2013
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Uninvited Guests: Spring Insect Pests
May 15, 2013
- The days are getting longer, temperatures warmer and everything is starting to bloom. Insects and many other creatures are also appearing more frequently as the temperature rises. Often these creatures don’t bother us, but sometimes they can become pests. Use IPM to keep pest problems from getting out of control. Below are some general tips for preventing pests and a few helpful hints to manage some common pests this time of year.
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PA-WAgN Launches Specialty Mentor Program
April 22, 2013
- The Pennsylvania Women’s Agricultural Network (PA-WAgN) is launching a women farmer mentoring program to connect established farmers with new and beginning farmers, aspiring farmers, and seasoned farmers. The mentor program will encourage women farmers to support each other through shared learning and exchange of experiences in workshops and online forums focused on five topic areas: fruit and vegetable cultivation, dairy and cheese production, urban agriculture and nutrition, on-farm education and value-added products, and livestock production.
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Are You Ready for an FDA Visit?
April 22, 2013
- Most farmers would probably say no to that question, let alone become excited or optimistic about such a prospect. In fact, the thought of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration paying a visit leaves a lot of farmers with a dreadful sensation in their gut.
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Spring: A Key Time for Plant Diseases and Disease Control
April 16, 2013
- Spring is a key time for disease control. This is especially true for many leaf, needle, and flower diseases, regardless of the type of plant involved.
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Farmer Partners With Butcher to Slash Costs
March 13, 2013
- Farming in rural Perry County, Brooks Miller has had to drive hours, sometimes all the way to Maryland, to find a USDA-certified facility to slaughter animals for his meat CSA (Community Supported Agriculture).
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Food and Wellness Volunteer Program Thrives
March 13, 2013
- Penn State Extension ‘s Certified Food and Wellness Volunteer Training Program is a great opportunity to learn and grow, while giving back to the community.
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It's About Eating Right
March 13, 2013
- Dedicate yourself to a healthy lifestyle in 2013 with these food, nutrition and exercise tips.
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Solomon’s Seal – 2013 Perennial Plant of the Year
March 13, 2013
- One of the pleasures of early spring, for a gardener weary of winter, is watching herbaceous perennials emerge from the bare ground, with lengthening stems and unfurling leaves often changing color as they develop into the full‐grown plants that will add color, form, and texture to the garden during the growing season.
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Research Continues on Cover Crop Interseeder
February 26, 2013
- EPHRATA, Pa. — In many parts of Pennsylvania, getting a cover crop seeded after corn or soybeans can be difficult, especially if it gets cold too soon.
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A New Challenge for Growing Flowers in the Shade
February 21, 2013
- Last season, we at Penn State Extension started getting calls about Impatiens losing their leaves and collapsing long before frost. The best calls were requests for bunny rabbit control as gardeners thought that rabbits had eaten all of their Impatiens’ leaves. It turns out that we have a new disease, Impatiens Downy mildew, that specifically hits what most of us know as the “Common Garden Impatien.” The botanical name for these impatiens is Impatiens Walleriana. This disease does not infect other plants as of this time. There are other species of Downy mildew that infect most every plant if the pathogen is present and the conditions are right. However, it is very important to note that this disease does not infect New Guinea or Sunpatiens or any other flowers or herbs.
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Restoration of High Grade Forests
February 4, 2013
- Unsuspecting woodland owners selling timber often fall victim to the practice of "high-grading" or cutting the best trees and leaving the rest. Where this practice has occurred, there generally has been a decline on long term forest health and productivity. How can woodlands impacted by this practice be restored? On Thursday, February 14th at the Cumberland Woodland Owners’ Association meeting, Dr. James Finley, Penn State Professor of Forest Resources, will speak on the “Restoration of High Grade Forests in Pennsylvania.”
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2013-2014 Agronomy Guide Now Available
January 24, 2013
- The Penn State Agronomy Guide is designed for easy reading and quick reference.
