Country Folks Grower

09/29/2026

During National Farm Safety & Health Week, we’re reminding our agricultural community to make safety and well-being a priority, both in and out of the field.

There are resources available to help support the physical and mental health of our agricultural communities:
🔗 National Education Center for Agricultural Safety: https://vist.ly/5jpby
🔗 NC Agromedicine Institute: https://vist.ly/5jpbz
🔗 Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network-North Carolina: https://vist.ly/5jpb2

Take care of yourself and continue looking out for one another, this week and all year long.

09/29/2026

09/29/2026

Seasonal employee legal matters

Hiring seasonal employees challenges many farm operators as many aspects of the hiring process and other human resources matters differ from that of non-seasonal employees.
Read the rest of the story here: tinyurl.com/4vzyfcmc

09/25/2026

Congratulations on 60 years, Jackson's Orchard! 🍎

Jackson's Orchard & Nursery celebrates 60 years of as a year-around family owned staple in Bowling Green

09/24/2026

We want a good, clean fight

Keeping post-harvest water clean is one of the quiet challenges of commercial apple packing. Flumes and dump tanks help move fruit quickly and efficiently, but they can also become highways for harmful microbes if water quality slips.
Read the rest of the story here: tinyurl.com/3wuwba7m

09/23/2026

ARS researchers in Kearneysville, WV, recently conducted lab and field studies to determine the types of U.S. specialty crops that are at high risk for damage and yield loss from the spotted lanternfly.

Click the link to learn more.

ARS is helping American grape growers protect Eastern vineyards with enhanced pest management tools.

09/22/2026

The balance between capability & compostability

Growscape’s “From Concept to Compost” presentation at Cultivate revealed a promising pathway for horticulture as innovation and sustainability converged in a compelling conversation about the future of growing.
Read the rest of the story here: tinyurl.com/s5atjc75

09/21/2026

A historic breakthrough! The USDA greenlights a blight-resistant American chestnut, paving the way for ecological revival.

09/21/2026

NEWS RELEASE - USDA Invests in America’s Beef and Ag Producers with Funding for Value-Added Agriculture USDA Rural Development sent this bulletin at 09/18/2026 11:13 AM EDT Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. NEWS RELEASE USDA Invests in America’s Beef and Ag Producers with...