Agriculture
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Oh No, It’s Back Again! Learn How to Destroy the Spread of Spotted Lanternfly
Spotted lanternflies are once again spreading across the region. You can help stop the advancement of this invasive pest by finding their eggs and destroying them, writes Grace Dickinson for The Philadelphia Inquirer. “Honestly, it’s something fun you can be doing outside right now,” said Shannon Powers, press secretary for the state Department of Agriculture.…
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In the Garden with Andrew: The Majestic Pine
There is no more widely planted conifer in the Delaware Valley than the white pine, Pinus strobus. A popular conifer as communities were being developed over the last hundred years, white pines are dotted across the landscape throughout the region. The white pine is native throughout the northeastern states and the Upper Midwest, as well…
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Mother Nature on Mute May Lead to a Quieter Spring for Bucks County
2021’s class of Brood X cicadas have been underground for 17 years, slumbering away and growing. But by the time of their late-May wake-up call in Bucks County, their signature buzzing might be quieter than usual, reports Frank Kummer for The Philadelphia Inquirer. The noisy members of Brood X (the “X” is the Roman numeral 10, not some kind of sci-fi warning) are the…
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When it Comes to Home-Grown Hot Peppers, Burpee Puts the Warm in Warminster
Backyard gardeners looking for some punch in their home-grown peppers have a Bucks County-centric option. Burpee Seed and Plants of Warminster has a five-alarm way to spice up salads, cheesesteaks and eggs. This Armageddon pepper was highlighted by Audrey Stallsmith for Bob Vila, former host of PBS’s This Old House. Stallsmith cites the advantages of sourcing these plants locally, given the proximity to Burpee, rather than starting them from seeds. Armageddon…
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Memorializing a Long-Term Commitment to Bucks County Beautification: A Tree Grows in Doylestown
The December 2020 passing of Bob Byers, Sr., co-founder of Bucks Beautiful, was remembered in a recent tree-planting ceremony in Doylestown, reports the Bucks County Herald. Members of the Bucks Beautiful Board, in partnership with Cole Nurseries, Inc., donated a weeping green beech tree, known for its growth into a leafy canopy, which turns rustic bronze in the fall. The massive tree, 20 feet tall…
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Legislation Proposed to End Systemic Racism in Agribusinesses in Bucks County and Elsewhere
Decades-long policies, both formal and informal, blocked people of color from making a living in the agribusiness industry in Bucks County and across the U.S. Those impediments may be rectified by an act of law, reports Damon C. Williams in the Bucks County Courier Times. The Justice for Black Farmers Act, introduced last year but sidelined by COVID, is being revived. It is…
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Most of What the Modern World Knows about Cold Storage Originated in Bristol
Given the special handling required by COVID-19 vaccines, cold storage is now a hot topic. But few know that the industry was redefined forever in 1867 in Bristol, writes Ann Marie Linnabery of the Lockport Union-Sun & Journal (New York). In those pre-refrigerator days, Nathan Hellings, a produce dealer, bought apples from upstate New York. But he needed a way…
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In the Garden with Andrew: The Paperbark Maple Has Perfect Winter Appeal
By Andrew Bunting Over the years, I have attempted to be more and more mindful of adding plants to the garden that will provide winter interest. Fortunately, in this area there are many choices. There are many great broad-leaved and coniferous evergreens. There are many great choices of winterberry hollies which lose their leaves in…
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Yardley Nonprofit Wants to Return Pennsylvania Rye to Its Former Glory
Pennsylvania’s rye was once as famous as the Philly cheesesteaks, and one Bucks County nonprofit is hoping to bring it back to its former glory once again, writes Jenn Ladd for The Philadelphia Inquirer. Delaware Valley Fields Foundation was founded by Laura Fields to champion farmers and their work. Now, it also champions the rye…
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New Lease Deal Unites Styer Orchard, Market at Styer Under Management of Single Entity
For the past two decades, Styer Orchard and the Market at Styer in Middletown Township had been operating under two separate leases, writes Samantha Bambino for the Lower Bucks Times. Styer Orchard was run by Mike and Karen Field until their son Tim took over in 2019. Meanwhile the farm store was managed by Dave…
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Shalem Farm in Doylestown to Become Education Site for Jewish Sustainable Agriculture
With the Jewish farm movement sweeping the Philadelphia area, Shalem Farm in Doylestown will help the trend expand further as an education site for Jewish sustainable culture, writes Sophie Panzer for the Jewish Exponent. Farmer and Jewish educator Yitzchak Glasman will start building the organic farm this month. He will be using a “seed kit”…
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Kulps Corner Farm Co-Owned by Gwynedd Valley Family Preserved in Conservation Pact
Blue Rock Farm in Kulps Corner in Bucks County, co-owned by Carmen and Rita Rocco of Gwynedd Valley, is being preserved in a conservation pact of $1.36 million, writes Frank Kummer for The Philadelphia Inquirer. Four entities have joined forces to ensure the preservation of the 97-acre farm in Bedminster Township, including the state, Bucks…
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Pennsylvania safeguards Maple Acres in Plymouth for permanent agriculture production
Maple Acres Farm in Plymouth was one of 40 farms in the state protected at a meeting of the Pennsylvania Agricultural Land Preservation Board exemplify the diversity of the state’s agriculture products and the people that grow them, Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said. “Our diversity as a state extends far beyond our people to our…
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STEM Competition Challenges Students to Combat Spotted Lanternfly
High school students from four southeastern Pennsylvania counties will put their computer science skills on display November 9 as they compete in the Spotted Lanternfly Hackathon, a STEM-related initiative that invites students in grades 9-12 to design an app to easily track, detect, identify and access information about the invasive species. Spotted Lanternfly is an invasive insect…
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