At the Cultivate Conference in Columbus, one presentation invited landscape professionals to loosen their grip and embrace a little chaos – with purpose. In a session titled “Natural Disaster: The Good, the Bad & the Ugly of Managing Naturalistic Landscapes,” David McKinney, curator at the Iowa Arbo...

Sean Birkel, Ph.D., Maine’s climatologist and Cooperative Extension team member, introduced the state’s new 26-station weather monitoring network to many farmers and foresters at the state’s Agricultural Trades Show in Augusta. “The mesonet will fill existing networks and observational gaps and prov...

“The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.” So said Albert Einstein – and it’s imperative for growers to remain curious. A nursery-focused disease panel at the most recent Cultivate event took place solely so those in attendance could query about the ...

Presenters at the High Tunnel Production Conference in West Lebanon, NH, emphasized that high tunnels have different requirements and management needs than does in-field farming, so growers must make accommodations. The specialists who shared their expertise included Bruce Hoskins, assistant scienti...

Turfgrass is big business – but keeping it both healthy and looking healthy requires a certain amount of water, which can become scarce in certain areas and certain seasons. Water restrictions and rising costs require more sustainable solutions to improve water efficiency without compromising turf p...

Hello, farm family! Have you noticed extra stress in your on- and off-farm relationships lately? Perhaps you find yourself: Avoiding “hot topics” with customers (or even family and friends) Feeling uncomfortable in family get-togethers Wrestling over how “personal” or “political” to get in social me...

Fresh carrots have always been a staple in grocery stores, where consumers seek uniform, blemish-free, bright orange carrots. However, recent breeding work has resulted in more interesting carrots. Those marketing fresh organic vegetables directly from the farm or at markets have taken advantage of ...

Ask any crop grower in the Northeast or Midwest what keeps them up at night and you will hear a familiar refrain. It’s not just rain roulette or market mood swings. It is hooves in the headlands and half-moon bites out of tender leaves. Deer and other pests have become persistent, pervasive and pric...

When analyzing a plant problem, it’s best to not immediately jump to conclusions based on the first thing you see. Jonathan Ebba, a UNH Extension landscape and greenhouse field specialist, recommends growers look at their affected plant from the broadest level first, and then get specific. With this...