The winemakers’ art relies on the cultivation of select varieties of well-adapted grapes that thrive under sets of conditions unique to every site. The French have a single vocabulary word, “terroir”, to describe this broad set of interacting factors that includes the soils, their orientation, grape variety, farming practices, climate, local microclimate, wine making culture […]
Commercial Agriculture
New Jersey Nurseryman Ken Osterman Wins National Friend of Extension Award
Epsilon Sigma Phi (ESP) honorary fraternity represents extension agents in 4-H, agriculture and resource management, family and consumer health sciences, and environment and natural resources, and is dedicated to fostering standards of excellence in the Extension system and developing the Extension profession. Each year ESP’s award program pays tribute to Extension professionals who have exhibited […]
What’s in Season from the Garden State: Orange is the New Black Friday
VonThun Farms of Monmouth Junction, NJ, is a regular vendor at the Highland Park Community Farmer’s Market every season. As the days grow crisp and fall is in the air, VonThun’s end their participation in the community market, even though the market is open for many more weeks. Did they run out of produce and […]
Do native African crops have a future in the US?
African vegetables like amaranth and spiderplant could one day come to American farms, supermarkets and tables, thanks to a Rutgers scientist studying heat-resistant crops to meet the threat of global warming. David Rohan Byrnes of Highland Park, a gra…
What’s in Season from the Garden State: What’s Behind the Tomato Name?
Mortgage Lifter, Brandywine, Ramapo, Supersonic, Cherokee Purple. How do tomato varieties get these unique and sometimes odd names? There may not be as many colorful stories as there are intriguing names, but some stand out, as in the case of the heirloom tomato, Mortgage Lifter. The story goes that in the 1930s a West Virginia […]
Annual Great Tomato Tasting at Rutgers Snyder Farm Aug. 28
If there’s one thing New Jerseyans never tire of, it’s great tasting tomatoes. The annual Great Tomato Tasting event, now celebrating its 23rd year, is a great way to taste and compare different varieties of tomatoes from the Garden State. The tomato tasting festival is the premier summer event of the Rutgers Clifford E. and […]
Farming tradition fading
In July, Sunny Red Farm in Southampton closed. Its owners, Wayne and Roberta Shontz, sold the last of their dairy cows, and an auction company drove onto their farm and removed trucks and equipment. They had been raising dairy cows on their land along …
RCE Offers Free Training on Farm Business Planning Aug. 15 & 16
Which agri-business operator or farmer doesn’t want to learn more about farm business planning? Studies show that entrepreneurs who complete a business plan are six times more likely than others to build a successful business. Rutgers Cooperative Extension is offering two live video webinars on writing business plans and marketing. The first webinar, “The Do’s […]
Rutgers NJAES IPM Program Helps NJ Farmers Reduce Environmental Impact
New Jersey farmers, whether organic or conventional growers, have been introduced to alternative ways to control pests other than chemical pesticides. Rutgers Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program for fruits and vegetables gives farmers the tools they need to keep pests under control, without solely relying on pesticides. View our Rutgers IPM image gallery below and […]
Farming must be seen as a business – U.S. specialist
Rutgers University Professor, Dr Robin Brumfield said Guyanese farmers must begin applying entrepreneurial techniques and view their production enterprises as businesses. Brumfield, a specialist in farm financial management and greenhouse production, w…
