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There are six basic ways to organize a business. First, there are the business organizations that are relatively simple to start but also come with unlimited personal liability such as the sole proprietorship or the general partnership. Other business entities take more effort and money to get started but can limit the investor’s liability to […]

For a time, growers who wanted to differentiate their produce in the marketplace often used the label “organic” to suggest better quality to consumers. Now that “organic” has become a federal program that many growers aren’t willing to participate in, growers who want to focus on flavor can use Brix as a marketing tool. Just

I’d bet many of you are like us: by the time you have good, ripe tomatoes and cool cucumbers for salads, the heat has “done the lettuce in.” Our customers love our lettuce, and we have been able to offer it to them most of the year. But mid-June through mid-September, lettuce hasn’t been “growable”

The heat first caught up with us on the East Coast in mid-April. Five straight days of temperatures in the mid-90s broiled the broccoli, lettuce and other early, cool-season crops in greenhouses and fields alike. It was only the first of six heatwaves to sweep the area during the season. The first heatwave struck just

When we farmers genetically improve our crops, we are usually enhancing potentials already present in at least some of the individuals of that crop. This contrasts strongly with inserting foreign genes, as in GMO corn or soybeans. So we need to set realistic goals based on what we have occasionally seen in our crops in

Hydrangea bushes loaded with their big white spheres of flowers are a common sight here in the Midwest. You often see them planted around houses in the older sections of town, towering over the hostas and flopping onto the lawn after a rainfall. They are so common that, even though I love hydrangeas, I was

There is a buzz among organic farmers all over the country about growing vegetable, flower and herb seed. Some growers are discovering the virtues of growing seed for their own use and some are finding out that growing seed can be a great alternative cash crop. In many cases it allows them to diversify and

The number of mother plants you use to keep your seed stocks healthy and vigorous is a key issue but one that is readily resolved by using rules of thumb for each crop. On farms with more than a 1/4 acre per cultivar, you should have plenty of mother plants available to select enough superior

Why should any of us save seed of our crops? Why should we add to our already lengthy lists of tasks and responsibilities? Because we can get much higher quality seed for replanting. Because we can save a good deal of money. Because we can guarantee our seed source for key crops and don’t have