Letter from the Editor: Alaska Read More »
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How to graft tomatoes Read More »
If you find this article useful, why not start a subscription to Growing for Market? GFM keeps you informed about all the innovations that help small vegetable and flower farmers be successful. Click here for more information about print and online subscription options that will give you access to more than 1,100 useful articles about
Graft tomatoes, especially heirlooms, for greater yield and disease resistance Read More »
