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In the 1930s, North America experienced a period of widespread ecological and agricultural damage due to decades of farming practices that created erosion. The harm inflicted on the Mid-West caused the great Dust Bowl Effect, which was characterized by severe drought and horrible dust storms. In response to this ecological disaster, the USDA established an organization to directly address the soil, water, and air issues that came out of the “Dirty Thirties” as a result of agricultural practices. At its initiation the organization was known as the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) but they have since expanded to become a conservation and stewardship leader for all natural resources, and henceforth became known as the Natural Resources Conservation Service, or NRCS. Since 1935 the NRCS has made it their mission to help America’s private land owners and managers to conserve and restore their soil, water, and other natural resources in order to prove more resilient to environmental challenges, like climate change. “Over the years, we have developed hundreds of different practices to address different farming issues, so just about any problem there is, we have an ecologically responsible approach to resolve the issue,” said Jim Gillis, District Conservationist for NRCS in Adams County. “Our goal is to ensure the productivity of the land through the maintenance of a healthy environment.”
The movement of summer brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) adults from outside hosts into orchards (or other crops) and associated deposition of new eggs slowly is becoming the most important source of new infestation in orchards. While the nymphal feeding can be reduced by effective and well-timed insecticide treatments, the feeding by continuously wandering BMSB adults is very difficult to control. With about 8 more weeks of the current growing season to go (depending on cultivar), it is extremely important that growers plan ahead with the choice of products utilized against BMSB, and preserve the most effective options, with the shortest PHI, for applications when the pressure from this pest will increase, especially in the later part of the season. The codling moth (CM) second and possibly third generation moths are actively flying in most Pennsylvania orchards. These late season generations represent a continuous challenge for all our fruit. It is still a good time to continue to control the second generations of tufted apple bud moth and obliquebanded leafroller. Although the numbers of Oriental fruit moth (OFM) observed in pheromone traps located at the Penn State Fruit Research and Extension Center continue to remain at a low level, from now on we expect to see a continuous flight of OFM. Similarly as with the CM, please use the actual local orchard observations (e.g., pheromone trap data and/or fruit injuries from earlier generation) as the main factor deciding about the necessity for OFM control.
With September comes the end of summer and the beginning of school for many families. Shopping for school supplies has been completed and now you have about 150 days to create exciting and nutritious lunches your child will want to eat. Don’t start this school year off dreading this daily chore. With a little planning and your child’s involvement, packing lunches may not be so daunting this school year.
Record crowd turns out to support 4-H youth
Going green on your horse farm is not difficult or expensive. You may already be doing environmentally friendly methods of horse-keeping and just need to make some adjustments. This is part 2 of a two part series.
Which consumer product contains 7,000 chemicals, many of which are poisonous, and at least 50 are known to cause cancer? If you guessed cigarettes, you are correct!
LOCAL 4-H CLUBS COMPETE AT AG PROGRESS DAYS QUIZ BOWL
Hunting and fishing are some of Pennsylvania’s most popular outdoor activities. While most outdoorsmen hunt or fish for sport, many of them also do it to provide food for themselves and their families.
On Aug 17, 2011 late blight was confirmed in a commercial tomato field in Northumberland Co., PA. Foliar symptoms were observed in one small corner of the field following extensive scouting.
Outbreaks on cucumber, cantaloupe, pumpkin are being reported daily in the states surrounding PA.
Penn State Extension Educator Jim Clark based in McKean County, answered water questions at 2011 Ag Progress Days.
When most people think of a 4-H Club they think that it involves members attending monthly meetings year round. Although for many 4-H clubs that is true, Bucks County 4-H also offers many short term clubs.
When most people think of a 4-H Club they think that it involves members attending monthly meetings year round. Although for many 4-H clubs that is true, Bucks County 4-H also offers many short term clubs.
Information on problems that cause turf to deteriorate and suggested programs for revitalizing turfgrass areas.
Reacting to sagging populations of bees and other pollinators, members of Gov. Tom Corbett's staff recently sought and received Penn State Extension certification for the gardens at the Governor's Residence as "pollinator friendly."
Enjoying healthy meals of vegetables without meat or seafood. Replacing the Food Pyramid with the NewPlate Guidelines and also an article on: Is Your Child's Best Friend a Bad Influence?
As the summer progresses, most gardens begin to lose their color. One solution is to add various types of asters to your landscape. Besides having mounds of billowing color from the asters, you can get clouds of butterflies in the early fall. Asters provide one of the few remaining nectar and pollen sources and are invaluable to our diminishing bee population. Moths and other beneficial insects add to the movement created around them. If you let them go to seed, birds will also join the crowd!
Well now that you are growing an herb garden, what will you do with all of its wonderful production? Even for those of us who regularly use the fresh herbs in season to prepare our meals, we still want to preserve some of each of them for winter use.
Finally, this spring, those unwelcome guests left our homes for their final fling – a picnic, a romantic interlude, a deposit of eggs, and then death. The question now looming is how to keep the next generation of brown marmorated stink bugs (BMSB) from destroying the fruits of our garden labor and, like the bad penny that always turns up, again invading our homes this fall.
