Nearly everyone looks forward to retirement, and many anticipate collecting Social Security. However, planning is essential. Paula Ledney, Penn State Extension program specialist, retirement planning and business management, explained, “Social Security is a federal program that provides retirement b...

Michigan’s cabbage fields rarely make headlines but they quietly carry economic weight (and mounting weed control strain) across the state. In 2024 about 3,800 acres of cabbage were harvested in Michigan – a crop that is small in acreage but significant in value. Growers face a persistent profit pin...

Hello, farm family! Yesterday, an old memory resurfaced from some dusty corner of my mind. It was of my great-grandfather sharpening a hoe on our old foot-powered wheel grinder. Hoes We used hoes a lot on our farm back then. Naturally, we employed them for transplanting seedlings and weeding vegetab...

The Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers hosted a webinar recently focusing on flower growers interested in expanding their business by selling to florists. Ellen Frost, the owner of Local Color Flowers in Baltimore, has been sourcing flowers from local farmers for over 20 years. Frost has ha...

Combining organic and chemical tactics to tame troublesome nematodes is a pressing priority for modern cherry production. In a focused field study, Ali Yaghoubi and Marisol Quintanilla of Michigan State explored how blended management methods can protect roots, preserve productivity and promote a mo...

With graduation season upon us – along with spring and summer wedding season – some revelers may be tempted to celebrate by tossing confetti in the air. While exciting in the moment, those little pieces of plastic can cause long-lasting harm to our environment. Knowing this, Isabella Dodson of Texas...

Blueberries bring bright bursts of flavor, yet behind their sweet success sits a stubborn struggle with soil and supply. Shallow-rooted and sensitive, these plants push their roots less than a foot into the ground and favor sandy, swiftly draining soils. Growers can grapple with keeping moisture con...

Many growers irrigate crops, and those who don’t often wish they did. If a profitable crop is in the ground, it probably pays to initiate irrigation on the farm. “The goal of irrigation is to supply the water that rainfall doesn’t so that water isn’t the limiting factor for yield,” said Purdue Unive...

Strawberry season will soon be upon us (if it isn’t already). It’s a popular crop – number three among fruits produced in the U.S. and constant consumer craving. That demand and the fruit’s adaptability for controlled environment agriculture (CEA) systems makes strawberry an attractive fruit crop fo...