The design, construction, and siting of your hoop house can mean the difference between many successful growing seasons or many seasons of ongoing frustration and suboptimal yields.

During this webinar Dan Dalton, Pasa’s Three Rivers Hub Manager, discusses effective hoop house design and assembly and consider how to select the right structure for your farm. He also covers some common construction pitfalls to watch out for, reviews the pros and cons of different features, and discusses how these can impact your crop production.

Recorded August 24, 2021

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During this webinar, Dr. Eric Burkhart from Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center discusses basic horticultural aspects of the crop, as well as economic considerations. Forest crop tree management and silviculture, including how to manipulate the forest canopy to promote ginseng crops and salvage trees killed by invasive insects, such as the Emerald Ash Borer, are also discussed.

The post Forest Farming: Ginseng appeared first on Pasa Sustainable Agriculture.

The movement and conversation around local food and what we put in our bodies is well established and continuing to gain momentum. But what about the conversation around local textiles and what we put on our bodies?

Philadelphia textile artist Heidi Barr discusses her 2020 pilot project at Kneehigh Farm: growing and harvesting flax for making fine linen.

Topics covered include the horticultural aspects of growing flax, from seed to harvest, as well as post-harvest processing into linen. She also considers the cultural history of flax, note similar initiatives happening in other parts of the country, and discuss the potential to expand this work in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Recorded on September 23, 2020

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How will the federal hemp rule impact local growers? What about recent grant programs designed to encourage hemp production and sales in Pennsylvania? What other policies, investments, and efforts are needed to support and grow this industry?

In addition to these questions, panelists also addressed questions and comments from attendees.

Speakers:

Josh Leidhecker, Owner, Susquehanna Hemp Company

Andrea Ferich, Owner, Ironwood Forestry

Sarah Mitchell, Industrial Hemp Specialist, King’s Agriseeds

Phillip J. Stober, Division Chief for Economic Development, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture

Sara Nicholas, Policy Strategist, Pasa

The post Listening Session: What’s Next for Industrial Hemp appeared first on Pasa Sustainable Agriculture.