Dr. Kelly Hamby, associate professor and Extension specialist, University of Maryland, is determined to help growers of brambles and other soft fruits understand and manage spotted wing drosophila (SWD). Measures such as cooling fruit as soon as possible after harvest to prevent SWD larvae from deve...

Keeping post-harvest water clean is one of the quiet challenges of commercial apple packing. Flumes and dump tanks help move fruit quickly and efficiently but they can also become highways for harmful microbes if water quality slips. That balancing act was the focus of a presentation from Laura K. S...

Hiring seasonal employees challenges many farm operators as many aspects of the hiring process and other human resources matters differ from that of non-seasonal employees. Farm consultant Erica Leubner recently presented a “Seasonal Employees” webinar, hosted by Cornell as part of New York’s Annie’...

Employees gather for yet another safety talk, anticipating boredom. Safety talks can be sleeper events, but when there’s injury or death on the farm, safety suddenly becomes the main conversation – for a short time. Incidents can be prevented by familiarizing employees and family members with farm s...

Growscape’s “From Concept to Compost” presentation at Cultivate revealed a promising pathway for horticulture as innovation and sustainability converged in a compelling conversation about the future of growing. Tom Marting, director of sustainable solutions at Growscape, joined Bates Marshall, CEO a...

More farmers than ever are interested in and practicing regenerative agriculture these days. They are focused on putting more back into their land and their animals so that more (and better) may be produced. But what about the concept of regenerative agritourism? On the surface, tourism seems like a...

Food safety is no longer simply a sensible standard for dried fruit processors. It is a firm federal fixture. Under the FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act Final Rule for Preventive Controls, manufacturers must prove that their processes can consistently control harmful pathogens. For dried apple pr...

Earlier this week, I spent an entire day clearing off my kitchen table. No, I wasn’t cleaning up from a gourmet seven-course dinner. I was reclaiming it from a mass of paperwork. My kitchen table is my favorite all-purpose multi-tool. I occasionally serve meals on it, of course, but that isn’t its m...

Well-planned farm tours can be mutually beneficial for schoolchildren and the farms they visit. Students gain insight into where their food comes from, and the experience builds a foundational understanding of why farms matter to their communities. Farms are also a great place to reinforce STEM (sci...