• Freeze Hits Farms, Destroys Most of Linvilla’s Peaches, Apples

    Freeze Hits Farms, Destroys Most of Linvilla’s Peaches, Apples

    A heat wave followed by late-season sub-freezing temperatures has taken out most of Linvilla Orchards’ peaches and apples, writes Denali Sagner for The Philadelphia Inquirer. The Media-area farm said it suffered “tremendous damage.” Linvilla Orchards farm manager Norm Schultz said he’s never seen anything like it. “We had never been so far along on the…

  • Ruth Bennett Farm in Chester Prepares Eighth Annual Kickoff

    Ruth Bennett Farm in Chester Prepares Eighth Annual Kickoff

    Nearly three dozen volunteers gathered over the weekend at the Ruth L. Bennett Community Farm in Chester to help prepare for the upcoming growing and distribution season, writes Kathleen E. Carey for the Daily Times. The annual event was held for the eighth time on Saturday. “It’s just a great way to kick off the…

  • DelVal’s 25th Annual Dairy Sale Sets New Sales Record

    DelVal’s 25th Annual Dairy Sale Sets New Sales Record

    Delaware Valley University’s 25th annual Green & Gold Spring Spectacular Sale marked a milestone, as the highest-selling cow in the event’s history was consigned by an alumnus who helped launch the sale 25 years ago. Lot 6 MS Lamdba Silk-ET RC sold for a new sale record of $11,700, the highest price ever achieved at…

  • Government Quarantine Expands Kennett Mushroom Farm Protections to Combat Invasive Pest

    Government Quarantine Expands Kennett Mushroom Farm Protections to Combat Invasive Pest

    The Pennsylvania government has expanded its quarantine guidelines to help Chester County farms combat the phorid fly crisis, writes Jen Samuel for The Daily Local News. The invasive pest destroys roughly 40 percent of the region’s mushroom farms each year. The flies also appear inside homes and residential areas, causing further distress for residents. As…

  • Bucks County Plant Nursery Ranked in the Top Ten in the Country by USA Today 

    Bucks County Plant Nursery Ranked in the Top Ten in the Country by USA Today 

    Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve’s Native Plant Nursery in Solebury was recently ranked as one of the top nurseries in the country, writes Jess Rohan for the Bucks County Courier Times.   The Bucks County nursery was listed in USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards, placing at No. 10 in the ranking.   According to a press release from the USA Today Network, the nurseries…

  • Recession-Resistant Burpee, Warminster Staple Since 1876, Is Thriving at 150

    Recession-Resistant Burpee, Warminster Staple Since 1876, Is Thriving at 150

    Once teetering on the brink, Warminster-based Burpee Seeds, the company behind Big Boy tomatoes and Iceberg lettuce, is thriving again, writes Frank Kummer for The Philadelphia Inquirer. Founded by W. Atlee Burpee in 1876, the company is now owned by George Ball, who joined Burpee in the 1980s during a period of serious financial trouble.…

  • DelVal Seeking Entries for A-Day Fair

    DelVal Seeking Entries for A-Day Fair

    Delaware Valley University will host its 76th annual A-Day Fair from April 24-26. A-Day is a student-run event and member of the Pennsylvania State Association of County Fairs. All proceeds made from the fair benefit student clubs and organizations. A-Day offers community members a unique opportunity to participate in the fair through a wide range…

  • DelVal to Host 76th Annual A-Day State Fair

    DelVal to Host 76th Annual A-Day State Fair

    Delaware Valley University will host the 76th Annual A-Day Fair from April 24-26. A cherished tradition, A-Day is a student-planned and -run state fair that showcases DelVal’s rich agricultural heritage while offering a weekend filled with education, entertainment and family friendly activities. This three-day event will feature livestock shows, blacksmith demonstrations, hands-on animal experiences, inflatable…

  • Gardener’s Delight Winter Workshop Brings Free Hands On Learning to Wayne

    Gardener’s Delight Winter Workshop Brings Free Hands On Learning to Wayne

    Delaware County residents with a green thumb, or plans to grow one, have a winter date worth circling. The Gardener’s Delight Winter Workshop takes place Saturday, February 7, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the United Church of Christ at Valley Forge in Wayne. This free, hands on afternoon features seven Master Gardener workshops…

  • DelVal’s Strong Presence in Agriculture Industry Featured in BBC-Produced Video Series

    DelVal’s Strong Presence in Agriculture Industry Featured in BBC-Produced Video Series

    Delaware Valley University is participating in “Unearthing the Future,” a new branded content series presented by The Lexicon of Food and produced by BBC StoryWorks. The series meets farmers being supported to access and steward land of their own, educators championing seed-to-table learning, and food scientists using experimentation to revive and reimagine traditional practices. DelVal’s…

  • Shapiro Administration Boosts Young Farmers with $600,345 in PA Farm Bill Grants

    Shapiro Administration Boosts Young Farmers with $600,345 in PA Farm Bill Grants

    During the 2026 Farm Show, the Shapiro Administration has announced $600,345 in Pennsylvania Farm Bill grants that are aimed at expanding career opportunities for young Pennsylvanians in the agricultural sector, according to a staff report from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The grants will support projects designed to help youth across the state succeed in the…

  • Wall Street Journal: In Philadelphia, Old Christmas Trees are a Delicious Buffet for Local Goats

    Wall Street Journal: In Philadelphia, Old Christmas Trees are a Delicious Buffet for Local Goats

    Philly Goat Project in Philadelphia helps recycle old Christmas trees by offering them as a delicious buffet of pine needles and twigs for local goats, writes Joel Millman for The Wall Street Journal. The Goat Project is busy throughout the year with various goat-centric activities, including nature walks in Philadelphia parks led by goats and…

  • Two Equine Farms in Chester County Permanently Preserved from Development

    Two Equine Farms in Chester County Permanently Preserved from Development

    The Shapiro Administration recently invested more than $5.7 million to purchase development rights for 2,079 acres on 24 farms in 14 counties, including Chester County. The joint investment between state and local government protects the farms forever from residential or commercial development, ensuring that Pennsylvania farmers will have the high-quality land they need to continue feeding our…

  • Giant Pumpkin Result of Green Thumbs and a Determined Broomall Family

    Giant Pumpkin Result of Green Thumbs and a Determined Broomall Family

    “From a small seed a mighty trunk may grow.” Aeschylus And pumpkins. Just ask the Meehan family in Broomall. “Everybody needs to start somewhere. Just put a seed in the ground and see how it goes,” said Craig Meehan.   Turns out they are giant pumpkin growers. Their latest creation is a 2,000-pounder. The activity…

  • Bucks County Farmers Navigating Challenging, Unpredictable Season

    Bucks County Farmers Navigating Challenging, Unpredictable Season

    A soggy spring and dry mid-summer was the opening to an unpredictable growing season for Bucks County farmers, writes Elisabeth Seidel for the Bucks County Courier Times.  “Weather has been a big challenge this year,” said farmer Andrew Frankenfield.  Frankenfield is also a teacher at Penn State Extension, a Penn State University program offering education…

  • Montgomery County Launches Agventure 2025: A Bingo Game for Farm Fun

    Montgomery County Launches Agventure 2025: A Bingo Game for Farm Fun

    Montgomery County wants its residents to put down their pens and pencils and pick up a pumpkin, writes Main Line Times & Suburban. Now through November 30, residents can take part in Montco Agventure 2025, a hands-on, family-friendly Farm Challenge. Through this challenge, people can connect with the county’s rich agricultural roots, without needing to…

  • SIW Vegetables Closes Up Shop in Chadds Ford After 40 Years

    SIW Vegetables Closes Up Shop in Chadds Ford After 40 Years

    A Chadds Ford farmstand that over time provided more than 50 different vegetables, fruits, and flowers grown on the 60-acre Hill Girt Farm is closing up shop, and its owner is retiring, writes Jim Graham for The Hunt. H.G. Haskell III, known as “H,” opened SIW Vegetables 40 years ago along the Brandywine Creek. “It’s…

  • One of the Continent’s Oldest Food Forests Stands in Downingtown Thanks to John Hershey

    One of the Continent’s Oldest Food Forests Stands in Downingtown Thanks to John Hershey

    One of North America’s oldest food forests stands tall in Chester County thanks to decades of agroforestry started by John W. Hershey in the early 1900s, writes J.F. Pirro for Main Line Today. After working on tree improvement programs during the Dust Bowl, Hershey went to Downingtown and Guthriesville with the best native saplings to…