- Info
2013
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In Market
May 17, 2013
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You can greatly increase your market day bottom line by taking some time to evaluate how you plan to sell your products at the farmer’s market.
Here are some things customers (and market managers) will expect to see from you.
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Want to Raise Livestock? Only Do It If You Love It!
May 16, 2013
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Know what the number one answer for "what do you think it takes to farm?" You HAVE to love what you do – you have to enjoy it!
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Acquiring Farmland
May 16, 2013
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Recently I have been receiving a lot of requests for help finding farmland to buy or lease. I wanted share a collection of resources to help you find land and considerations to make before you rent or buy.
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PREVENT Insect problems in Cucurbits
May 16, 2013
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Cucumbers, Summer Squash, and Winter Squash have a number of serious pests: cucumber beetles, squash bugs, and vine borer. Cucumber beetles also transmit bacterial wilt, squash mosaic virus, increase the incidence of powdery mildew, black rot and powdery mildew. Make sure you use cultural controls to manage these pests from the start!
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Market season is nearly upon us!
May 2, 2013
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For consumers (and some very enthusiastic vendors), this time of year elicits shrikes of excitement and sheer joy as people line up to see which vendor has the early asparagus, rhubarb, or coveted dry beans preserved from fall harvest.
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Marketing Poultry Slaughtered Under USDA Exemption
May 2, 2013
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Are you raising poultry and wondering what rules apply to you?
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Pricing Power
May 2, 2013
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"What should I be pricing my melons at?" Take a step back and incorporate price into your marketing plan.
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Get Weeds When they are Small!
May 2, 2013
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It is easy to let weeds go in the rush of spring planting. Try not to forget that a little time spent managing weeds now can save you huge amounts of time later.
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Preventative Disease Management in Fruit
May 2, 2013
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It is critical to manage fruit diseases before you have them. Whether organic or not management is usually protective, not curative.
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Learn About Low-interest Microloans of up to $35,000
March 28, 2013
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Free Webinar April 10, 7-8pm EST
Join the Cornell Small Farms Program and FSA Senior Loan Specialist Carrie Novak for this One-Time Opportunity
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The Young Grower Alliance – A Place to Learn, Lead and Connect
March 28, 2013
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Is an FSA micro-loan right for my farm?
March 28, 2013
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FSA recently launched their new micro-loan program. If you are a new farmer who needs a loan of less than $35,000 the micro-loan program might be a good fit.
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Looking Ahead to Spring Pasture Management
March 14, 2013
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Here are some practical tips when looking to manage pastures this spring.
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Spring is Sheep Shearing Season
March 14, 2013
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As you are about to shear your sheep this spring I thought you might want to review our sheep shearing videos. Mike Fournier, Penn State Extension demonstrates the six shearing positions as well as tool maintenance.
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The Buzz on Social Media
March 13, 2013
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Check out this event featuring new farmers from our area talking about social media.
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Plan for Pest and Disease Management Now
March 3, 2013
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Once the season gets rolling there are so many things to do it can be hard to keep up. To prevent pest and disease problems it is a good idea to come up with a plan now.
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Is Your Poultry Profitable
March 2, 2013
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Right now, livestock farmers are in a difficult position. Feed prices have skyrocketed and it can be difficult to pass that entire increase on to our customers without having very expensive chicken that might be out of the range of most of our customers. We might need to raise our prices to help recoup some of the cost but we also need to find areas where we can improve efficiencies, cut costs, and know where our greatest expenses lie.
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Exploring the Small Farm Dream Starting March 7 and April 11
March 1, 2013
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Exploring the Small Farm Dream is a course for people who are thinking about starting a farm.
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Tractor Safety Workshop Coming Up
February 28, 2013
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Join us for tractor and machinery safety training April 4th from 2-6pm in Perkasie PA. Penn State Extension and Blooming Glen Farm will be hosting a tractor safety workshop for seasonal farmers, interns and farmers who have not received any safety training and may have become complacent about the dangers.
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New! Guide to URBAN Farming in New York State
February 27, 2013
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Are you interested in or currently farming in a city? Do you wonder how to access land, how to reclaim a contaminated site, how to maximize use of a small growing space, or how to most successfully target your urban market?
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Landowners and farmers invited to attend informational leasing meetings
February 27, 2013
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The State Agriculture Development Committee (SADC) and the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Jersey (NOFA-NJ) are sponsoring three regional meetings for landowners and farmers on March 7th, March 12th, and March 14th to discuss leasing experiences, resources, and opportunities.
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Obtaining Honey Bees
February 7, 2013
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One question prospective beekeepers have is: “Where will I get the bees?” There are four possibilities. Package bees, nucs, swarms and established colonies.
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Courses for New Organic and IPM Vegetable Growers start this April
February 7, 2013
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Join us for Introduction to Vegetable Production, a course for people planning to make the leap from vegetable gardening to production for profit and beginning vegetable producers who are ready to refine their techniques in order to optimize their production and profit. Penn State Extension is offering this course in Eastern and Western PA.
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Funding for Sustainable Farm Projects
February 7, 2013
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The FruitGuys Community Fund, established in 2012 as a non-profit, fiscally sponsored project of Community Initiatives, is pleased to announce funding to support sustainability projects for small- to mid-size farms. PA farms in the Delaware Valley qualify for this program.
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Thinking about Spring Vegetable Production
January 24, 2013
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Spring is in the air. “What?” you say, “It is the coldest day of the year.” Well that may be true but as farmers I am sure you are all busy thinking about spring already.
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Crop Planning for CSAs
January 24, 2013
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If you have not done it yet, now is the time to finish up your crop plan for next year. Soon it will be time to start seedlings and the whirlwind will begin. At a recent CSA day organized by Lehigh County Extension’s Brian Moyer, I shared some tips for crop planning. What follows is a teaser, just the first few steps of the crop planning procedure I put together based on the great crop planning information Josh Volk from Slow Hand Farm recently shared with us. For the full procedure and example spreadsheets click the links below.
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USDA Finalizes New Microloan Program
January 24, 2013
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USDA Finalizes New Microloan Program Microloans up to $35,000 aim to assist small farmers, veterans, and disadvantaged producers
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Understanding our customer base
January 10, 2013
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As effective marketers we are comfortable with the practice of being at our best when we produce and market what the customer actually wants. Unfortunately, these wants are a dynamic mix that is influenced by many factors. Trying to get a handle on shifting of our many customers’ needs can be a challenge.
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Perennial Production Feb 22nd
January 10, 2013
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Thinking about growing some perennials to sell? Maybe you already have some perennials in production and you need information to improve your production system. Join us for an educational day with a Penn State expert!
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Finding and Keeping your CSA Members
January 3, 2013
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Think about who your ideal CSA member is. Find them and keep them.
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Don't Chicken Out - Get Ready to Launch a Poultry Enterprise in 2013!
January 3, 2013
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Upcoming online course.
