Latest News
Whether it’s a few backyard chickens for eggs or raising meat birds for profit on your farm, interest in raising poultry continues to grow in popularity. To help folks understand what it takes to raise healthy and productive birds, Penn State Extension’s Start Farming program offers an intensive four week course in small scale poultry production
Check out this news clip to learn more about our Exploring the Small Farm Dream course offered through the Start Farming program!
The On-Farm Energy, Organic and Seasonal High Tunnel initiatives are available in all 50 states, the Caribbean Area and the Pacific Basin. Also, the Air Quality Initiative is available in New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania (as well as other Western States).
Hillsborough, N.J. - A new program designed to provide a helping hand for beginning farmers is set to debut in the coming year. The Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Jersey (NOFA-NJ) is launching an incubator farm on Duke Farms in Hillsborough that will create a network of solutions to a complex issue – too few beginning farmers and not enough access to farmland. The goal is to once again make small-scale farming a viable profession in New Jersey.
Twenty six aspiring and beginning farmers gathered in West Chester on Saturday, April 21 for the Breaking the Barriers: Access to Land, Capital, and Equipment workshop co-presented by Penn State Extension and Pennsylvania Farm Link. Our gracious presenters shared their presentations for those who were not able to attend the workshop.
PASA's Land Leasing Program Debuts New Website - Reprinted with permission from the PASA Passages Newsletter Number 95, March/April 2012 Edition. By Ann McGinnis, Eastern Region Program Assistant
Row cover, a spun fabric-like material can be used to protect from the frost, and keep bugs out. It also speeds up spring plant growth.
At a recent Breaking the Barriers: Access to Land, Equipment and Capital workshop sponsored by Penn State Extension and Pennsylvania Farm Link, Good Work Farm owners Sarah Edmonds and Anton Shannon described how The Seed Farm, an agricultural business incubator in Lehigh County, has helped them start their new farm business.
The above normal temperatures this spring has sped up the maturity of the hay fields. Unfortunately the dry weather has stressed them as well and limited their height. Although the crop appears short and not near harvest stage, some forage species are nearing heading, we are beginning to see heads emerge from orchard grass as of April 24th. Alfalfa is also approaching bud stage, which is an indicator of mowing to achieve the best quality forage.
Favorable weather and anxious customers spurs many growers into fevered efforts at production. It may be worth some of our time to keep a sharp focus on our marketing challenges, also. Remember, the customer may not always be right - but they are the customer.
In the tradition of SAITA in PA, and CRAFT (Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training) programs throughout the US, Greener Partners is excited to announce the creation of the new Tri-State CRAFT chapter. Tri-State CRAFT offers a vibrant mentor network of established farmers dedicated to enhancing the educational opportunities for apprentices and new farmers in our region.
Beginning and experienced farmers alike are becoming more and more creative in the ways they finance their farms. Many farmers throughout New England are engaging their family, friends, and neighbors to support their local food source through community supported farms. Capital acquired through these agreements can be used for needed land and equipment purchases or everyday farm expenses which may not otherwise be possible.
Acquiring land is one of the top three barriers for beginning farmers. Leasing may be the best option for farmers looking to expand their operation and do not have the capital to purchase land.
Beneficial insects do a lot of pest management naturally, with little help from us. Many people are interested in having populations of beneficial insects inhabit their fields, high tunnels and greenhouses.
Fifteen participants from Southeast Pennsylvania and New Jersey attended the three-class workshop on grazing in Berks County. The program, which helps farmers transition their farm to a grazing operation, has been offered in Berks County since the early 1990s.
A good potting media holds water, has plenty of space for air and has enough nutrients for transplants to develop. If your transplants are not taking off they might not have enough nutrients.
Ever dream about taking that prized family recipe and selling the finished product for a profit? Like the idea of owning your own food business – creating your own schedule and working hard creating something you enjoy?
Just starting in the new “Extension Educator for Start Farming” role, I knew I had to go out and talk with some farmers I will serve in Southeastern PA. Why do they farm? What keeps them going, and what advice would they give to beginning or diversifying farmers? 14 farms later, I received a “glimpse” into the motivations, successes and daily challenges beginning farmers face when making their farm dream their farm life.
How many times have you heard that from friends and neighbors this spring? I think to myself, “Do I really want to explain what no-till is and how we don’t plow anymore?” I usually say something like, “we don’t do tillage. We plant our crops in the corn stalks or cover crop from the previous year.”
A recent article by Vernon Grubinger, Vermont Extension, made me think to remind folks to price compare their organic nutrients. Below are a couple of thoughts from Dr. Grubinger and some of price per pound comparisons from sources I know of locally. There are many more sources out there. The point is -- Price it Out!
