Always positive. Wonderful to work with. An invaluable resource. Accolades like these don’t just pop up out of nowhere. In Sandra Menasha’s case, they speak to the qualities that earned her an Excellence in IPM award. Menasha is a vegetable specialist with Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) on eastern Long Island. A few short decades ago,…Continue Reading Farm Demos, Scouting, Resourcefulness Earn IPM Award
Spider FAQs One Two Three
These three things you should know about spiders. But first, know this. They’re not bugs. In fact, insects probably outnumber spiders roughly 10 to one. Too bad so many things get blamed on spiders — insect bites, say, or medical conditions that require intervention. One. We are not their prey. In fact, most couldn’t bite…Continue Reading Spider FAQs One Two Three
We Reward Excellence
Each year, NYS IPM presents Excellence in IPM awards to people who make a difference on farms and in communities across New York. And each year we’re struck again at how much these people can accomplish through dedication, enthusiasm — and through walking the talk. Over the next weeks and months, we’d like to introduce…Continue Reading We Reward Excellence
Celebrating 30 years of IPM
Program report. You see the words; what comes to mind? Jargon. Puffery. In a word? Boring. But at NYS IPM, we’ve made a practice of telling stories — stories that take you on the farm, in the greenhouse, to the school cafeteria. Now we’ve taken the essence of all our annual reports spanning 30 years…Continue Reading Celebrating 30 years of IPM
The Wannabe Bees
Who wants to be a bee? I don’t claim to know the deepest desires of insects that visit our gardens and farms, except that they want to survive, eat and reproduce. So why do so many mimic other insects that are dangerous, such as yellowjackets? The black and yellow stripes of a typical yellowjacket are easily…Continue Reading The Wannabe Bees
Make Every Day Arbor Day – contributed by Paul Hetzler
Muskrat Day. Velcro Appreciation Month. Hair Follicle Hygiene Week. Arbor Day. You know it’s an obscure event when the greeting-card trade hasn’t bothered to capitalize on it. I like to think the industry knows Arbor Day is worthy of a Hallmark line, but that they’ve decided to honor its spirit by conserving paper. (C’mon, it’s…Continue Reading Make Every Day Arbor Day – contributed by Paul Hetzler
IPM | Looking Back to Look Ahead Circa 1986
Last week we announced that — now that we’re 30 — we’ve planned a whole different take on our Year in Review. For prepping for NYS IPM’s 30th anniversary takes looking back — back to times when IPM was a whole new ballgame for farmers statewide. What are we finding? Take these “for instances”: Our…Continue Reading IPM | Looking Back to Look Ahead Circa 1986
For IPM, Looking Back Means Looking Ahead
2015 marks our 30th anniversary here at NYS IPM. With age comes a new approach to our Year in Review — to our annual report. Yes, as always our focus is real science for real people. But “commodity driven” has long been our organizing principle. This year our Year in Review will be different —…Continue Reading For IPM, Looking Back Means Looking Ahead
Beauty and the Battle Against Invasive Plants: IPM Can Help
In New York and around the world, invasive plants rank among the top reasons that the stability of native ecosystems are under threat. Consider the prickly barberries that swallow woodland understories whole. The Norway maples that outcompete sugar maples and out-shade wildflowers. The — well, let’s just stop. Because it doesn’t get better. Sure, those…Continue Reading Beauty and the Battle Against Invasive Plants: IPM Can Help
The Difference Between Voles and Moles
Is it mole? A vole? These small mammals are often confused with each other, probably because they’re both associated with tunnels. But they’re really quite different and, depending on the circumstance, could be a pest — or not. Since the first step in IPM is to identify your problem, let’s shed light on these two…Continue Reading The Difference Between Voles and Moles