Food Safety Tips to Consider When Visiting Farmers Markets

Some food safety tips to consider when visiting Farmers Markets.  That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Farmers markets offer some of the freshest produce and vegetative products you can find, but they also create opportunities to buy locally, and support small farmers, ranchers, and agricultural businesses. It’s important to keep food safety top of mind when exploring farmers …

Sunflowers Should be Included with Horticulture Farming

Several great reasons why sunflowers should be included with horticulture farming. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Sunflowers are extremely easy to grow from seed, making them an inexpensive, low-maintenance addition. They tower up quickly and have very little trouble with pests or diseases. Plus, they work just about everywhere, from the frigid parts of Alaska, to sweltering …

What You Need to Know if You’re Considering Farming Cress

What you need to know if you’re considering farming cress.  That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.  Cress is also known as pepperwort, peppergrass, pepper cress, and garden cress. The leafy green is an annual and belongs to the Brassica family of vegetables, though it has a distinct, decidedly non-brassica, flavor. It’s often grown as a micro green and …

Center Providing Plant Management Solutions for the Southeast Region

The center providing plant management solutions for the Southeast region.  That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. The Jimmy Carter Plant Materials Center is one of a national network of 25 centers dedicated to providing vegetative solutions, and developing and transferring plant science technology to solve conservation issues. Located in Americus, Georgia, it’s one of four centers serving the Southeast …

Pear Tree Diseases Every Farmer Needs to Lookout For

The pear tree diseases every farmer needs to be on the lookout for.  That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. There are several diseases that can cause serious problems to pear trees. The ones to worry about include Armillaria root rot which is a fungal disease that leads to a range of problems, including the death of the plant. …

Pear Tree Pests that Could Ruin a Harvest

The pear tree pests that could ruin a harvest.  That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Pear trees are one of the easiest fruits to grow in an orchard.  They are also easy targets for Aphids, Codling Moth, Leafrollers, and Pear Psylla which is a very destructive pest. Aphids will suck the plants juices leaving a secretion behind called …

USDA Data Tracks Fertilizer Price Increases

Data from USDA’s Economic Research Service details the increase in fertilizer prices. Fertilizer represents an average of 36 percent of a farmer’s operating costs for corn, 35 percent for wheat, and 30 percent for sorghum, according to estimates by USDA. Fertilizer prices declined from 2014 through 2017 before a gradual increase in 2019. In late 2021, prices began to spike …

USDA to Survey Farmers’ Planting Intentions for 2022

With the 2022 crop production season soon to begin, the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will be contacting producers to determine their plans for the upcoming growing season. Later this month, NASS will mail survey questionnaires asking producers to provide information about the crops they intend to plant in 2022, how many acres they intend to plant, and the amounts of …