Agriculture
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Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board Funds Penn State Study of Spotted Lanternfly on Cabernet Franc Grapes
Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board has approved a grant for Penn State to study the effects of the spotted lanternfly on cabernet franc, the grape variety that is usually blended with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon wines, writes Kiley Koscinski for WHYY. Penn State Extension has been studying the negative impacts of the pest since it first…
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Local PA Farmers Have Decreed 2021 as the Year of the Mushroom
Farmers in Chester County have dubbed 2021 the Year of the Mushroom, writes Doug Ohlemeier for Produce Business. Retailers such as Whole Foods are predicting mushrooms will be one of the top trending foods of the year. Also, mushrooms are currently getting great press, owing to the numerous benefits they bring, including high nutritional value…
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Couple Creates Urban Farm in Drexel Hill as Response to Pandemic
Nick Antonik and Stephanie Sheehan have an urban farm in Drexel Hill, their answer to food shortages and cost-cutting in the pandemic writes Pete Bannan for the Daily Times. The couple has raised 30 ducks, geese, chicken, and a turkey at their Drexel Hill home. Antonik’s family had a similar setup where he grew up…
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Spotted Lanternfly Quarantines, Like the Pesky Bugs Themselves, Continue to Spread Across Pennsylvania
As the infestation of the summer’s most annoying bug continues, more and more Pennsylvania counties are declaring spotted lanternfly quarantines. Keira Wingate reported the developments for USA Today. The Keystone State currently has 34 counties in quarantine, with many of them added to the list this year. Neighboring New Jersey is also recording the spread…
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In the Garden with Andrew: The Living Fence
For privacy at home or in the garden, I have always found that one of the most effective ways to accomplish this is by using living plants as formal or informal hedges, or simply by adding mixed plantings that can provide great privacy for both you and your neighbors. In my home garden in Swarthmore…
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Boy’s Kansas State Fair Bug Collection Display with a Spotted Lanternfly Triggers State, Federal Investigation
A boy who entered his bug collection at the Kansas State Fair with a spotted lanternfly among other insects triggered both a state and federal investigation, writes Jonathan Edwards for The Washington Post. The dangerous specimen has been wreaking havoc in the eastern part of the country for years, but so far no infestations have…
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Family Feud Withered Waterloo Gardens, a Local Landmark for 70 Years
With locations in Devon, Exton, and elsewhere, Waterloo Gardens was a local landmark for more than seven decades, until family friction interfered. J.F. Pirro detailed its long freefall into insolvency in 2014 for Main Line Today. Financial troubles started to mount for the LeBoutillier family, the business’s owners, in 2008. Its new Warminster location, an…
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Food & Wine: Two-Thirds of America’s Mushrooms Are Produced in Neighboring Chester County. And It All Starts with This
Margaret Eby for Food & Wine cites the excellence of two southern Chester County businesses that are pillars of our nation’s mushroom industry: Laurel Valley Farms and Phillips Mushroom Farms. Laurel Valley of Landenberg is owned by five of the region’s major mushroom farms in a co-op arrangement. Its excellence starts from the ground up:…
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Pa. Department of Agriculture: As Bee Populations Drop, Region Stung by Economic Loss
Bees. We duck them. Swat them. And stir their honey into iced tea. But according to the Pa. Department of Agriculture, we seldom think about bees’ role in the economy. Stephanie Sigafoos and Molly Bilinsky combed through those details for The Morning Call. Scientists and economists agree: For being such a relatively small insect, bees…
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Bird Feeder Pushback Reported as Songbirds Mortality Declines
The call to take down bird feeders and birdbaths while scientists figure out what is causing a mysterious and deadly disease among songbirds met strong and angry public opposition, writes Marcus Schneck for the Harrisburg Patriot-News. The Pennsylvania Game Commission reported the disease affected songbirds in 27 counties, though the mortality rate is subsiding. Cause…
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Online Tool From Penn State Predicts Spotted Lanternfly Egg Hatch
A new online tool created using research by scientists in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences helps predict the seasonal egg hatch for spotted lanternflies, according to a staff report from the Morrisons Cove Herald. PestWatch uses weather records for specific dates and durations to offer an estimate of first instar emergence. The estimate is…
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Massive Bee Colonies Removed From Skippack Home
When Sara and Jason Weaver decided to buy their Skippack home in December without an inspection, they knew there were bees in the walls of the house, writes María Paula Mijares Torres for The Philadelphia Inquirer. What they did not know or expect is just how many there were – close to 450,000 of them.…
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Lancaster County Is Losing Farmland Every Year. Here’s What’s Happening
Lancaster Farmland Trust has released a new report warning that Lancaster County is losing farmland every year. It is being steadily nipped away by a growing population. The trust recommends that county officials devote $125 million to farmland preservation by 2030, writes Tom Lisi for The Allentown Morning Call. “The State of Farmland Preservation in…
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Are Lanternflies Disappearing From the Philadelphia Region? Sort Of.
Spotted Lanternflies seem to have disappeared or are traveling in much smaller numbers in the Philadelphia region. The operative word is “seem to,” writes Frank Kummer for The Philadelphia Inquirer. The lanternflies are still around us and spreading, but the numbers fluctuate from neighborhood to neighborhood. “We have observed that areas can see a decline…
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Ruth Bennett Community Farm Grows Food for Those in Need Right in Chester
Keeping food on the table during the pandemic was especially difficult for some of the 251 families at the Ruth L. Bennett Homes in Chester, so a community farm was created. The Benett homes are the largest federally subsidized public housing development in Chester. The Ruth Bennett Community Farm helps feed them and others in…
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In the Garden With Andrew: Planting Tropicals in the Garden
By Andrew Bunting May is one of my favorite times on the gardening calendar. I like to give my garden a tropical touch by adding wonderful plants like bananas, cannas, and elephant ears. Over the last few weeks, I have been combing some of my favorite nurseries for some new tropicals. Last weekend, I made…
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‘Secret Garden’ in Chadds Ford Beckons the COVID Weary With a Promise of Summer
“I can’t help but to think that, when people come to this garden, we’re selling them the biggest smile,” said Bruce Mowday. “Everybody here is so happy to be out of the house and they’re taking a minute to smell the flowers,” reports Matteo Iadonisis for 6abc.com. Mowday manages Styer’s Festival of the Peony at…
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Delaware County CSAs Among the Best for Fresh Food in the Area
Joining CSAs is the best way to ensure you receive a steady supply of prime summer produce from local farms, writes Jenn Ladd for The Philadelphia Inquirer. Luckily, you can find two of the best CSAs in the region right here in Delaware County. Urban Roots Farm in Newtown Square offers an ambitious CSA program…
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