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Vote Delayed on Hemp Setback Proposal

Jul 24, 2020

The proposed zoning ordinance amendment requiring hemp growers to keep their crop 1,000 feet away from residential areas in Butler Township would put hemp farmers out of business in the township. Read more

Now is the Time...

Jul 24, 2020

We can plant on the optimum date, fertilize exactly as our soil test recommends, have perfect pest control ... and then, bam! We get whacked with a heat wave or drought period during corn pollination. Read more

Farmers Sue to Dissolve DFA

Jul 24, 2020

A small group of dairy farmers has launched a longshot lawsuit that aims to destroy the nation's largest milk cooperative. Read more

Hemp Farmers Face Tough Balancing Act

Updated Jul 24, 2020

How are Pennsylvania hemp growers preparing for harvest season in 2020? Read more

High Season for Orchard Insect Pests

Jul 23, 2020

In a webinar, Greg Krawczyk, a Penn State Extension entomologist, offered suggestions for monitoring and controlling the insect pests that fruit growers have to deal with this time of year. Read more

Young Leaders Emerge at Maryland FFA

Updated Jul 24, 2020

Six Maryland FFA students, representing six chapters and five Maryland counties, have been chosen to serve as state officers for the 2020-2021 season. Read more

Strange Times for Dairy Pricing

Updated Jul 24, 2020

After tanking early in the coronavirus pandemic, cheese prices surged in little more than a month to some of their highest levels ever. Read more

Latin America's Dairy Industry Finds Own Way Through Pandemic

Updated Jul 20, 2020

Compared to their counterparts in Pennsylvania or New York, dairy farmers in Latin America have received less government support, but they have also been spared some of the market upheaval, at least so far. Read more

Royalty Owners Watching Bankruptcy Case

Jul 19, 2020

Landowners are watching closely as Chesapeake Energy, a company that led Pennsylvania's natural gas boom, begins Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization. Read more

What We Eat and How We Grow It Are Critical

Updated Jul 17, 2020

The world is slowly reopening, but the COVID-19 crisis isn't over and everyone still has concerns. Read more

Farmers Lead Plan for Dairy's Future

Updated Jun 19, 2020

The Dairy Future Commission has a broad mandate to suggest improvements to marketing, regulation, cost of production and current issues - in short, anything that can be done to help the state's largest ag sector find more secure footing. Read more

Pennsylvania Haymakers: First Cutting Looks Good

Updated Jun 19, 2020

According to Penn State Extension, the cool, wet spring slowed the growth of perennial and annual grasses throughout the state. Cloudy days hamper photosynthesis, which in turn slows the plant's maturation and results in reduced forage height. Read more

Small Dairy Is Home to Big Dreams for Columbia County Farmer

Updated Jun 19, 2020

Nestled on 10 acres in Columbia County, Jan Jurbala and her close friend, Sandy Hock, run a small but efficient dairy farm, milking a herd of 46 Holsteins and Red and Whites. Read more

Bonticou Ducks Pastures Poultry

Updated Jun 19, 2020

Polly Gregor raises ducks on her 6-acre farm in High Falls, New York. Some are French Duclair and Silver Appleyard, another heritage breed, and she has 12 Muscovy ducks. Read more

Multiple Rutt Generations Work Together at Farmersville

Updated Jun 19, 2020

For nearly 50 years and three generations, ownership of the Farmersville Auction in Ephrata, Pennsylvania, has passed from father to son in the Rutt family. And, the fourth generation has already arrived. Read more

In Three Weeks, CFAP Sends Northeast Farmers $261M

Updated Jun 19, 2020

The Coronavirus Food Assistance Program, or CFAP, has paid the most to the region's dairy farmers, with $79 million going to New York and $39 million to Pennsylvania. Read more

Hemp Steering Committee Selects Leadership Team

Updated Jun 19, 2020

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has facilitated the creation of a hemp steering committee that will help guide the department as it works the kinks out of the new hemp program. It consists of people from up and down the supply chain, from farmers to processors to manufacturers, policy experts, academics and more. Read more

Whole Milk Campaign Hones Message

Updated Jun 19, 2020

Jackie Behr developed the website and social media presence for 97 Milk last year after hearing founder Nelson Troutman explain why he painted one of his bales with a message that milk is roughly 97% fat free. Read more

Farmers Shift Employee Management in Wake of Pandemic

Updated Jun 19, 2020

Due to the pandemic, small farms are seeing an increase in demand while having to alter their marketing strategies and make changes at the workplace to keep employees safe. Read more

$40 Million in CARES Act Funding Available to Address Dairy Industry Relief, Food Security

Updated Jun 19, 2020

Governor Wolf announced the availability of $40 million in funding through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to support Pennsylvania's dairy industry and food security programs, following months of uncertainty and loss from the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more

Neighbors Step Up for Farmer Sidelined by Coronavirus

Updated Jul 14, 2020

When the coronavirus struck one of their own, Delmarva's poultry farmers pulled together to help his family through the health crisis. Read more

13-Year-Old Entrepreneur Sells at Farmers Market

Updated Jul 14, 2020

A booth offering a unique combination of handmade colorful soaps and duck eggs is new this year. While the adult on the scene is Lynne Shaffer, she will quickly tell you the market business venture is run by her 13-year-old niece, Cora Foreman of Hopewell. Read more

Couple Tries Microgreen Agriculture on Sub-Acre Plot

Updated Jul 14, 2020

Growing lettuce led to microgreens. Kyle studied ways to grow the various vegetable microgreens and Kelsey topped her go-to-work salads with them. Read more

USDA Weighs Cattle Ear Tag Requirement

Updated Jul 14, 2020

Under a proposal published July 6, RFID tags would be the only ear tags accepted as official identification starting Jan. 1, 2023. Read more

Manure Gas Kills 24 Heifers

Updated Jul 14, 2020

Daryl Martin has always known how dangerous a manure pit can be, and he had no second thoughts about doing everything the way it had been done for nearly five decades. It had always gotten the job done. Read more

Virus Highlights Butchering Needs

Updated Jul 14, 2020

Like other companies that process meat for direct-marketing farmers, Smucker's has benefited from disruptions in the large-scale grocery supply chain. Read more

Wheat Crop Could Reap Record Yields

Updated Jul 14, 2020

Overall, the county wheat crop looks like it could be heading for a near-record year, according to Jeffrey Graybill, an agronomist and Penn State Extension educator. Read more

Farmer Baffled by Stream Suds

Updated Jul 14, 2020

The mystery suds are a reminder of the complexity of stream restoration in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Read more

Now is the Time...

Updated Jul 14, 2020

Leon Ressler is a Penn State Extension educator based in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Read more

Small Farms Need to Focus on Weed Management

Updated Jul 2, 2020

The best way for small, intensive farmers to control weeds and pests is to nurture healthy plants and healthy soil, according to Ryan Kalivretenos of Common Root Farm, who spoke in a Future Harvest CASA weed management webinar on June 24. Read more

COVID-19 Delays Retirement Plans for Dairy Farmer

But one week before his dispersal sale was to occur on March 26, the coronavirus crisis put Doug McCulloh's retirement plans on hold and will keep him in the parlor milking cows for a little while longer. Read more

Risk Tools Buoy Dairies in Uncertain Time

Economists say these unsettled times are a reminder of the role that risk-management programs can play in keeping dairy farms afloat. Read more

Social Distancing Can Be Impossible for Veterinarians

For an occupation that requires constant travel to different farms and calls that often necessitate an extra set of hands, not to mention plenty of dirty situations, it can be difficult for a large animal veterinarian to completely adhere to all of the coronavirus precautions. Read more

As Pandemic Continues, New Holland Draws Smaller Crowd

In the shadow of towering hay bales, an auctioneer rattled off numbers as he tended to the bids of eager buyers crowded closely Monday morning in a parking lot outside the livestock buildings at New Holland Sales Stables. Read more

Pivoting a Small, Diverse Farm in the Era of COVID-19

Amanda Staples'' life's work is the Germantown Kitchen Garden, a half-acre, formerly abandoned and now transformed property in the Germantown section of Philadelphia, where she grows and sells "sustainably grown vegetables, herbs, teas and botanicals from your neighborhood farm and nursery." Read more

Wild Markets Prompt Some Milk Dumping

The national cooperative DFA has recently asked some farmers to dispose of milk on the farm, but said it couldn't estimate how much might have been dumped. Read more

Garden Centers Have Opportunities Within COVID-19 Outbreak

MOREAU, N.Y. - Richard Morris sees a world of opportunity for garden, landscape and nursery centers while people are homebound, trying to p. Read more

Now is the Time...

To Continue Practices To Keep You Safe From the Coronavirus Read more

Delmarva Farmers Continue to Provide Local Food

Small regional farmers producing vegetables, greens, herbs, meats and other wares could potentially see this as an opportunity to provide fresh food to a public worried about COVID-19. Read more

Penn State Extension Open for Business Virtually

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The ever-evolving coronavirus situation has prompted additional changes to Penn State Extension programming and oper. Read more

Small Farms Need to Focus on Weed Management

Updated Jul 2, 2020

The best way for small, intensive farmers to control weeds and pests is to nurture healthy plants and healthy soil, according to Ryan Kalivretenos of Common Root Farm, who spoke in a Future Harvest CASA weed management webinar on June 24. Read more

Agritourism Farms Get Creative

Updated Jul 2, 2020

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March, farms had to decide how to market their experiences in different way, and  farmers across the country have gotten more creative than they ever thought they'd have to. Read more

Cherry Crop Overcomes Roller Coaster Spring

Jul 2, 2020

Although the harvest may be slightly smaller than usual as picking finishes its third week, orchard owners and industry researchers are pleased with the size of crop, and it appears to be close to normal. Read more

Red, White and Moo

Jul 2, 2020

It's Independence Day, and ice cream will be part of celebrations across the country this weekend. Much of it will be made with fresh milk . Read more

Government Aid Eases Dairy Farmers' Pain

Updated Jul 2, 2020

The latest rounds of government money are arriving somewhat after the jarring months of March and April - the darkest stretch of the disease outbreak so far, when Northeastern farms dumped roughly 150 million pounds of milk. Read more

Former 4-H'er Serving Her Country

Updated Jul 6, 2020

Olivia Richart divides her time between the National Guard and a West Coast wildfire crew, but her life of adventure and public service beg. Read more

Grape Growers Grapple With Increasing Population of Spotted Lanternfly

Updated Jul 2, 2020

Spotted lanternflies damaged more than a quarter of Pennsylvania's vineyards last year, and the persistent pest isn't showing any sign of r. Read more

Farmers Markets Look to Modify Practices

Updated Jul 2, 2020

In the wake of COVID-19, farmers market workers have had to drastically modify their practices in order to stay safe and essential. Read more

Now is the Time...

Updated Jul 2, 2020

As soybean crops continue to mature, volunteer corn is rearing its head in some fields. Extension agronomist Dwight Lingenfelter says data from a few Midwestern universities shows that populations of volunteer corn can reduce soybean yields. Read more

Growing Hemp in Hawaii with Ray Maki

Updated Jul 6, 2020

This week we talk to Ray Maki, a hemp farmer on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. We hear about his hemp operation, what sorts of challenges he faces in terms of geography and policy in Hawaii, why he put electric lights in his hemp fields last winter and why he won''t be doing that again this year. We talk about permaculture, Korean Natural Farming practices, the arbitrary nature of THC limits and why genetics are the key to success for growing hemp in Hawaii. Read more

Wolf Administration Highlights Comprehensive Food Security Efforts

Updated 47 min ago

As Pennsylvania works to mitigate the spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus, the Wolf Administration has made it a priority to address food insecurity in the commonwealth by protecting our local supply chain, advocating for necessary waivers and resources, and ensuring equal access to healthy food for all. Read more

USDA To Implement President Trump's Executive Order On Meat and Poultry Processors

Updated 47 min ago

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue released the following statement after President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order to keep meat and poultry processing facilities open during the COVID-19 national emergency. Read more

Mask-Wearing Order Draws Farmer Pushback

Updated Apr 28, 2020

Dozens of farmers panned an order that went into effect this week requiring workers at Pennsylvania's life-sustaining businesses to wear masks on the job to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus. Read more

Foodservice Decline Leads to Flock Culling

Updated 47 min ago

Some Northeastern poultry flocks are being depopulated in response to drastically reduced demand from the foodservice industry. Read more

State House Ag Committee to Take Up Virus Bills

Updated 47 min ago

The Pennsylvania House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee will vote Monday, April 27, on two bills related to the coronavirus. Read more

DFA Adds Base Program as Sales Fall

Updated 47 min ago

Dairy Farmers of America is implementing a base excess program that could prompt Northeastern farmers to cut production. Starting in May, the co-op will only pay full value for 85% of the volume of milk that farmers produced in March. Read more

Spotted Lanternflies Are Hatching

Updated 47 min ago

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has reported the first confirmed spotted lanternfly hatch of the year. The first-instar nymph was located by a USDA employee Monday in the University City section of western Philadelphia, near the University of Pennsylvania/Drexel University. Read more

Feed Store Creates Sense of Community

Updated 47 min ago

Snider''s Elevator is located close to the Maryland border and is popular with Maryland farmers. Read more

Online-Only Auctions Keep the Bids Coming and the Crowds at Home

Updated 47 min ago

Farm auctions have been left with few options as social distancing guidelines related to COVID-19 have forced the cancellation of just about any event that attracts large gatherings of people. Read more

Fairs Begin Canceling as Pandemic Persists

Updated 47 min ago

Fair organizers across the Northeast are facing tough choices about whether to hold their signature events this summer. Large gatherings have been disallowed for a month or more, and it's anyone's guess if those rules will be lifted by the time individual fairs had hoped to hand out their blue ribbons. Read more

Game Commission Plan to Combat CWD Could Mean Lost Business for State's Deer Farms

Updated 34 min ago

A proposal under consideration by the Pennsylvania Game Commission in the effort to combat chronic wasting disease could have a significant impact on hunters and the state's deer farms. Read more

Farmers Continue to Feed Those in Need

Updated 34 min ago

Over 50 volunteers came out to organize donation stations and to hand out the milk and food. The farmers brought signs encouraging visitors to support their local farmers and to have them buy Pennsylvania dairy products. Read more

Market Comes to Aid of Egg Farmer

Updated 34 min ago

KEMPTON, Pa. - Joshua Zimmerman has 80,000 layers on his farm in Hamburg, Pennsylvania. They produce some 5,000 dozen eggs a day, all of wh. Read more

Dairy Farmers Step Up to Provide Milk for Those in Need

Updated 34 min ago

Several New York school districts received 18 pallets of milk from Dairy Farmers of America and the American Dairy Association North East, which have joined forces to help people during the coronavirus pandemic. Read more

Sensenig's Feed Mill Distributes 6,000 Gallons of Milk

Updated May 1, 2020

Third-generation family-owned Sensenig's Feed Mill joined a growing number of businesses nationwide that are giving back to their communities during the coronavirus pandemic. Read more

Mid-Atlantic Scrapple Enthusiasts Unite

Updated 33 min ago

If anyone ever doubted the Mid-Atlantic region's love of scrapple, that uncertainty can now be put to rest. A new group, dubbed the "Scrapple Trail," shares a pride of place and product. Read more

Good Will in Hard Times

Updated 34 min ago

Milk and eggs - two staples that every household needs. They can be hard to find in grocery stores when a snowstorm threatens. They've also been tough to obtain at times during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Read more

This Rural Farm Community Relies on 9-5 Delivery Service

Updated 33 min ago

Just about every Plain community business in Lancaster County knows and uses 9 to 5 Delivery Service, located in Ronks, Pennsylvania. Read more

Plants Struggle to Stay Open Amid Labor Shortages

Updated 34 min ago

On Tuesday, President Donald Trump used the Defense Production Act to order meat processing plants to stay open as a matter of national food supply security. Keeping those plants running with enough workers will be a challenge. Read more

Redding Addresses Pandemic Problems

Updated 34 min ago

State Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding spoke with Lancaster Farming on Tuesday to update the farm community on a number of issues his department is dealing with in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Read more

The Search is on for New Secretary of Agriculture

Updated 5 hrs ago

The next secretary of agriculture may well be a woman, but stakeholders are divided over who she should be. Heidi Heitkamp, a moderate form. Read more

Biden Raises Hopes for Internet Service in Rural Areas

Updated 6 hrs ago

Farm groups are hoping that President-elect Joe Biden can deliver on one of his most tantalizing campaign promises - good internet service for all Americans. Read more

Now is the Time to Manage Winter Fertilizer Applications

Updated 5 hrs ago

Winter is often seen as a good time to get ahead with applications of phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) fertilizers. After all, most Pennsyl. Read more

Pennsylvania Urges Poultry Owners to Tighten Biosecurity As Avian Flu Cases Rise in Europe and Asia

Updated 7 hrs ago

Pennsylvania State Veterinarian urges Pennsylvania's poultry industry, including backyard bird owners, to step up their biosecurity practices as East Asia and Europe report cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza. Read more

Turkey Farmers Have Options for Gatherings of All Sizes for Thanksgiving

Updated Nov 13, 2020

Pennsylvania turkey farmers are preparing for the possibility that families will want smaller-than-normal birds for this year's pandemic-thwarted Thanksgiving. Read more

Vegetable Growers Have a Good Season Despite Continuing Battle with COVID-19

Updated Nov 17, 2020

Maryland vegetable growers came through a challenging 2020 season in pretty good shape, according to Emily Zobel, a senior Extension agent with the University of Maryland. Read more

Family Farm Growing YouTube Subscribers in Addition to Produce

Updated Sep 18, 2020

Andrew Ochs created a YouTube channel, The Veggie Boys, and admits the endeavor was just a way to have fun while educating the public about the work that goes into a vegetable farm. Read more

House Leaders Offer Plans for Ag Recovery

Updated Sep 18, 2020

USDA plans to make more relief payments at some point, and Republicans and Democrats have traded accusations about who's holding up the next sweeping stimulus bill. Read more

Brassica Blues

Updated Sep 18, 2020

As the days shorten and the temperatures go down, we are leaving the summer vegetable season and moving into the fall crops that thrive in . Read more

Attracting New Crop of Ag Workers Starts in School

Updated Sep 18, 2020

Agriculture is at the heart of Pennsylvania's economic and cultural landscape, and the commonwealth is recognized as a national - and globa. Read more

Winery Invites Public Pickers to Help With Harvest

Updated Sep 18, 2020

WayVine Vineyard in Chester County invited the public to help with its harvest last week, and Emily Saltysiak was among the eager hands picking sauvignon blanc grapes - her favorite - last weekend. Read more

Pennsylvania Sets Natural Gas Record

Updated Sep 18, 2020

Pennsylvania issued 1,700 drilling permits in 2019, mostly for unconventional wells, and nearly 800 wells were drilled, according to the annual report published Monday by the Department of Environmental Protection. Read more

Pilot Program Aims to Increase Swine Fever Vigilance

Updated Sep 18, 2020

Although African swine fever has yet to turn up in the United States, it has ravaged swine herds in China and swept through Russia and Eastern Europe. Read more

How to Prep Grain Storages For Harvest

Updated Sep 18, 2020

As we approach corn grain harvest, Extension agronomist Anna Busch and entomologist John Tooker recommend that you properly prepare your grain storage. Read more

Preconditioned Feeder Calves Bring More Profit

Updated Sep 18, 2020

Finding the right set of calves in the fall is a challenge for stockers and feedyards, and prepared producers can expect better profits. Read more

Insect Predators Can Be a No-Till Farmer's Best Friend

Updated Sep 18, 2020

Insecticides are the last resort for pests in no-till corn, she said. A spray is called for only when the economic loss of crop damage looks like it's going to exceed the cost of an insecticide application. The only way to figure that out, she said, is to know what's in the field. Scouting is the best way to do that. Read more

Pennsylvania Cuts $6M From Farm Bill

Updated 7 hrs ago

Pennsylvania lawmakers have cut $6 million for dairy grants and spotted lanternfly control as COVID-19 has forced the state to retrench the heralded PA Farm Bill in the program's second year. Read more

Ag Leaders Like Long-Shot Redding for USDA

8 hrs ago

Pennsylvania Ag Secretary Russell Redding is the latest name to be bandied about as a candidate to lead USDA in the Biden administration. Read more

Lancaster Dairy Is Alpha in Omega-3 Milk

Updated 1 hr ago

The 65 Holsteins in Lancaster County's Oregon Dairy herd are delivering a kind of milk that no other conventionally fed herd in the U.S. is. Read more

Dairy Farmer Receives Delp Award

Updated 2 hrs ago

Lisa Graybeal, a dairy farmer and past chairwoman of the Lancaster County Agriculture Council, has received this year's George C. Delp Award from the Lancaster Chamber for her contributions to the county's farming industry. Read more

Agritourism After Its First Season of COVID

Updated 2 hrs ago

Farms that usually host hundreds or thousands of people at a time at their pumpkin patches, corn mazes and fall festivals, were left to decide how to navigate business during the the COVID-19 pandemic and all the safety protocols that come with it. Read more

Repairing Grandma's Chair: The Lost Art of Caning

Updated 2 hrs ago

Whether it is a dust-laden treasure hidden in the corner of grandma's attic or purchased at a neighbor's estate auction, wooden dining and living room chairs with old-fashioned caning and rushing are often found in terrible disrepair. Read more

Pandemic Forces Conservation Groups to Adapt

8 hrs ago

In a normal year, conservation groups draw throngs of volunteers for tree plantings in the spring and fall, but a lot of this spring's events were postponed because of stay-at-home orders. Read more

Air Force Vet Flying High With Organic Plans

9 hrs ago

Wilson Allen has enthusiastically embraced a new career path in small-scale organic agriculture, and he's convinced there's huge potential . Read more

Manure Injection Good for Bottom Line and Environment

10 hrs ago

Given the right farmer, the right funding, the right manure and the right attitude, low-disturbance manure injection can be a boost to a farm's bottom line, a boon for the environment, and a good way to keep the neighbors happy. Read more

USDA Leader Wants to Reset View of Dairy Coverage

Updated 4 hrs ago

For the past month, dairy farmers have been applying for USDA's main safety-net program in a trickle. Bill Northey is waiting for the tsuna. Read more

Pennsylvania Leads Farming's Youth Movement

Updated Oct 30, 2020

Pennsylvania has the highest percentage of young farmers for any state in the nation, according to a USDA report released last week. Lancaster County also has the largest number of young farmers nationwide, at 2,400. Read more

Trump Has Likely Edge in Farm Vote

Updated Oct 30, 2020

With Election Day arriving Tuesday, Maryland farmer Nolan Gallion is anything but an undecided voter. Read more

Start Managing Next Season's Diseases Now

Updated 1 hr ago

As the 2020 growing season ends, you should already be thinking about next season's pest management strategies. Read more

When Is It Too Late to Plant a Cover Crop?

Updated 1 hr ago

Steve Groff offers his best advice on when to plant cover crops. Read more

Grain Yields OK Despite Erratic Weather

Updated 4 hrs ago

Corn in southeastern part of Pennsylvania is at 150-200 bushels per acre, and soybeans have been at 50-60 bushels per acre, compared to 2019 when he harvested 70 bushels an acre of soybeans and 175 to 200 bushels an acre of corn. Read more

Hundreds of Grain Trucks Line Up For Barry Hostetter Prayer Parade in Oxford

Updated 4 hrs ago

The Barry Hostetter Prayer Parade was comprised of more than 250 grain trucks, tractors and farm equipment from four different states and several surrounding counties came out to show respect and honor to the Hostetter family. Read more

More Precise Nitrogen Recommendations for Corn to Help Farmers and Cut Pollution

Updated 2 hrs ago

Researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences have developed an important component of a new system that corn growers can us. Read more

Growing New Apple Varieties Like SnapDragon and RubyFrost Gets Complicated

Updated 2 hrs ago

If you buy an apple, do you care if it's a Red Delicious, a HoneyCrisp, a Fuji, a Gala, a Granny Smith or any one of the other 2,500 variet. Read more

How Does a Pandemic Affect Our Relationship with Food? A New Penn Survey Seeks Insights

Updated 2 min ago

A newly launched internet survey led by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania looks to explore the multidimensional impact that the novel coronavirus has had on our collective relationship with food. Read more

Pennsylvania Farm Workers Ordered to Wear Masks

Updated 8 min ago

Workers at farms and agribusinesses must wear masks as part of new coronavirus-prevention rules from Pennsylvania's secretary of health. Read more

USDA Rolls Out $19 Billion Relief Program for Agriculture

Updated Apr 18, 2020

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue on Friday night unveiled the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program to assist farmers, ranchers and consumers in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Read more

Dairy Industry Seeks Ways to Donate Excess Milk

Apr 17, 2020

With milk in surplus and some farms being asked to dump, many in the dairy industry are keen to get their product into the hands of needy people. Read more

COVID-19 Adds Further Challenges to H-2A Program

Updated 8 min ago

If you've been to a grocery store in the past month, it's likely something on your list was missing on the shelves. In approach of the 2020 growing season, this could be a harbinger of things to come, as some states face a potential shortage of workers to pick crops. Read more

Butcher Shop Aims to Bring Back Tradition

Updated 8 min ago

In January of 2018, Tom and Caitlin Moriarty opened Moriarty Meats on Grant Street to focus on helping families experience meat in a new, old way - the way traditional butchers always intended - using every inch of the carcass through the process of whole animal butchery. Read more

Sequestering Carbon on the Farm

Updated 8 min ago

Agricultural lands have the potential to play a large role in mitigating climate change, mainly through sequestering carbon in the soil through no-till and cover cropping methods, improved soil health, and the replacement of some annual crops with perennial crops. Read more

With Schools Closed, Ag Teachers Push on Virtually

Apr 17, 2020

With his students stuck at home because of the coronavirus pandemic, ag teacher Troy Summey had what sounded like a great idea to keep them. Read more

Meat Plant Problems: Processing Facilities, Union Leaders Working to Reopen

Apr 17, 2020

When the COVID-19 crisis began to surface in early March, the seriousness of the virus was met with levels of denial and even ignorance among both employees and management at several meat processing facilities in Pennsylvania. Read more

Casey Pledges to Help as Pennsylvania Ag Leaders Outline Impacts From COVID-19 Crisis

Apr 16, 2020

During a conference call with Pennsylvania agriculture leaders on Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey listened to myriad concerns that many said need to be addressed now. Representatives of the state's dairy, apple, vegetable and mushroom industries, along with officials from the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau and Pennsylvania Farmers Union, told Casey about the devastating impacts farmers are facing as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, and they offered suggestions. Read more

District 13 Senate Candidates Scott Martin and Janet Diaz Talk Dairy, Hemp, Agritourism & Runoff

Updated 47 min ago

Lancaster Farming Editor Phil Gruber asks 2020 PA District 13 candidates Scott Martin and Janet Diaz questions about the agriculture indust. Read more

Perdue Violated Ethics Law, Federal Agency Says

Updated 54 min ago

Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue violated a federal law against using his official position for campaigning, a watchdog agency has found. Read more

Food Distribution Business Banks on Convenience of Home Delivery

Updated 5 hrs ago

In the blink of an eye, Chris Brittenburg lost half of his business and worried he could lose the farm. Read more

Meat Preservation Pointers for Your Wild Game

Updated 1 hr ago

Although the meat from wild game animals, birds and fish is perceived as wholesome, it may harbor dangerous pathogens like salmonella and E. coli from its wild sources' digestive tracts. Without proper handling, contacting this raw meat during processing, or later ingesting improperly cooked meat, can cause serious illness. Read more

Dairy Family Transitions to Grain - and a Grocery

Updated 7 hrs ago

After dairy farming for 16 years, Burnell Martin feels his decision to part with his milking herd of 100 was a tough, but wise, choice. He . Read more

State FFA Chapters Shine Bright With National Star Awards

Updated 6 hrs ago

The Cumberland Valley FFA has consistently achieved a three-star status from the National FFA Chapter Award Program - the highest rating that is handed out. Read more

Poultry Industry Looks Into Use of Robots

Updated 4 hrs ago

In the poultry industry, robots could be used to disinfect and measure temperature, humidity, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, and more. Read more

Controlling Weeds in Small Grains

Updated Oct 15, 2020

This week, Penn State educator Leon Ressler writes about Controlling Weeds in Small Grains, Understanding the National Grain Inventory Situation, and Adjusting Your Combine to Reduce Soybean Harvest Losses. Read more

New Dairying Families Struggling With Startup Challenges and Depressed Milk Prices Get Relief

Updated Oct 13, 2020

A Mennonite Disaster Service relief effort is aimed specifically at Pennsylvania families relatively new to dairying who've been struggling with startup challenges along with depressed milk prices. Read more

Sign Up Period For Dairy Margin Coverage To Protect Milk Producers Begins

Updated Oct 13, 2020

The sign-up period for 2021 Dairy Margin Coverage opens Tuesday, Oct. 13. Read more

Deer Creating Dilemma for New Jersey Farmers

Updated 30 min ago

Jim Giamarese has a lot of hungry mouths to feed with the 120 acres of fruits and vegetables he raises on his central New Jersey farm. Befo. Read more

Hemp Growers Hope for End to 'Wild West' Era

Updated 3 hrs ago

Hemp farmers may see themselves as pioneers, but they're ready for the industry to move past its Wild West stage. Read more

Maryland Dairy Farm Gives Virtual Tour of Organic Operation

Updated 1 hr ago

In 2016, Ed and Matt Fry were approached by a dairy company from North Carolina. They were asked if they wanted to convert their 500-head r. Read more

Cornell Debuts New Apple Varieties Pink Luster, Firecracker and Cordera

Updated 1 hr ago

Cornell University recently announced the release of three new apple varieties: Pink Luster, Firecracker and Cordera. Read more

Conducting Life - and School - on the Farm During a Pandemic

Updated 38 min ago

For some farm women, COVID-19 has taken multi-tasking to a whole other level. Now they are not only filling the usual roles of farmer, wife and mother, but added on to it is the role of teacher. Read more

New Jersey Greenhouse Keeps Christmas Growing With Poinsettias

Updated 30 min ago

In Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, the Hionis family, owners of Hionis Greenhouses and Nursery, are in the midst of shipping some 200,000 p. Read more

Award-Winning 4R Advocates Say Data Driven, Environmentally Responsible Agriculture Is the Future

Updated 7 hrs ago

Mike Kurek is a total believer in the 4R approach to nutrient management. "4R" is short for the right source, the right rate, the right time and the right place. Read more

Online Newsletter Provides Updates on Spotted Lanternfly

May 8, 2020

A monthly spotted lanternfly newsletter will feature content developed by Penn State Extension educators and College of Agricultural Sciences researchers. Read more

Farmers Encouraged to Pay Attention to Mental Health

Updated May 12, 2020

In a "Stress Management/Mental Health Awareness" webinar, Downes and NY FarmNet family consultant Brenda O'Brien told how closely related physical and emotional well-being are, how to identify and manage stress, and things people can do to build resiliency and stay positive during this extremely trying time. Read more

Farmers Face Tough Choices on Fat Cattle

Updated May 12, 2020

Beef producers would normally have spent April selling most of their finished cattle to fill a traditional market void and drive up prices going into May. But with major beef plants closing or scaling back because of COVID-19 outbreaks among workers, farmers didn't have their customary opportunities this year. Read more

Sales Strong for Early Strawberries

Updated May 12, 2020

Wet weather in Lancaster County for much of the spring has many produce farmers crossing their fingers that their crops, including the strawberry harvest, will ripen on schedule. Read more

Long-Term Risk Management Important for Dairy

Updated May 12, 2020

Dairy industry experts say it's vitally important to plan ahead by using tools that protect against loss, or face the possibility of going out of business. Read more

Poultry Audits All About Respect

Updated May 12, 2020

Third-party audits have become a part of animal agriculture. And it's not because of government edicts; it's because consumers want to know how the animals used for food are treated. Read more

Pandemic Prompts Poultry Protesters

Updated May 12, 2020

More than 30 cars drove past Bell & Evans' two locations on May 1 in protest of the poultry processor. The procession was organized by Make the Road Pennsylvania, a Latino organization, after one of its members, who was also a Bell & Evans employee, died from COVID-19. Read more

Retail Fee Could Bring Dairies $14M

Updated May 12, 2020

The Pennsylvania Milk Marketing Board is pushing forward on a plan for a new retail fee that could generate at least $14 million for the state's dairy farmers. Read more

House Advances Ag Coronavirus Bills

Updated May 12, 2020

Pennsylvania lawmakers have recently taken action on a number of bills that could help farmers and rural people weather the coronavirus pan. Read more

Poultry Industry Is Looking to Hire

Updated Aug 31, 2020

If you are in ninth grade and know that you want to graduate from high school and go straight from the classroom to a job in the poultry industry, congratulations. There are plenty of jobs waiting for you. Read more

Now is the Time...

Aug 22, 2020

Pasture managers and hay producers have a window of opportunity in the late summer and early fall to improve existing or establish new stands through seeding. Read more

Humidity Could Make Tobacco Curing Difficult

Updated Aug 27, 2020

If muggy weather persists, Pennsylvania tobacco farmers could have some trouble managing their crop as it dries down. Read more

Chick Hatcheries Remain Confident in Postal Service

Updated Aug 27, 2020

While concerned by the incident, poultry hatcheries say deliveries are arriving on time, and a Penn State Extension poultry educator says his confidence in the mail hasn't waned. Read more

The Show Will Go On: Breeders Seek Alternatives to Canceled Expos

Updated Aug 28, 2020

Even with alternative events being planned, the lack of fairs and the Farm Show is affecting breeders and youths alike. Read more