Lessons from our year of botrytis Last year on our farm, Moonshot Farm in East Windsor, New Jersey, we experienced a devastating year for a relatively common cut flower disease, botrytis (aka gray mold). The disease first appeared on ranunculus and freesia in our winter greenhouses, and later a different strain took hold of […]
Managing gray mold in cut flowers Read More »
Exploring our love/hate relationship with caterpillar tunnels It’s January 2022. We’ve just returned from our annual winter vacation. No one has set foot on Ferme des Quatre-Temps farm for three consecutive weeks. The first thing we see when we arrive at the site is the row of ten caterpillar tunnels. I’m expecting to see
Crops, advantages and timing for caterpillar tunnels vs greenhouses Read More »
While the paper pot transplanter originated in Japan, innovative small farmers in the US for decades have invented similar models. None became widespread in use, however, because the number of small farms in the US dramatically declined in the 20th century, shrinking the market for such tools. Many similar tools have been patented through the
The paperpot transplanter: Evolution of a tool with a human face Read More »
The first time I saw a video of the Paperpot Transplanter in action, it seemed completely magical. It looked like the solutions to all my problems. But, I knew that with my heavy clay soil and low tillage practice most small farm tools like this don’t really work for me “as seen on TV.” I
Paperpot transplanter: farmers share advantages and limitations Read More »
In 2017, my wife, Rachel, and I moved our rural vegetable farm into the city, primarily to be closer to schools, extended family, and activities for our two young kids. The move also allowed the farm, then 11 years old, a fresh start. We micro-sized, from 1 acre to 1/3 of an acre in production.
How we downsized our farm size by 2/3 without taking a pay cut Read More »
Excerpt from Flower Farming for Profit The following is an excerpt from Lennie Larkin’s new book Flower Farming for Profit (Chelsea Green Publishing January 2024) and is printed with permission from the publisher. For newer farmers, it’s helpful to think of the crop planning process through the lens of sales and marketing (how
Crop planning based on sales projections Read More »
#toolsforgrowingformarket Last summer I took a two-week summer vacation in June with my partner to Germany. It was right in the gap between peak planting and peak harvest time on my farm, but CSA harvests and distributions were still in full swing. I hadn’t done that in a while, but it’s also something that I’ve
Plan for a summer vacation! Read More »
Farmworkers play a critical role in the day-to-day operation and overall sustainability of diversified vegetable farms. But what are these individuals looking for in a work experience? Do they simply want a season spent outdoors and a few good stories, or are they hoping to pursue a long-term professional career in this field? More and
How to increase worker retention on vegetable and flower farms Read More »
A method for increasing your production on a small footprint Editor’s note: The following is an excerpt from Ben Hartman’s new book The Lean Micro Farm (Chelsea Green Publishing, November 2023) and is printed with permission from the publisher. In the book, Ben talks about shrinking his own farm’s footprint from an acre down to 1/3
Two-step bed flipping Read More »
If any cut flower has made a comeback in recent years, it’s the chrysanthemum. This flower, once relegated to boring imports at the grocery store, has taken off in recent years and for good reason. There is so much to love about mums. Mums in bloom, with large disbudded varieties in the front.
All about chrysanthemums Read More »
