August 1, 2012

Every year, early in the season, our crew watches an old video, Efficient Harvesting Techniques, made by CSA Works (Food Bank Farm) in Hadley, MA. It’s no longer available, sadly (Michael Docter says “We’ve retired from the film industry to do farming!”). The film has cult movie status with us, and old hands join in […]

  Pumps consist of two main parts: the pump impeller (which pushes the water), and the motor which drives the impeller. Small irrigation pumps can be gas or diesel, electric, or PTO-driven. Electric and PTO-driven pumps will seem to require less time troubleshooting—mostly because electric motors are wonderfully low-maintenance, and PTO-driven pumps are as reliable

Review by Lynn Byczynski When it comes to the mechanical end of farming, growers fall into two categories. In the first are people who grew up with farm equipment or have spent a lot of time around it, and are thoroughly comfortable using it. In the second category are the people who don’t know as

Most vegetables set fruit at maximum temperatures of 90°F or less, so this summer’s sweltering temperatures in much of the U.S. have been a challenge. High tunnel production has been especially difficult, as temperatures can routinely go over 100°F on a sunny day.   When the air outside is within a plant’s critical temperature range,

One of the most admired CSA farms in the U.S. has made its manuals and planting plans available for free download from its website. Roxbury Farm in Kinderhook, New York, is a community supported, biodynamic farm that grows vegetables, herbs and grass-fed pork, beef and lamb for more than 1,000 shareholders. Its 300 acres of

Grand Rapids, Michigan, is surrounded by some of the most productive fruit and vegetable farmland in the United States. To the west of the city is the largest blueberry production area in Michigan. Muck soils in the area contribute to Michigan’s ranking as #2 in the nation for fresh market carrots and celery. And north

In the June/July issue, I wrote about garlic harvest and curing. Everything is connected, of course, and the summer work of cultivation and harvest is tied to the the fall work of planting. Farm scale, markets, and equipment affect planting techniques from one farm to the next. In this article, I’ll tell you how farms