Planning to pick your own fruit this summer? Let’s review some U-pick fruit etiquette to keep in mind when you go. Fruit farming can be a tedious and labor-intensive enterprise. Aside from the environmental unknowns that nature throws into the mix, growing fruit requires tons of care, including plan...

Insect pests get a lot of attention because we see the damage they cause. Less obvious are beneficial insects that provide “biocontrol” of insect pests. These include predators that kill or disable their prey quickly and parasitoids that kill pests more slowly. Predators include lady beetles, ground...

The National Bison Association announced on July 1 the annual kickoff to July Bison Month, encouraging consumers to add this uniquely American, delicious, humanely raised, supremely healthy protein to their regular diets. The population of American bison once exceeded 30 million animals across North...

Many gardeners are reporting damage lately from two pests, the fourlined plant bug and slugs. The plant bug causes minor cosmetic damage, but slugs can be quite destructive if left unchecked. The fourlined plant bug feeds on mint, basil, sage and Shasta daisies. This little insect causes sunken brow...

Thanks to social media and the growing popularity of self-sufficiency, canning and preserving is enjoying a renewal of interest. To me this is amusing because we’ve always been fans of this sort of activity. For over 50 years, Mom was an ambitious preserver of all things grown on our farm (and often...

June being National Dairy Month conjures up all of the delicious foods that we enjoy that fall into the dairy category: cheese, ice cream, whipped cream, cream cheese. The list is extensive – but one of the mainstays in everyone’s kitchen is butter. Butter has an interesting and varied history over ...

As temperatures rise and hot, humid days are upon us, the Connecticut Department of Agriculture is reminding pet and livestock owners to take action to keep their animals safe this summer. This is also the time of year for extreme weather such as thunderstorms and hurricanes, and celebrations which ...

In an effort to cut both grass and injury rates, the Childhood Agricultural Safety Network (CASN) is launching a national lawn mower safety campaign that asks if youth are “Mow Ready.” Despite improvements in engineering and safety features, pediatric lawn mower-related injury rates have remained co...

Peach leaf curl has been a common disease of peach trees this spring in the Northeast. The disease often occurs in wet cool springs following mild winters. The fungus Taphrina deformans causes the foliage to become stunted, puckered and deformed with a reddish to purple tinge, often causing alarm in...

This spring, the Seed to Supper program, organized by Cornell Cooperative Extension Madison County, blossomed into a remarkable success, transforming lives and gardens across the community. Over the course of six weeks, around 50 enthusiastic participants gathered at various host sites to learn the ...

June is National Rose Month and the American Rose Society is hoping to spread the joy of roses. Headquartered in Shreveport, LA, the American Rose Society (ARS) is a national nonprofit that was founded in 1892 dedicated exclusively to the culture, appreciation and preservation of the rose. Members h...

Bees are critically important pollinators to support and protect. Along with other insects, bees are essential components of agriculture by pollinating fruits, vegetables and other crops. Pollinator habitat is declining as a result of large-scale agriculture and urbanization. This trend destroys nat...

Interested in reducing stormwater runoff, lowering water pollution, conserving water and supporting wildlife and pollinators? To help nurture more watershed-friendly properties, Penn State Extension will offer the Master Watershed Steward Watershed-Friendly Native Plant Kit Sale until June 18. These...

If you notice defoliation in river birch trees, this may be a sign that dusky birch sawflies are feeding on the foliage. Examine the leaf edges for these voracious feeders, which resemble caterpillars (immature moths and butterflies in the order Lepidoptera ) but are actually sawflies, in the bee, a...

Food is many things. It nourishes our bodies, delights our senses and gives us something to gather around. Food is also a powerful cultural symbol, reflecting traditions, values and histories of communities around the world. But for a researcher in the Virginia Tech College of Agriculture & Life Sci...