Category Archives: Uncategorized

What do we call it? It’s super tasty, and it’s a great local fresh vegetable. And, it’s not the same thing as garlic scapes. But, we had a bumper crop this year and this was a perfect use for some … Continue reading →

Since prehistoric times, farmers have been planting and harvesting crops according to the phases of the moon. It means that various plants do best when planted or harvested at certain phases.  Our current period is the Decreasing Light from the full … Continue reading →

For years, we have heard customers and other garlic growers tell us that they eat raw garlic to repel deer ticks, that are a real problem here in Pennsylvania. Up until now, we had only anecdotal evidence to suggest that … Continue reading →

Yesterday was a full day of intense agricultural learning at our land-grant university, Penn State at State College Pennsylvania. At the school, a group of fifty (50) entry level crop scouts were provided with the fundamentals necessary for scouting in … Continue reading →

In case you were wondering, a steely-eyed missile man is A NASA astronaut or engineer who quickly devises an ingenious solution to a tough problem while under extreme pressure. Similar to those of us who farm, and need to make … Continue reading →

“Any food that requires enhancing by the use of chemical substances should in no way be considered a food.      John H. Tobe Heirloom tomatoes are a seasonal treat. They are not good looking (actually some are very ugly) — Ah … Continue reading →

A short presentation to answer the pressing question. What is Organic    

  Chapter 1 Unexplained Farm Mischief Part of the organic inspector’s duties is to do farm visits. This year, I visited several organic dairy farms located in Somerset county, of southwestern Pennsylvania. And on one of these farm visits, I … Continue reading →

The Fall 2016 issue of The Inspectors’ Report has an article of local interest on page 19.  It tells of the accounts and insights from a real-life USDA organic inspector. With first-hand knowledge of the narrative, the article is reprinted here for our blog … Continue reading →