Water

Michigan Running Slow in the Race to Preserve Farmland

In 1974, Michigan and Pennsylvania bolted from the starting gate together, as they began efforts to protect farmland from conversion to non-farm use. That year, each state passed legislation providing property tax breaks to farmers... more »

Farm’s Switch To Vegetables Changes 250-year Tradition

The national bicentennial farm has been in the family since 1756. Until the 1980s, it primarily produced tobacco, soybeans and corn. At that time, the Holden brothers diversified from tobacco and planted an initial three-acre... more »

Custom Harvester Aids Carrot Farmer

Glenn Vogel's carrot harvester is the only one of its kind. On a good field with plenty of trucks, it can cover 18 to 20 acres per day, pumping out a 22-ton load of carrots... more »

Brassicas Have Multiple Values As Cover Crops

For many vegetable crops, three- to five-year rotations are ideal. Rotations provide a "time out," during which disease spores, insects and nematodes decline because they are deprived of a host. The idle time can be... more »

Penn State Taps Into School Pride With Blue and White Potato Chips

For years, William Lamont, vegetable crops professor at Penn State University (PSU), visualized a line of potato chips sporting the university's colors. Utz Quality Foods in Hanover, Pa., has wanted to partner with Penn State... more »

Globalization Hits Michigan’s Asparagus Industry

The challenge seemed reasonable and clear. Without unity in the asparagus industry, it won't survive long. said Ron Armstrong, sales president of Honee Bear Canning in Lawton, Mich. On that point, there was – and... more »

Wholesale Apples Give Way to Variety, Agritainment

For 30 years, Peter Barton was a commercial apple grower with 200 acres of apples. "It was easier then," he said. "We were properly equipped, our minds were focused and we worked on a schedule."... more »

Funding Cutbacks Force North Carolina Extension To Be Creative

This is the third story in a series about the future of Extension. Mary Helen Ferguson just got a job as a county agent with North Carolina Cooperative Extension. It's the first step in her... more »

Expert Recommends Drip Irrigation for Higher-Return Crops

Growers with higher-return crops should switch to drip irrigation, an irrigation expert advised. "There are so many advantages to using drip irrigation," said Ron Goldy, a Michigan State University (MSU) Southwest District vegetable agent. "If... more »

New Michigan Vegetable Council President Optimistic

Kent Karnemaat was just a lad in grade school when his father, Al, decided he'd worked for other farmers long enough and bought his own farm. Now, 30 years later, that farm has become one... more »