Latest News
College students are returning home for the summer...
Fire blight infection conditions forecasted for May 17 - 22 are high. Infection periods for apple scab, fire blight, cedar apple rust, and powdery mildew are being posted.
Below are the tables for the Cornell carbohydrate balance model from data derived from SkyBit and NEWA stations in Pennsylvania. The SkyBit stations are Wexford, Richfield and Morgantown. The NEWA stations are North East, Biglerville, Bendersville and York Springs. Remember that you should be looking at a multitude of factors when deciding on a thinning program. Following freezing temperatures at many locations on Tuesday morning, freeze damage assessment is an additional consideration. Be sure to keep good records as to when and what you apply as well as the results.
Penn State Master Gardeners are offering a Summer Garden Camp for youth ages 7 to 12 or in grades 3 to 6 at the Penn State Extension office on Allen Road in Carlisle. There will be five sessions of growing, learning, hands-on fun on Tuesday mornings from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon on the following dates: June 11, June 25, July 9, July 23, and August 6, 2013.
First generation Oriental fruit moth (OFM) flight is continuing across the state. Observations while in Erie County this week indicated that it is a good time to make an initial application to control hatching larvae. In southern counties, the second application of effective products should already be on. In Southern Pennsylvania, codling moth (CM) adults are active and, if needed, the first codling moth treatment should be planned sometime during the week of May 26th. In most orchards no special stink bug control activities are required at this time. Visual search for BMSB adults still remains the only reliable monitoring technique at this time of the season.
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.
The windows at the Indiana Tractor Supply Company store are covered with 4-H clovers! Store personnel and county 4-H members and families have been busy selling clovers. Proceeds benefit national, state, and county programs. This campaign will be a county record for sales. The public may purchase clovers through May 19. TSC store clerk Deb is pictured with the Bruner 4-H family.
Three Indiana County 4-H members will represent Pennsylvania at the National 4-H Forestry Invitational in West Virginia this summer. Members Tom Brady, Jesse Isenberg and Caleb Brady won the top three places at the recent state contest. Leader Debbie Beisel served as coach and will train the state team. Ethan Brady also competed.
Farm fresh retailers of Dauphin County will have a new way to attract customers this summer. Penn State Extension of Dauphin County is seeking information from agricultural and local food producers who sell direct to the consumer through on-farm and centralized markets, pick-your-own farms, and roadside stands, to create online and print Farm Fresh Directories that will be freely available to the public in July 2013.
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!
The City of Latrobe was presented with a Certificate of Recognition from the Pennsylvania Department of Health for adopting a resolution to establish tobacco free park and recreational areas where children play.
Once again, Dauphin County 4-H will converge on the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex for our 4-H Fair. The 4-H Fair will be held July 31, through August 3, 2013.
Get ready for a short jaunt west this summer for tours of the famous Bluestone Perennials and the Cleveland Botanical Garden! We will have a winery tour & tasting on Friday, and dinner under the stars accompanied by music! Additional nursery shopping opportunities and a docent led tour of Lantern Court will round out our trip.
Not every dead bird is necessarily a victim of West Nile Virus. It is important to remember that birds are very sensitive to their environment and can be found dead as a result of eating pesticides or fertilizers applied to yards and gardens, flying into windows or cars, falling from nests, or from a run-in with the neighborhood cat.
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.
Supporting local 4-H programs through the Clinton County 4-H Endowment
A busy 4-H summer is beginning and that means another 4-H Summer Assistant is helping out for the summer. Help us welcome our 2013 4-H Summer Assistant. Read her introduction article...
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!
Session meets DPW and Keystone Stars guidelines and all participants will receive 6 professional development credits. Act 48 Credits will also be available.
