August 1, 2009

August is the month when growers normally have to keep watch for the disease late blight, which kills potato and tomato plants. But this year, late blight made an unusually early appearance and has been devastating crops in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic for more than a month. The experience of farmers and gardeners in those […]

“So whose idea was this, anyway?”   This was the recurring question back in late June. We had agreed to grow 50,000 stems of ‘Superior Sunset’ sunflowers for a statewide advertised 4th of July special for our grocery stores. It looked like such a good deal. “Sure, we can pull this off.  This is easy!” Then

A pallet fork, or 3-point-mounted fork, is a simple, relatively inexpensive implement for the back of the tractor that cansave time— and backs — in a number of ways. Pallet forks essentially turn your tractor into a very limited forklift, allowing you to use the tractor’s hydraulics to lift pallets, bins, or whatever you need

Fall-planted spinach is a wonderful crop, and now is the time to plan your plantings, and even start sowing if you are in cooler parts of the country. Unlike spring sowings, plants started in the fall won’t bolt, as the days are getting cooler and shorter as the plants mature. If your climate is suitable

                                       As honeybees face environmental challenges such as Varroa mites and colony collapse disorder, many beekeepers are escalating their use of synthetic chemicals and antibiotics. New practices need to be developed if we want to preserve our honeybees and continue to enjoy the fruits of their labor.     In his book Natural Beekeeping, Ross

If my article on beekeeping in the April issue of GFM piqued your interest, then your next question should be, “How do I make money with bees?”  While improved fruit and vegetable quality and quantity should be reason enough to have honey bees on your farm, the wide variety of hive products can add income,

When the sun beats down on a late June morning and you are feeling as fresh as a head of leaf lettuce that has been left in the sun for six hours, you need to have a few tricks up your sleeve to pull off a successful market. Nothing kills sales quicker than a wilted

Consider this variation on selling at farmers market: You know ahead of time exactly how much you will sell, so that’s what you harvest and pack. You spend an hour selling it — in the afternoon, not at dawn. You set your own prices. And you get a check for everything you’ve brought, as soon

Our farm has a large retail base: countless farmers’ market customers, a 200-family winter CSA, and a 320-family summer CSA. I love these supporters for their loyalty and their contributions to farm profit, but dread the amount of time I must spend in answering all the questions from this many people. Above all, two queries