There are days when I can get a little melancholy, but I guess I should not have to apologize for that. You see, we have had this customer from Vermont for many, many years. For the sake of his privacy, I will call him Mr. Vermont. We‘ve got to know him pretty well over the long haul, and he’s been a wonderful man to deal with. All of the ladies in Customer Care know him by his first name, and I have spoken with him many times as well.
Well, it seems that Mr. Vermont no longer can farm, and he has been relegated to the nursing home. His wife informed us by phone this morning that he probably will not be able to leave. What a sad day it is when men like this, the true salt of the earth, have to lay down their shovels and give up the one thing that has meant the most to them… farming.
I say to Mr. Vermont... God Bless you, and to all of the other good men in our country like Mr. Vermont. Farmers are good folks and they do good things for our society. This agricultural community we are blessed to work within has brought many good people to my door. I have gotten to know many of these folks on a personal level, and when the time comes for me to lay down my shovel, I will truly be sad.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Tunnel talk today
If any of you folks out there are somehow connected to agriculture, then it is probably likely you have read or heard about high tunnels. They seem to be the rage these days, and given their value, it is unlikely they will disappear any time soon. Growers across the country are realizing that high tunnels are just what the doctor ordered for growing many vegetable crops, cut flowers and even small fruit.
High tunnels become a grower’s insurance policy against high winds and storms, insect infestations and countless plant diseases that can decimate field crops. Inside the high tunnel you will find a controlled environment, much like any greenhouse, except for the fact that the high tunnel is not heated. In addition to protecting plants form Mother Nature’s wrath, it also serves as a season extender, and this is probably where the greater value lies. Growers can harvest crops earlier in the spring and later in the fall, when produce prices tend to be much higher.
There are several types of high tunnels available in the marketplace. You will find high tunnel ads in most agricultural magazines, or look them up on the web. Most growers we know tend to be quite innovative, so designing and building your own high tunnel is a fairly simple task. The important element to remember is to be assured that your high tunnel is easily moved from one location to the next every couple of years in order to practice crop rotation. The Harris Seeds Company lists several models in our High Tunnel brochure... just ask for one – it’s free!
Home gardeners can practice this “season extender” technique with the use of garden tunnels. Hoops are made from heavy gauge wire and inserted in the ground every four to five feet. The height of the tunnel depends on the crop you are growing. For early tomatoes, the hoop tunnel would have to be 4 to 5 feet high. Tunnels for peppers would be much lower. One can walk inside a grower’s high tunnel to tend to his plants, but the garden rendition should allow the sides to be rolled up for easy access to the plants.
Live and learn... experimenting is the key to success. The more experience a professional grower or home gardener has with high or low tunnels will ultimately lead to greater growing success.
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| High Tunnel Interior |
There are several types of high tunnels available in the marketplace. You will find high tunnel ads in most agricultural magazines, or look them up on the web. Most growers we know tend to be quite innovative, so designing and building your own high tunnel is a fairly simple task. The important element to remember is to be assured that your high tunnel is easily moved from one location to the next every couple of years in order to practice crop rotation. The Harris Seeds Company lists several models in our High Tunnel brochure... just ask for one – it’s free!
Home gardeners can practice this “season extender” technique with the use of garden tunnels. Hoops are made from heavy gauge wire and inserted in the ground every four to five feet. The height of the tunnel depends on the crop you are growing. For early tomatoes, the hoop tunnel would have to be 4 to 5 feet high. Tunnels for peppers would be much lower. One can walk inside a grower’s high tunnel to tend to his plants, but the garden rendition should allow the sides to be rolled up for easy access to the plants.
Live and learn... experimenting is the key to success. The more experience a professional grower or home gardener has with high or low tunnels will ultimately lead to greater growing success.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
That one bad apple… or melon
There is a melon crisis going on in this country, and it has hurt too many very good grower-shippers. Needless to say, the real tragedy was the loss of 29 lives to Listeria poisoning, all due to the harvesting practices of just one farm. Every produce farm - whether a big grower-shipper or a smaller, local fresh market grower - has to be very conscientious of food handling techniques. This is new to the marketplace, but rather has been an industry concern for quite some time. Quite frankly, food safety hazards can develop right in your own back yard garden.
My beef is this. One guy makes a mistake, and the entire industry takes a huge hit in prosperity due to the media coverage. This time melons were the problem, but with just one farm. One bad apple – or melon - does not necessarily ruin the whole barrel, unless you do not take it out.
But, in Florida a year or so ago, the media was spreading rumors of tainted tomato crops, when the culprit was a pepper. There was a huge loss of income for Florida tomato growers, and it was due to no fault of their own. The media did not have their facts straight.
I have a good friend in South Texas who is one of the top 5 melon growers in the USA. He’s an excellent grower who does an outstanding job of preparing produce for wholesale markets. His melon business is now in the tank because US consumers now believe that melons are dangerous. Who will be on the media’s hit list next?
The fact that poorly-handled produce can make you sick is a viable concern. Good growers with exemplary handling food techniques are able to mitigate food safety risks, and they continue to provide top quality, healthy food for the consumer.
Growers in New York have a couple of good ways to respond to consumer concerns, I believe. First, Cornell Cooperative Extension – like many other State University Extensions – offers extensive resources on growing and post-harvest practices that maximize food safety. Growers can use these Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) to self-audit their operations, even if they don’t decide to pursue GAP certification.
Second, the New York Farmers’ Market Federation recently pulled together a consortium of growers and industry professionals to address food safety at market. They came up with a proactive series of guidelines for handling produce at Farmers’ Markets, CSA pickup sites, Farm Stands, U-Pick Operations, and more. To view these recommendations, click here.
Makes sense…doesn’t it! It’s much better to be pro-active than re-active, like the melon farm in Colorado. A lot of good growers will suffer because of this melon scare, but they can also use the opportunity to improve their own practices…and let their customers know it!
My beef is this. One guy makes a mistake, and the entire industry takes a huge hit in prosperity due to the media coverage. This time melons were the problem, but with just one farm. One bad apple – or melon - does not necessarily ruin the whole barrel, unless you do not take it out.
But, in Florida a year or so ago, the media was spreading rumors of tainted tomato crops, when the culprit was a pepper. There was a huge loss of income for Florida tomato growers, and it was due to no fault of their own. The media did not have their facts straight.
I have a good friend in South Texas who is one of the top 5 melon growers in the USA. He’s an excellent grower who does an outstanding job of preparing produce for wholesale markets. His melon business is now in the tank because US consumers now believe that melons are dangerous. Who will be on the media’s hit list next?
The fact that poorly-handled produce can make you sick is a viable concern. Good growers with exemplary handling food techniques are able to mitigate food safety risks, and they continue to provide top quality, healthy food for the consumer.
Growers in New York have a couple of good ways to respond to consumer concerns, I believe. First, Cornell Cooperative Extension – like many other State University Extensions – offers extensive resources on growing and post-harvest practices that maximize food safety. Growers can use these Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) to self-audit their operations, even if they don’t decide to pursue GAP certification.
Second, the New York Farmers’ Market Federation recently pulled together a consortium of growers and industry professionals to address food safety at market. They came up with a proactive series of guidelines for handling produce at Farmers’ Markets, CSA pickup sites, Farm Stands, U-Pick Operations, and more. To view these recommendations, click here.
Makes sense…doesn’t it! It’s much better to be pro-active than re-active, like the melon farm in Colorado. A lot of good growers will suffer because of this melon scare, but they can also use the opportunity to improve their own practices…and let their customers know it!
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