Serious Grower

Do you want to know more about where your tomatoes come from and the experts who are supporting our vegetable farmers to grow us the freshest, tastiest tomatoes possible, using the most economically & environmentally sustainable practices? Watch this video of large-scale processing tomato harvest. So neat! This discussion includes many pre-season topics including the economics of reflective mulch for management of pests & disease (including thrips that vector tomato spotted wilt virus) as well as an emerging pest impacting high tunnel tomato production, potato aphid, Macrosiphum euphorbiae.  For the stone cold nerds, here's how to identify this aphid. Special thanks to Amanda Quadrel & Maria Cramer at Rutgers Cooperative Extension and Samantha Willden at Cornell AgriTech. Learn more about how federal and state funding provide expert support to our farmers to make pest management as environmentally and economically sustainable as possible by using Integrated Pest Management (IPM) tools & tactics. Music: With the Homies, Its a Good Day - Sarah the Illstrumentalist; Karmalot - Janset; Machete Dream - Speedy the Spider

I will be including brief field reports in the feed through the growing season, featuring real-time reports from extension specialists in New England, New York, and the mid-Atlantic states. Pay close attention to where some of these reports are coming from because we’ll be covering a wide region and please reach out if you need help connecting with your local extension specialist wherever you are. We’ll get you hooked up with the right expert in your area!   More information on alium leafminer https://extension.psu.edu/allium-leaf-miner-on-track-to-emerge-in-early-april    More information on identifying brassica pests https://lgpress.clemson.edu/publication/identification-of-common-insect-pests-of-brassica-crops/    More information on scouting onions for thrips https://youtu.be/VdoXseBqo5o?si=2kC0tr7IqW6GQfll  https://rvpadmin.cce.cornell.edu/uploads/doc_1168.pdf    Interactive Air Quality Map https://gispub.epa.gov/airnow/?monitors=ozonepm&contours=ozone&xmin=-9064742.346057506&xmax=-7186225.938921513&ymin=4781064.352722573&ymax=5627375.12989582    More information about ozone damage on vegetable crops https://cvp.cce.cornell.edu/submission.php?id=92 https://blogs.cornell.edu/livegpath/gallery/cucurbits/ozone-injury-in-cucurbit-crops/ 

Kasi is a non-commercial farmer in Montana's Bitterroot Valley. We discuss the potential for growing figs in northern climates and are joined by organic crop specialist, Caleb Goossen, who holds us by the hand and gently explains soil chemistry as we "Monday morning quarterback" a hugelkulture venture that went wrong.  Dr. Becky Sideman's Research Report on Figs for Northern Climates   Music: With the Homies, Sarah the Illstrumentalist; Mt. Fiji, Ryan James Carr; I Don't Wanna Be You, Park Lane; In a Minute, John Runefelt  

I will be including brief field reports in the feed through the growing season, featuring real-time reports from extension specialists in New England, New York, and the mid-Atlantic states. Pay close attention to where some of these reports are coming from because we’ll be covering a wide region and please reach out if you need help connecting with your local extension specialist wherever you are. We’ll get you hooked up with the right expert in your area!   More information on alium leafminer https://extension.psu.edu/allium-leaf-miner-on-track-to-emerge-in-early-april    More information on identifying brassica pests https://lgpress.clemson.edu/publication/identification-of-common-insect-pests-of-brassica-crops/    More information on beet leafminer https://www.umass.edu/agriculture-food-environment/vegetable/fact-sheets/beet-spinach-leafminer    Jonathan Ebba's Vermont Vegetable & Berry Growers Association webinar on Improving High Tunnel Ventilation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAJX51TBZL4&list=PLszfvPfJBpgwzTlvLlnQlojedJnj0zoe3&index=11    More from the UNH Greenhouse Team https://media.unh.edu/channel/Greenhouse%2BProduction%2BWebinars%2Bby%2BUNH%2BCooperative%2BExtension/383388602   

Susan is a professor of agriculture at the University of New Hampshire... but just like the rest of us she has many interests, including knitting! In this wide-ranging conversation, we discuss how to avoid bringing pests into our home when we are repurposing second hand items, as well as an instagram reel from @rachelisknitting.   Please reach out to your local extension office if you think you have a bed bug infestation! Sometimes its something else but - if it is bed bugs - you want to act sooner than later and knowledge is power! Check out this Review Paper, as well as some interesting papers about remediation and IPM programs for public housing.    Music: With the Homies, Sarah the Illstrumentalist; Beginning to Dream, Ryan James Carr; Overture, Dozeoff; Summertime Madness; Matt Large; Whiskey Saved My Soil, Daniel Fridell

I will be including brief field reports in the feed through the growing season, featuring real-time reports from extension specialists in New England, New York, and the mid-Atlantic states. Pay close attention to where some of these reports are coming from because we’ll be covering a wide region and please reach out if you need help connecting with your local extension specialist wherever you are. We’ll get you hooked up with the right expert in your area!   Andy Wyenandt's post on Recognizing cold injury in spring crops https://plant-pest-advisory.rutgers.edu/cold-injury-in-cucumber-2/   More information about weeds from the morning glory family https://extension.psu.edu/the-noxious-persistent-invasive-and-perennial-bindweeds   More information about wireworm damage in rootcrops https://www.uvm.edu/d10-files/documents/2026-03/Lewins_Wireworm_Research.pdf    Webinar from eOrganic on using High Glucosinolate Mustard as an Organic Biofumigant in Vegetable Crops https://youtu.be/yHilDyTmxTo?si=q1eGP1RJIPSHp9zj     

Kasi is a non-commercial farmer in Montana's Bitterroot Valley. In this wide ranging conversation we discuss what it takes to live on the cutting edge of art and science, how we adopt new ideas, and how we develop our own systems for doing things. This one is mostly heart and very little science.   Music: With the Homies, Sarah the Illstrumentalist; AAH!, TAGE; Lock Stock, The Big Let Down

I will be including brief field reports in the feed through the growing season, featuring real-time reports from extension specialists in New England, New York, and the mid-Atlantic states. Pay close attention to where some of these reports are coming from because we’ll be covering a wide region and please reach out if you need help connecting with your local extension specialist wherever you are. We’ll get you hooked up with the right expert in your area!   US Drought Monitor Northeast Report https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?Northeast    Prediction model for cabbage maggot https://newa.cornell.edu/cabbage-maggot/    More information about asparagus beetle https://academic.oup.com/jipm/article/5/3/B1/2194056    More information about leek moth https://www.uvm.edu/extension/leek-moth-information-center    More information about allium leafminer https://cals.cornell.edu/integrated-pest-management/outreach-education/fact-sheets/allium-leafminer    Video from Cornell’s Veg Team’s Stop the Rot Project identifying foliar symptoms of bacterial diseases of onion and how to distinguish bacterial diseases from other non-bacterial lookalikes. https://youtu.be/pTYmdIwjbao?si=Mf0GfKlioUIxSlE7    From Christy Hoepting (CCE Cornell Vegetable Program): Cornell Onion (Dry Bulb) Fungicide “Cheat Sheet” for Control of Leaf Diseases in New York, 2025 https://rvpadmin.cce.cornell.edu/uploads/doc_1216.pdf    Onion disease risk prediction tool that can help you track your risk to Botrytis leaf blight, onion downy mildew, and purple blotch https://newa.cornell.edu/onion-diseases/       

Seth is a commercial grower in mid-coast Maine and he is getting serious about managing cabbage aphid infesting his organic Brussels sprouts. We discuss the challenges and opportunities of chemigating with overhead irrigation to apply insectical soaps with the frequency required for good control, as well as the potential non-target effects on biocontrol agents living on the farm.   Check out all the great stuff from The Brassica Pest Collaborative for more on managing brassica pests in the northeast.    Music: With the Homies, Sarah the Illstrumentalist; Libertailia, Arc De Soleil; Brighter, Stonekeepers

I will be including brief field reports in the feed through the growing season, featuring real-time reports from extension specialists in New England, New York, and the mid-Atlantic states. Pay close attention to where some of these reports are coming from because we’ll be covering a wide region and please reach out if you need help connecting with your local extension specialist wherever you are. We’ll get you hooked up with the right expert in your area!   Leek moth information center https://www.uvm.edu/extension/leek-moth-information-center   Allium Leafminer Factsheet https://cals.cornell.edu/integrated-pest-management/outreach-education/fact-sheets/allium-leafminer   More information about cabbage maggot https://newa.cornell.edu/cabbage-maggot/  https://cvp.cce.cornell.edu/submission.php?id=919  https://extension.umaine.edu/ipm/ipddl/publications/5005e/   More information about damping off https://extension.umn.edu/solve-problem/how-prevent-seedling-damping#:~:text=Low%20light%2C%20overwatering%2C%20high%20salts%20from%20over,are%20all%20associated%20with%20increased%20damping%20off    

Kasi is a non-commercial farmer in Montana's Bitterroot Valley and a Granger! In this conversation we discuss what it takes to build community, what happens when winters get less wintery, and some insider information about the winter Olympics. Learn more about the Grange!  Find my conversation with UNH Extension's Jeremy Delisle about what could go wrong when starting and maintaining a home orchard.   Music: With the Homes, Sarah the Illstrumentalist; Patina, Ryan James Carr   

I will be including brief field reports in the feed through the growing season, featuring real-time reports from extension specialists in New England, New York, and the mid-Atlantic states. Pay close attention to where some of these reports are coming from because we’ll be covering a wide region and please reach out if you need help connecting with your local extension specialist wherever you are. We’ll get you hooked up with the right expert in your area!   Drought map for the northeast  https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?Northeast    Cabbage maggot temperature model  https://newa.cornell.edu/cabbage-maggot    Leek moth resource https://www.uvm.edu/extension/leek-moth-information-center    Allium leafminer resource https://cals.cornell.edu/integrated-pest-management/outreach-education/fact-sheets/allium-leafminer    Thrips on tomato https://blogs.cornell.edu/livegpath/gallery/tomato/thrips-and-their-feeding-injury/    Ethylene damage https://vegcropshotline.org/article/ethylene-damage-on-tomato-2/    Salt injury https://extension.psu.edu/dealing-with-high-soluble-salt-levels-in-high-tunnels    Vern Grubinger's POTTING MIXES FOR ORGANIC GROWERS https://www.uvm.edu/vtvegandberry/factsheets/OrganicPottingMixes.pdf  https://extension.psu.edu/potting-media-and-plant-propagation   

Will is an extension educator in northern New Hampshire and he's helping his growers manage a new and unusual pest attacking broccoli. We talk to experts in NH, ME, and VT to understand the state of the art in monitoring and management of swede midge.  Vegetable IPM Reports for New Hampshire   Watch the full interview with Dr. Tom Rounsville, Director, Applied Genetics and Genomics Lab at the University of Maine   Summary of swede midge review article from Hodgdon et al. 2024   Learn more about swede midge from this NYIPM resource   Learn more about leek moth from the UVM resource   Music: With the Homies, Sarah the Illstumentalist; Back at It, Mizlo; Patina; Ryan James Carr; Una Noche en Lagos, El Flaco Collective; Libertalia, Arc De Soleil; Snow Glow, John Runefelt  

Kasi is a non-commercial farmer in Montana's Bitterroot Valley, and she's been reading about Luther Burbank alongside a pile of seed catalogues. We discuss what makes crops "true to seed".   Music: With the Homies, Sarah the Illstrumentalist; Libertalia, Arc De Soleil; Overture, Dozeoff; Can't Handle It, Ryan James Carr

Susan is a professor of agriculture at the University of New Hampshire. We discuss the ins and outs of growing in unconventional situations and talk spiders.  Learn more about the Farm2You program at UNH  Learn more about the research project Optimizing pest management in high tunnels to increase the resiliency of local food systems Learn more about pesticide regulation    With the Homies, Sarah the Illstumentalist; Aquatic Flower Dance, Ryan James Carr; Oh Please; Gerhard Feng; Overture, Dozeoff; Talk 2 Me, Ryan James Carr    

Kasi is a non-commercial farmer in Montana's Bitterroot Valley, and accidental grasshopper rancher. The ins and outs regarding the rearing and farming of insects is discussed. One of many popular ant forums can be found on Reddit  Learn more about the Schmidt Pain Index   With the Homies, Sarah the Illstrumentalist; The Doom and Gloom Choir, Luella Gren; Drinkin' & Jivin', TAGE

Caleb Goossen joins us for a deep dive into the interplay between fertilization and pest severity. TL;DR Overfertilizing your crops might make some pest infestation worse, but underfertilizing won't solve all your pest problems.    We review data from Laybourne & Aradottir 2022 and Nowak & Komor 2010.    Music: With the Homies, Sarah the Illstrumentalist; Overture, Dozeoff; Riding High, John Runefelt

Kasi is a non-commercial farmer in Montana's Bitterroot Valley. In this episode we live react to an interview with Will Hastings about his work developing the Growing Kiwiberries in the Northeast guide.  Learn more about how kiwiberry is resistant to infestation from the invasive fruit fly, spotted wing drosophila! Music: With the Homies, Sarah the Illstrumentalist; La Belle Nini, El Flaco Collective

Jason is turning his Oregon home into an edible landscape and a terrific place for his family to hang out. In this "garden coaching" session we exchange advice on topics, both mechanical and botanical, touching on hops, pole beans, melons, and luffa sponges. Resource from Oregon State University on Growing Hops in the Home Garden   Music: With the Homies, Sarah the Illstrumentalist; Libertalia, Arc De Soleil; La Belle Nini, El Flaco Collective, Aquatic Flower Dance, Ryan James; Afternoon Fireworks, Duke Herrington

Kasi is a non-commercial farmer in Montana's Bitterroot Valley, where its been pretty windy lately. We discuss the history of hedgerows, bramble maintenance, wild fruits, and landscape alterations on the farm.   History of hedgerows in the UK The Hedgelayer Documentary   Music: With the Homies, Sarah the Illstrumentalist; Aquatic Flower Dance, Ryan James Carr; Summertime Madness, Matt Large; Disco Makumba, El Flaco

Susan is a professor of agriculture at the University of New Hampshire. She brings a ton of commercial experience to her college classroom but she also runs a community garden and has been extending her expertise to the on-campus daycare. We're joined by a fellow parent from Susan's daycare and we discuss how gardening in the classroom has long term benefits for young children, why principles of farming may not be immediately applicable to gardening, and some of the best vegetables for beginners. Key findings from Cornell Garden-Based Learning   Music: With the Homies, Sarah the Illstrumentalist; Short Circuit, Ryan James Carr;  Overture, Dozeoff; Riding High, John Runefelt   

Kasi is a non-commercial farmer, growing in Montana's Bitterroot Valley, and she recently lost quite a few apple trees to rodent damage despite her best efforts to protect them. We discuss behavior & pest management of voles and deer causing injury to trees, with the help of publicly-funded research brought to us by the US Department of Agriculture.   Music: With the Homies, Sarah the Illstramentalist, Oh Please, Gerhard Feng; Aquatic Flower Dance, Ryan James Carr; Whiskey Saved My Soil, Daniel Fridell

Jason wants to turn his lawn into an edible landscape and an amazing place for his family in Oregon. We’ll drop in throughout the year to hear how things are progressing. Learn more about Community Supported Research Oregon State Extension resources for backyard berries and fruit tree pruning Saffron Lifecycle  Container growing for blueberries?  Growing Sweetpotato? What could go wrong?    Music: With the Homies, Sarah the Illstrumentalist; Riding High, John Runefelt; Libertalia, Arc De Soleil, Takes Two to Tango, Ryan James Carr

Susan is a professor of agriculture in the seacoast region of New Hampshire. She runs a community garden and works with students and community members across a wide range of age groups. She's an experienced commercial farmer but she has thoughts on how we value the non-commercial aspects of growing. Listen into this wide ranging conversation about unique pests in high tunnels, as well as a deep dive into tomato hornworm and breeding for resistant tomato varieties. UNH Farm2You on Facebook & Instagram The full interview with tomato breeder, Dr. Greg Vogel, Cornell University  Learn more about Community Supported Research   Music: With the Homies, Sarah the Illstrumentalist; Beginning to Dream, Ryan James Carr; Just a Friend, Matt Large; overture, doseoff; In the Bag, John Runefelt  

Kasi is a non-commercial farmer, growing in Montana's Bitterroot Valley, and she encountered a planting of cowpeas during a recent tour of her ag experiment station that was meant to support wasps. She wants to know what gives? We chat about stinging wasps and the non-stinging parasitic wasps who provide biocontrol of pest insects. Full interview with Dr. Veronica Yurchak Extension Specialist in Commercial Vegetable Production at the University of Maryland   Learn more about Community Supported Research   Music: With the Homies, Sarah the Illstrumentalist; Summertime Madness, Matt Large; Whisky Saved My Soul, Daniel Fridell