Water

Listeria hysteria

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were 29 reported deaths from last fall's listeria outbreak. As of November, CDC reported 139 people with severe illnesses.Last September, CDC traced the listeria... more »

Plan ahead before planting crops on marginal land

A fairly common situation involves a landowner wishing to establish crops on unprepared, marginal land. Owner goals vary widely, and often include producing food crops for local sales, home gardening or establishing wildlife food plots.... more »

Pumpkin production up

Pumpkins belong to the cucurbitaceae family, which also includes cucumbers, squash, gourds, cantaloupes and watermelons. They grow best on soils with a pH of 5.8-6.6. Because they require a constant supply of moisture, soils with... more »

What is your soil’s cation exchange capacity?

What is your CEC? Don't take this as a personal question, but it is an important soil characteristic growers need to know and understand. CEC is short for cation exchange capacity - but what is... more »

Soil … it’s more than dirt

Soil is a living, breathing organism that, when properly managed, is a farm's best defense against an environmental disaster and a farm's best offense for financial stability. By understanding the makeup of soil, farmers can... more »

Soil … it’s more than dirt

Prison labor works for Colorado growers

With talk of farm-labor shortages across the country, can prisoners fill in the gap?Earlier this year, officials in Georgia and Alabama suggested using prison labor to replace missing migrant workers, but in Georgia at least,... more »

Winterize your irrigation equipment

It is the time of the year to winterize. Often, next year's irrigation start-up problems are due to winter damage that can be prevented. Time spent now will prevent damage and lead to a better... more »