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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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
Dedicate yourself to a healthy lifestyle in 2013 with these food, nutrition and exercise tips.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
The Penn State Agronomy Guide is designed for easy reading and quick reference.
The idea of generating energy from biomass or biological material, particularly the byproducts of tree harvesting and thinning is receiving increased attention as an alternative and renewable energy resource to help reduce an over-reliance on imported oil.
The Penn State Extension Dairy Team’s mobile app DairyCents is now available for download on Android devices. DairyCents has been available since August on iTunes and has over 600 registered users to date.
(Camp Hill) – Key changes to regulations affecting the operation of farm trucks shepherded by Pennsylvania Farm Bureau (PFB) have been included in legislation signed by President Obama that reauthorizes federal highway and transportation funding through 2014.
When trying to lose or maintain weight, most people will decide a certain number of calories they will eat each day to reach their goal. Does it matter how much of these calories come from fat, protein, or carbohydrates? If 1600 calories daily is the amount you need to lose weight, should you lose the same amount of weight no matter what kind of diet you are on? This article will answer these questions and describe the results of a recent study published on this topic.
Q: The leaves on my tomato plant are curling upward. I’ve never seen this before. What’s happening to my plant?
When it comes to maintaining summer lawns, a little laziness is a good thing. “The spring recipe for lawn care is to fertilize, mow up to twice a week and treat for weeds, but you should back off on all those practices during the summer,” says Pete Landschoot, turfgrass specialist for Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences.
HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Agricultural Land Preservation Board protected 2,389 additional acres on 28 farms from development through the state’s nationally recognized farmland preservation program.
Every year Americans look forward to summer vacations, camping, family reunions, picnics, and the Fourth of July. Summertime, however, also brings fires and injuries due to outdoor cooking and recreational fires. Annually, there are almost 3,800 Americans injured by gas or charcoal grill fires. (Source: CPSC)
