Gardening & Landscape Articles

Across the country, over 22.1 million individuals are a part of the agricultural workforce, which amounts to nearly 11% of total U.S employment. This may seem small in scope, but the types of careers in agriculture are vast and include much more than the conventional sows, cows, and plows. At its...

There is something miraculous about starting seeds indoors. You press a tiny seed into damp soil, and wait—trusting that in the dark, something is stirring. When that first pale loop of green pushes through, it feels like a small victory. But between that first emergence and a strong, transplant...

The wet and muddy days of early spring are the final hurdle to getting back into the garden. Walking on and working in soggy soil will pack the soil particles tightly, making it hard for water, air and roots to get through. And once this compacted soil dries, it can become incredibly hard and tough...

Community and home gardeners who grow food and share their harvests are eligible for free soil testing through the Community Gardens Soil Testing Program. The program is a partnership of Cornell Cooperative Extension Harvest NY, the New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets, and the Cornell...

Jefferson County is fortunate to host one of the remaining eight 4-H residential youth camps remaining in New York State! 4-H Camp Wabasso is owned and operated by Cornell Cooperative Extension Association of Jefferson County. Celebrating 76 years of positive youth development experiences to...

It’s no secret that all of us are feeling the impact of seemingly never-ending rises in the pricing of basic resources. As commodity costs drive higher and higher, industries across the nation are experiencing the strain and stress of increased input prices. Agriculture is certainly no exception...

Cornell Cooperative Extension Association of Jefferson County currently provides 19 4-H Afterschool Programs serving approximately 1,300 Jefferson and Lewis County youth annually. The programs are 100% grant funded, and for the ‘24-’25 academic school year results showed that 65% of students...

Have you been visited by clusters of almond shaped, 2-centimeter-long black bugs with red edges this spring? Boxelder bugs ( Boisea trivittata) have found their way into many of our homes. They are considered nuisance pests that do not generally transmit disease, bite or cause significant damage...

Ask any experienced gardener in Orleans County when to plant, and chances are you'll get the same answer: after Memorial Day. It's not superstition. It's hard-earned local knowledge passed down through generations of gardeners who learned — sometimes the hard way — that our region's last frost doesn...

Consumers say they want increased access to local food, so why are local products still struggling to reach store shelves? It is not as easy for farmers to get their stuff in store as you may think and even for those that can surmount all the regulations, garnering sales against competition can...