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Success at the Farmers Market: 7 Vendor Tips

The first year I worked at the Dupont Circle Farmers Market in Washington, DC, I was enthralled by the atmosphere and the dance between customer and farmer. I’d been to many markets before as a customer, but being on the other side of the table brought this experience into a new light.Since then, I’ve worked at farmers’ markets in four different states. These experiences have taught me how to sell a large number of products and keep customers coming back for more, as well as what causes pe

5 Benefits of Growing Shorter Corn

Weather events and latent environmental stressors are making it increasingly difficult to produce good yields of corn every year. With these added pressures, scientists are working hard to develop new varieties that continue to produce despite them. One such development has been the genetic modification of corn plants to produce shorter varieties. Although they’re still in development, these smaller plants have proven highly beneficial for improving crop yields in various conditions. As trials c

Infographic | The Cost of Health “Optimization”

Do you want to live longer?If you’re like most people, your answer is probably, “Yes!”And, you probably want to live not only a longer life, but also a healthier one.If so, you don’t have to look very far to find claims about how to improve—no, “optimize”—your health.Want to reverse chronic disease? Extend that youthful glow? Live to 115… or forever? Lots of fitness influencers, authors, and podcasters will tell you how to do it.But are their ultra-specific, advanced protocols necessary—or even

Growing and Grinding Your Own Wheat: A Beginner’s Guide

When you think of lowering your grocery bill with homegrown food, wheat probably isn’t the first thing that pops into your mind. Tomatoes, lettuce, and perhaps a flock of backyard chickens often make the list, while this staple crop is often left to large-scale growers.The truth is that you can grow enough to make a few loaves of bread even if you only have a small backyard. Scaling up to a few hundred square feet can provide enough grain to supply your family with its yearly flour needs.Still,

Protecting Crops from Heat Stress: 5 Pro Strategies

Careful timing ensures crops can handle a little heat. But recently, sudden heat waves and long-lasting ones in already warm regions have become more common, with predictions saying there’s more to come. For some crops, these shifts cross the line between stress and a fraction of normal yields. This is why adapting to the climate and employing heat protection strategies is crucial for farmers today. In most cases, all this takes is a little adjustment and more awareness about when the heat will

How to Attract the 9 Beneficial Predators You Want on Your Land

Integrated pest management methods encourage attracting and hosting beneficial insect predators that keep common pests at bay. Learn how to draw them in and keep them on the farm!While spraying pesticides on your farm initially has the desired effect, it’s not the best long-term option. Instead, using integrated approaches that include cultural, mechanical, and biological controls is better, with insect predators as the primary beneficial force.Many of these predators feed voraciously on pest la

How to Dry Farm Tomatoes for Improved Taste

If you live in an arid climate without easy access to water or just want to skip the work of running drip lines, it’s worth exploring if you can dry farm tomatoes. This type of growing involves producing tomatoes with no supplemental water. Since the top layer of soil dries within a month after planting, the plants rely on water deep in the ground.Skipping watering means you don’t have to worry about spending time setting up irrigation supplies and or paying for the associated water costs. It al

5 Ways Farmers Can Protect Honeybees from Pesticides

Beekeepers have a lot to think about when it comes to the safety of their hives. Everything from climate change to proper nutrition is on the list for consistent checks and monitoring. Not all outside factors can be controlled within the farm, but that doesn’t mean nothing can be done. Pesticides originate in multiple areas. Whether they are used on the farm in pest-prone crops or from municipal sources that want to control disease-spreading insects, there are ways to mitigate the harm pesticide

Integrated Pest Management on the Farm: An Overview

The industrial standard in agriculture involves heavy use of herbicides and pesticides to meet the bottom line of production. However, over time, it is increasingly apparent that these are not the best modes of control, due to their negative effects on plant nutrition, animals, humans, and the local environment. But this doesn’t mean we should abandon pesticides altogether. Instead, we should take an approach that includes all other methods of control before pesticides are the chosen strategy. T

11 Flowers You Should Plant Along Your Vegetable Garden

Recent studies suggest planting strips of wildflowers alongside crops boosts pollination and promotes higher yields. But these aren’t the only benefits. Adding wildflowers to your farm stabilizes the ground and preserves top soil. Wildflower strips sequester carbon, too. Taller shrubs act as a hedge, keeping destructive wildlife within their bounds, rather than in your grain crops. Native plantings offer habitat to native bees, butterflies, moths, wasps, and other insects. They also support nati

Get Healthy Soil by Nurturing the Rhizosphere: 5 Pro Tips

On paper, people often say that plants need just a few things to grow well: light, water, and nutrients often top the list. But when you dive into the complexities that exist in living ecosystems, you realize that growing healthy plants involves more than just following a simple equation. One key way to improve soil health is to focus on developing a healthy rhizosphere.The soil rhizosphere is where plant roots grow. Thanks to the varied and complex interactions between plant roots, microbes, an

Highest at Meat? Surprising Truth About Beef, Chicken & Salmon! | #motivation #healthyliving

Highest at Meat? Surprising Truth About Beef, Chicken & Salmon! | #motivation #healthyliving **Think all meats are created equal ...

Could One of These Viral Farming Hacks Work on Your Land?

Whether you’re a gardener or small-scale farmer, you’ve probably been hit with advertisements, YouTube videos, and word-of-mouth stories about the next best thing to make growing plants easier. Your first instinct may be to dismiss or try out all these farming hacks, but before you sweep them all under the same rug, take a note from the professionals.Long-time gardeners Kevin and Jacques of Epic Gardening took a moment to explore some of the most popular farming hacks and determine which ones ar

9 Indispensable Tools for the Small-Scale Farmer

Small farms have a pretty big advantage. They don’t need to ascribe to industrial means of growing. That means less tilling and fewer pesticides. The ability to have a regenerative operation is much easier without agricultural pressures, and the list of required tools is shorter.While giant tractor extensions aren’t really needed on a small farm, it’s good to know which small-scale farm tools increase production and make farming even a little more convenient. Keeping a few indispensable tools ar

Sweet and Chunky Mango Salsa

Up your salsa game with this colorful Mango Salsa! With fresh ingredients like juicy mangos, tart strawberries, creamy avocado, sharp red onion, and tangy lime juice, you know it’s going to be a flavor party. It’s the perfect complement to chips and goes great with seafood, chicken, or pork for a tasty twist.Fresh & Vibrant Mango SalsaWhy settle for boring, basic salsa when you can have fruity salsas? This fresh mango salsa recipe ditches the tomatoes for mangoes and strawberries

🐖 The Best Minced Pork Recipes To Make You the MVP (most valuable porker)

Top Ten Minced Pork Recipes

3 Trap Crops You Should Plant in June

Summer brings new crops, and that means a different array of pests. Whether you’re growing a field full of tomatoes, an orchard of peaches, or a diverse market garden, pests are likely to affect some of your plants.Rather than spraying your entire field with insecticides or covering your plants for protection, you can implement trap crops this June. Planting these crops can make scouting for and controlling pests easier while saving you time and money. However, they’re not right for every situat

9 Prize-Winning Tomatoes to Plant in June

Tomatoes are the stars of summer gardens and farms. Large, juicy heirlooms bring an irreplaceable flavor to BLTs, cherry varieties pop with a tangy sweetness, and paste types bring a solid texture that holds up well when preserved.But when it comes to planting, how do you choose the best variety? Thefollowing varieties are great tomatoes to plant out in June.Cherokee PurpleNot the biggest harvest, but always worth the space.A stunning deep purple heirloom, ‘Cherokee Purple’ is one of the most we

5 Conservation Buffers that will Transform Your Farmland

Conservation buffers are strips of land, often planted with native perennials, strategically placed among and around row crops. They have the potential to improve farm productivity, protect vital resources, and boost biodiversity. These land accents protect the environment while enhancing your farm’s ability to produce. While different communities have used conservation buffers to filter runoff, reduce erosion, and provide habitat since they’ve worked the land, the USDA didn’t encourage th

Reduce Soil Erosion and Water Waste with Contour Planting

Contour planting involves tilling, discing, and otherwise preparing the land in line with its natural slope, then planting crops on this same line. When you look at a topographic map, the rows and/or strips of crops will be parallel to the contour lines.This practice isn’t more difficult than other types of planting, but it helps conserve valuable resources and protect the surrounding environment.History Slopes play nice when rows follow their natural sway.Although indigenous communities have be