Gardener News December 2023

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December 2023

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No. 248

Poinsettias are the Festive Superstars of the Holidays

Tom Castronovo, left, executive editor and publisher of Gardener News, looks over thousands of poinsettias and gets a close up look at the plants’ bracts and cyathia.

By Tom Castronovo Executive Editor/Publisher Gardener News

Every year the same And every year I try Let’s get right into it. animal or human health. But question seems to arise. Are to explain to folks that Several studies and they should not be eaten. poinsettias deadly and/or poinsettias are not. It’s all universities have stated that Also, according to the poisonous? about good education! poinsettias are not deadly to N a t i o n a l (Cont. on Page 14)

2 December 2023

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December 2023 3

Around The Garden

By Tom Castronovo Gardener News

2024 Market Insights

Gardening statistics always fascinate me.

This month I’m going to share some survey statistics from Axiom that I thought might interest you. I’m also going to mention USDA NASS. First, Axiom is a market strategy consulting company founded in 1993.

They provide market research, channel strategy, new product development and marketing communication services to Fortune 500 manufacturers and service providers in agriculture, horticulture, building products an d energy.

Their team is a diverse group of former engineers, scientists, big data analysts, marketing and sales professionals, journalists and new product development gurus. They have banded together to provide deeper and more actionable customer insights, smarter solutions to client business problems, and innovative strategies that accelerate sales.

Axiom’s deep experience in agriculture and horticulture helps accelerate outcomes among B2B and B2C clients in these industries. Through market insights, they’re using their legacy knowledge to deepen the understanding of market needs and align agricultural and horticulture sales and marketing goals.

Here are a few insights from their 2024 gardening outlook.

Despite economic concerns, respondents spent more money on gardening in 2023 and plan to spend more money in 2024.

• 48.5% of respondents reported spending more money in 2023 compared to 2022.

• 53.5% of Gen Y respondents and 52.7% of Gen Z respondents reported spending more money in 2023 compared to 2022.

• Future spending for 2024 up 19.5% (those forecasting spending more) over 2022 and more than 60% more than 2020.

• 45.8% of respondents plan to spend more money in 2024 than they did in 2023.

• 55.8% of Gen Y respondents and 43.4% of Gen Z respondents plan to spend more money in 2024 than they did in 2023.

• Home improvement (25.6%) and eating out (20.8%) were cited as the top two spending areas among respondents who spent less money on gardening 2023.

Despite returning to work, respondents spent more time gardening in 2023 and plan to spend more time gardening in 2024.

• 45.3% of respondents reported spending 50-100% more time in their gardens in 2023 compared to 2022.

• 59% of Gen Z and 54% of Gen Y respondents reported spending 50-100% more time in their gardens in 2023 compared to 2022.

• 14.5% more spending time gardening than in 2022.

• 50.5% of respondents expect to spend more time gardening in 2024 compared to 2023.

• 56.4% of Gen Y and 54.3% of Gen Z respondents expect to spend more time gardening in 2024 compared to 2023.

• Working more (30.2%) and bad weather (20.6%) were cited as the top two reasons among respondents who spent less time in their gardens in 2023 Respondents plan to plant more and expand their gardens in 2024.

• 64.7% of respondents plan to plant more and expand their gardens in 2024.

• 76.2% of Gen Y and 71.2% of Gen Z respondents plan to plant more and expand their gardens in 2024.

Independent garden centers important sources of new and unique plants and information.

• 59.9% of respondents reported the same number of visits to independent garden centers, and 19.5% reported more visits to independent garden centers in 2023.

• The top two reasons for visiting local garden centers were more plant choices (27.1%) and new plant varieties (19.7%).

Among Gen Z respondents these percentages increase to 25.7% and 22.5%, respectively.

• 28.3% of respondents name local garden centers as the number one place for learning about new plants and gardening supplies. Websites and social media are number two and three sources at 27.7% and 22.2%.

Top 3 gardening projects for 2024 include curb appeal gardens, creating vegetable gardens, and growing new kinds of vegetables and fruits.

• 57.6% of respondents reported their #1 2024 project is creating front of the house plantings that increase the curb appeal. For Gen X respondents, this percentage increases to 61.4%.

• 44.1% reported creating vegetable gardens as their #2 project.

• 36.9% reported growing new kinds of vegetables and fruits as their #3 2024 project. For Gen Y respondents, this percentage increases to 45%.

I hope this outlook was interesting and informative.

Another resource to consider for agricultural statistics is the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA NASS).

USDA NASS produces the Nursery and Christmas Tree Production survey, which provides estimates of the numbers of nursery producers, production area, hired workers, and sales and inventory by plant category for the 17 largest nursery producing states.

They also produce the Census of Agriculture. This survey is a complete accounting of farms and ranches in the United States and the people who operate them. Collected once every five years by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), the Census of Agriculture provides information on land use and ownership, operator characteristics, production practices, and income and expenditures. This information is used to help make decisions that benefit you and your community – from decisions guiding succession planning and new and beginning farmer programs to decisions impacting agriculture practices, land stewardship, and sustainability.

USDA NASS also has three surveys and reports in the bee and honey program. The Honey report is an annual report of number of colonies producing honey, yield per colony, honey production, average price and value, and honey stocks. The Honey Bee Colonies report is an annual report of honey bee colonies, lost colonies, added colonies, renovated colonies and colonies affected by stressors by State and U.S. The Cost of Pollination report is an annual report that tracks the fees associated with crop producers’ use of honey bee pollination.

USDA NASS also conducts several other annual surveys and prepares reports covering virtually every aspect of U.S. agriculture. Producers, farm organizations, agribusinesses, lawmakers and government agencies all rely on the information produced by NASS. As I close out my column this month, I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas, a very Happy Holiday, and a Happy and a Healthy New Year!

PS. I can’t wait to share the 2023 Gardener News Person of the Year with you in the January issue.

Editor’s Note: Tom Castronovo is executive editor and publisher of Gardener News. Tom’s lifelong interest in gardening and passion for agriculture, environmental stewardship, gardening and landscaping, led to the founding of the Gardener News, which germinated in April 2003 and continues to bloom today. He is also dedicated to providing inspiration, and education to the agricultural, gardening, landscaping and nursery communities through this newspaper and GardenerNews.com.

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4 December 2023 As the holiday season approaches, people have begun to decorate, and many New Jerseyans visit local garden centers to purchase the number one potted flowering plant in the country, the poinsettia.

Nearly 80 million poinsettias are purchased nationwide each holiday season for use as decorations and gifts. But did you know that New Jersey greenhouses grow nearly 1.5 million of these beautiful plants, and the state ranks 10th in the nation in the production of poinsettias?

So, just how did the poinsettia become such an important holiday season ornamental, joining the likes of holly and evergreen trees as botanical symbols of Christmas?

And how did New Jersey rise to become such an important piece in its U.S. propagation?

These elegant displays originated in the tropical regions of Mexico before being brought to the United States in the early 1800s. At that time, the first United States Ambassador to Mexico and botanist Joel Roberts Poinsett found them growing on hillsides in the Southern Mexico town of Taxco. He had plants shipped to his home in South Carolina and stocked his greenhouse and distributed plants to horticultural The agricultural world is no stranger to uncertainties.

Unpredictable weather patterns, natural disasters, and unforeseen challenges are part and parcel of a farmer’s life. In times of crisis, the USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) offers a helping hand through the 2022 Emergency Relief Program (ERP).

This year, the program has undergone some changes that promise to make it more accessible and efficient than ever. Let’s take a look at ERP 2022 and what it means for farmers.

Two Tracks for Support: ERP 2022 introduces a fresh approach to delivering assistance. It is now divided into two tracks. Track 1 resembles the previous ERP Phase 1, providing support for losses using existing data. If you’ve previously received non-insured crop disaster assistance or have crop insurance, you are eligible for assistance similar to what Phase 1 offered. FSA will now send pre-filled applications to streamline the process, making it more straightforward for eligible producers.

Track 2 requires producers to complete and submit an application.

The deadline for applications is crucial, and it’s essential to understand that losses must be due to a qualifying disaster event that

GardenerNews.com to brighten your home this Christmas.

When you get them home, locate them in a bright, cool place away from drafts that is completely dark at night. Water

By Joe Atchison III them only when they are dry Assistant Secretary of Agriculture to the touch. And keep them away from open heating vents and other heat sources like fireplaces or radiators. Following these tips for selecting and caring easier and more tidy production, two weeks to move sufficient for poinsettias will keep them packing, and shipping. numbers of poinsettias to market looking healthy.

With a little care, poinsettias New Jersey has dozens of and on to customers before we growers of poinsettias across the start watching the skies for Santa’s can last a few months during the heart of winter and bring some state and Jersey Grown poinsettias sleigh and his reindeer. have made their way to St. Patrick’s Because these plants are brilliance to your home, even Cathedral in New York City, onto tropical, they have special needs once the flurry of holiday activity the stages of Saturday Night Live if you want them to develop and has ended. for their Christmas shows, and flourish. Our New Jersey growers into the homes of celebrities like know how to get them to “pop” Bruce Springsteen and Derek at just the right time. They make Editor’s Note: New Jersey Assistant Secretary of Jeter. They also have been used in sure they get 12 to 14 hours of Agriculture Joe Atchison III successful fundraisers for many complete darkness per day until is directing the Department, organizations, including my about a week before they want assuming the responsibilities daughter’s dance school. them to reach their peak. They also of Secretary, until the State Given their tropical origins, it make sure to mist the leaves and Board of Agriculture’s is interesting that poinsettias have provide just the right temperature recommendation for the new such a prominent role in our winter and growing conditions.

Secretary of Agriculture is holiday observances, celebrations, If you are looking for the approved by Governor Phil and decorations. However, due to perfect poinsettia this holiday Murphy. Atchison is also the that Christmastime starring role, season, visit your local nursery, Director of the Division of it should come as no surprise that garden center, or greenhouse Marketing and Development “National Poinsettia Day” falls on to ensure they have the plants for the department. He can December 12. That gives a good that are in their prime and ready be reached at 609-292-3976.

NJ Dept. of Agriculture

The Excellent Elegance of Holiday Poinsettias

friends along the East Coast.

Through the years, the plants have been cultivated and modified to range in size from a few inches to over four feet tall and have created many color variations, from traditional bright red to purple to white to blue and many hues in between. Those colorful “flowers” aren’t really the flower of the plant. The small yellow buds in the middle are the flowers and the brightly colored leaves are bracts.

And of course, New Jersey played a large role in the development and popularity of poinsettias when a Mrs. Enteman of Jersey City introduced the “Oak Leaf” poinsettia in the 1920s. This variety dominated the field for the next 40 years, as it was the first cultivar suitable for growing in pots. This allowed for

USDA Farm Service Agency

By Bob Andrzejczak State Executive Director

Emergency Relief Program 2022

occurred in 2022. This expanded choice allows farmers to select the track that aligns better with their needs, promising more flexibility.

Tornadoes Now Qualify: While the previous iterations of ERP focused on various disaster events, a significant change in 2022 is the addition of tornadoes as a qualifying disaster event. This complements the existing list of events, ranging from droughts to floods. This expansion of eligibility ensures a more comprehensive safety net for our agricultural community, offering support to those affected by a broader range of disasters.

Progressive Factoring: A critical change in ERP 2022 is the introduction of what is known as progressive factoring.

While this might sound complex at first, its essence is simplification.

Progressive factoring means that

payments are adjusted to better reflect the impact of a disaster.

This approach is more tailored to individual circumstances, ensuring that assistance is more closely aligned with the actual losses experienced.

Sign-Up: A significant change from previous ERPs is the ability to sign up for both Track 1 and Track 2 in 2022. This flexibility allows farmers to choose the assistance that suits their specific needs. It’s a recognition that one size does not fit all in the agricultural world.

Applications for sign up are currently available.

Underserved Producers: ERP 2022 also extends a hand to underserved producers. Those producers can receive a full refund of crop insurance premiums and fees, which will be added to their calculated payment for Track 2.

Additionally, underserved producers will benefit from a 15% increase in their calculated payment. To qualify as an underserved producer, you need to have certified your status on the Commodity Credit Corporation form CCC860. This special provision ensures that those who need assistance the most are given extra support.

Additional Resources: In our commitment to ensuring you have the most up to date information, Farmers.gov has created a dedicated web page for ERP 2022. This resource hub provides a treasure trove of valuable materials. For those looking to dive deeper into the program, we invite you to explore the publicfacing ERP 2022 website. You can find an abundance of resources that will help you navigate the program effectively. For more information, visit Farmers.gov

Contact: If questions or concerns arise, it’s essential to know who to turn to. Our NJ FSA team is here to answer questions or to assist with the application process. You can call or stop into your local FSA service center and speak with our team.

In conclusion, ERP 2022 stands as a critical lifeline for our farmers.

With the introduction of two tracks, an expanded list of qualifying disasters, and dedicated support for underserved producers, the program has become more comprehensive and accessible than ever before.

It is a testament to the USDA’s commitment to serving the farming community. We understand that some aspects of the program might appear intricate, but I assure you there is no need to worry. Our team is here to guide you through every step.

Editor’s Note: Bob Andrzejczak is the State Executive Director of the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) in New Jersey. He can also be reached at 609587-0104 during regular business hours. For more information, please visit https://www.fsa.usda.gov/ state-offices/New-Jersey/ sed-biography/index

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December 2023 5

6 December 2023

RUTGERS NJAES/RCE

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From the Director’s Desk

Rutgers Outreach Landscape Plants:

Provided by Brian Schilling Director

Identification, Selection, and Application January 5 - March 15, 2024 | 8:30am – 12:00pm | Fridays Early Bird Fee — $895 | New Brunswick, NJ Join us for 11 Friday morning class sessions and become skilled in identifying plants on your managed properties. Learn how to choose the perfect plant for each site and enjoy hands-on plant ID walks!

Plant Species Covered in this Course Over the 11 sessions of this class, you will become familiar with over 200 plant species including: Shade Trees Fir, Cedar, Spruce and Pine Trees Ornamental Small Trees Lesser Conifers Deciduous Conifers

Broadleaf Evergreens Rhododendron and Their Kin Deciduous Shrubs and Vines Groundcovers Rariflora

*Don't delay; the early bird discount ends December 29, 2023.

Register early to save $55!

Rutgers Cooperative Extension Phone Directory Atlantic County Phone: 609-625-0056 Bergen County Phone: 201-336-6780 Burlington County Phone: 609-265-5050 Camden County Phone: 856 216 7130 Cape May County Phone: 609-465-5115 Cumberland County Phone: 856-451-2800 Essex County Phone: 973-228-2210 Gloucester County Phone: 856-224-8040 Hudson County Phone: 201-915-1399 Hunterdon County Phone: 908-788-1339 Mercer County Phone: 609-989-6830



Learn More and Register Today! go.rutgers.edu/plant

Middlesex County Phone: 732-398-5260 Monmouth County Phone: 732-431-7260 Morris County Phone: 973-285-8300 Ocean County Phone:732-349-1246 Passaic County Phone: 973-305-5740 Salem County Phone: 856-769-0090 Somerset County Phone: 908-526-6293 Sussex County Phone: 973-948-3040 Union County Phone: 908-654-9854 Warren County Phone: 908-475-6505

Rutgers Environmental Stewards 2024 Program Registration is Open

Rutgers Cooperative Extension (RCE) has a wide range of volunteer programs whose common goal is to disseminate science-based information to the public. You may have heard about the Rutgers Master Gardeners and Rutgers New Jersey 4-H programs, as they are among the most established and widely known RCE volunteer programs.

Perhaps less well known is the Rutgers Environmental Stewards program, which teaches participants about the impacts of climate change and the important environmental issues affecting New Jersey. In turn, participants use what they learn from the program to help solve environmental problems in their own communities.

In the next century, New Jersey’s climate is predicted to change dramatically as the northeast is warming faster than other regions of the country. These changes threaten coastal communities, infrastructure, vital ecosystems, biodiversity, wildlife, agriculture, public health, and the economy.

Amid New Jersey’s dense population and urban landscapes, there remain vital natural resources to protect. It is an ecologically diverse state with the highlands, ridge, and valley section to the north, and the piedmont and coastal plain to the south. These different regions provide an incredible variety of habitats and native species, including 2,000 native plants, 62 land mammals, 85 freshwater fish, 480 birds, and 151 butterflies. More than 800 native plants are listed as endangered or a species of concern due to invasive species, habitat loss, and other factors.

New Jersey’s municipal land use law enables its 564 municipalities to plan and zone for development in their towns. The local zoning officer and the volunteer planning and zoning board members are responsible for interpreting the town’s master plan and ordinances.

An important part of that process involves an informed and active

citizenry participating in the municipal decisions that relate to protecting the land, air, water, and ecological integrity of our state.

The Rutgers Environmental Stewards program helps residents to play such a role, as it fosters a network of volunteers and professionals who understand NJ’s ecology, land use principles, environmental regulations, and the mechanisms driving global and regional climate change. In addition to working with RCE to extend its research and outreach capacity, Environmental Stewards give back to their own communities and protect their local environment.

Starting each January, stewards attend weekly online classes on topics taught by researchers from Rutgers, the government, and the non-profit sector. The class runs for 17 weeks, with mostly online sessions and a few in-person meetings. This statewide program is divided into five geographic regions from which the class is administered, and participants from all counties are welcome. After each 2-hour lecture, classes break out into regions to meet with their coordinators for further discussion and activities. Each region holds several in-person classes, enabling participants to experience and address local issues. Optional field trips are offered to environmentallysignificant locations in New Jersey. While the classes, field trips, and individual projects do not replace a science degree, the program provides stewards with a solid foundation of knowledge and confidence when presented with real-world environmental problems.

After successfully completing the course, participants can complete a 60-hour community-based volunteer project of their choosing in order to become a Certified Environmental Steward. These projects enable stewards to get hands-on experience working to solve environmental problems in their communities.

Since 2005, the program has trained more than 1,200 volunteers.

Steward volunteers have completed 263 projects with over 50 partnership organizations including many helping to reduce the impact of climate change; engaged in 17,605 hours of environmental service across the state; contributed $595,739 in conservation value and impact to partnership projects; and enhanced or created 128 habitat sites through natural resource activities.

In 2023, approximately 40 participants earned Environmental Steward certification following the completion of individual projects, three of which are highlighted here: Bridgette Byrd from Roselle who worked on food waste reduction in Essex County schools and started the “Conscious Consumption Challenge”, a program that engages students in learning about sustainable practices and promotes positive behaviors in the cafeteria environment. Sudha Radhakrishnan from Monroe worked on educating the public about recycling non-mandated materials. She created a process to partner with companies like NexTrex, RecycleBalls.Org, and Second Chance Toys Partnership to collect 1,343 pounds of plastic film, 342 tennis balls, and 50 used plastic toys in her community. Christine Black from Browns Mills removed invasive plants and helped create 550 square feet of new pollinator habitat along Mirror Lake in Pemberton Township.

Stewards are typically excited about science and the natural world around them, want to engage with their local policy makers, and do their part to make a difference.

Many go on to become members of their local environmental commissions, green teams, and planning boards. Registration for the 2024 Rutgers Environmental Stewards program is currently available at https://envirostewards. rutgers.edu/.

Editor’s Note: This article was written by Michele Bakacs, Rutgers Cooperative Extension agent of Union County.

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RUTGERS NJAES/RCE

December 2023 7

LAND-GRANT UNIVERSITY NEWS NJAES Contributes to Sustainability by Harvesting Cranberries Cranberries are a staple on any Thanksgiving table, and in light of the ongoing climate crisis, NJAES is developing new harvesting techniques to ensure they stay there.

The Philip E. Marucci Center for Blueberry and Cranberry Research and Extension in Chatsworth, New Jersey, a substation of the NJAES, is working to ensure the harvesting of high-quality cranberries using applied research, minimizing pesticide use, studying the health benefits of phytochemicals, and investigating diseases that affect these crops. In terms of sustainability, the Marucci Center is working to find alternative solutions for pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides, resulting in increased breeding performance and keeping cranberries on your table this fall.

Chatsworth, where the cranberries are grown, is located in the Pine Barrens, which is known for its sandy soil. Because of the unique conditions of the soil, farmers have to be cautious of their growing practices, especially because cranberries and blueberries are two of the few crops that can be grown in the Pine Barrens.

According to Dr. Gina Sideli, an assistant professor at Rutgers who specializes in blueberry and cranberry breeding, a main focus of the breeding program is to release cultivars, or “varieties,” that will be more adaptable to the changing climate. She says that introducing these varieties may shift the bloom or harvest of the cranberries to earlier in the season to avoid “fruit rot,” or fungal growth that occurs as a result of mature berries basking in the extreme summer heat.

Sideli also mentions that creating new cultivars will increase the economic sustainability for Rutgers and the farmers, as they are able to buy and sell the new varieties.

One of Sideli’s research focus for the program is introducing phenomics, which is a large-scale phenotyping using computer vision technology in the field to collect data. This makes it possible for the team to analyze the images all at once and, in turn, evaluate more seedlings, increasing the efficiency of cranberry harvesting and research. She’s also using genomic sequence data to help understand the underlying genetics of cranberries in order to help make better selection decisions.

Changing the growing and sustainability practices of cranberries is especially important due to the fruit’s health benefits. A chemical compound found in cranberries called proanthocyanidins is essential for maintaining urinary health, and NJAES is focusing on increasing these compounds.

The article was written by OPOC intern Emily Ranieri.

Remembering Jim “Doc” Applegate (AG’64), Beloved Professor of Wildlife Ecology at Rutgers Jim “Doc” Applegate, beloved professor of wildlife ecology at Rutgers, passed away on October 28.

Jim’s connection to Rutgers spans more than four decades. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1964 from the College of Agriculture. He went on to study avian malaria, earning master’s and doctoral degrees from Pennsylvania State University in 1968. After graduation, he continued his research on malaria for the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War at the Bethesda Naval Medical Research Institute.

In 1971, Jim returned to Rutgers, joining the faculty at the College of Agriculture and Environmental Science. He remained a beloved part of the Cook Campus community until his retirement in 2003 as a professor of wildlife ecology in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources.

Jim served as curriculum coordinator in the department. In 1997, he spearheaded the development of a college-wide course, “Perspectives on Agriculture and the Environment,” and coordinated 30 faculty members in teaching more than 700 first-year Cook College students.

Jim, fondly known as “Doc” to his students, founded the student and the New Jersey state chapters of The Wildlife Society, actively serving throughout his career in volunteer leadership positions at the state, regional, and national levels of this professional organization. He made groundbreaking contributions to the human dimensions of wildlife management and his research paved the way for what is now a critical aspect of the profession.

He was a charter member of the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Endangered and Nongame Species Advisory Committee, serving for nearly 50 years. He received numerous awards over the course of a distinguished career in natural resource education matched only by his commitment to excellence in teaching.

Doc influenced the careers of hundreds of wildlife students, many of whom have also gone on to be leaders in state and national conservation policy.

A celebration of Jim’s life is being planned by his family for summer 2024.

Porous Asphalt & Stormwater Tree Trench Project for Halsted Middle School – A Great Success!

A porous asphalt and stormwater tree trench project was installed at Halsted Middle School in Newton, NJ in August. The project was funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and organized in collaboration with the Sussex County Municipal Utilities Authority and the Wallkill River Watershed Management Group.

The porous asphalt allows water from the parking lot to be captured and filtered, improving water quality as well as reducing downstream flooding in the Paulins Kill River.

The stormwater tree trench is specially designed with structural soils to provide a quality rooting zone for the trees. Many trees are planted in compacted urban soils which severely limit the lifespan of the trees and their overall health, so it is important for the trees to grow in loose soils.

Structural soil can have pervious pavement installed over it without getting compacted while also providing storage for stormwater runoff from the playground area. This allows the trees to capture stormwater runoff from the

playground while still allowing a safe walkable surface.

The project is expected to provide numerous benefits such as improved stormwater management, enhanced air quality, and some much needed shade in the playground. These projects will help expand on the school’s existing rain garden and porous pavement to help create a more sustainable campus filled with educational opportunities for students!

Learn more at www.water.rutgers.edu

8 December 2023

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December 2023 9

In the Chef’s Corner

By Andy Lagana Chef

Italian Christmas Roast Goose

Happy holiday season Gardener News readers. For this month, I would like to share my recipe for Italian Christmas Roast Goose, cooked how my extended family prepares it in Reggio Calabria. Geographically, this region is located on the “toe” of the Italian Peninsula and separated from the island of Sicily by the Strait of Messina.

The ingredients needed are a 4-5.5kg (12lbs) fresh goose, four lemons, three limes, 1 tsp. Chinese fivespice powder, a small handful each of parsley sprigs, thyme and sage - plus extra for garnishing, a little olive oil for browning (optional), 3 tbsp. clear honey and 1 tbsp. thyme leaves.

To start, if the goose is ready-trussed, then loosen the string and pull out the legs and wings a little – this helps the bird cook better.

Check the inside of the bird and remove any giblets or pads of fat. Using the tip of a sharp knife, lightly score the breast and leg skin in a crisscross. This helps the fat to render down more quickly during roasting.

Next, grate the zest from four lemons and three limes.

Mix with 2 tsp. fine sea salt, 1 tsp. Chinese five-spice powder and pepper, to taste.

Season the cavity of the goose generously with salt, then rub the citrus mix well into the skin and sprinkle some inside the cavity. Then, stuff the zested fruit and a small handful of parsley, thyme and sage sprigs inside the bird and set aside for at least 15 minutes. This can be

done up to a day ahead and kept refrigerated.

Heat oven to 450f/fan 425f/gas 9. If you want to give the bird a nice golden skin, brown in a large frying pan (or a heavy-based roasting tin), using a couple tbsps. of olive oil. Holding the bird by the legs (you may want to use an oven glove for this), press it down on the breasts to brown. Once browned, place the bird in the roasting tin. Drizzle with 3 tbsps. clear honey and sprinkle with 1 tbsp. thyme leaves.

Roast for the calculated time, turning the heat down after 10 minutes to 375f/fan 350f/gas 5. Cover the goose with foil if it is starting to brown too much. Every 30 minutes or so, baste the bird with the pan juices, then pour off the fat through a sieve into a large heatproof bowl. You will end up with at least a liter of luscious fat – save this for the sides.

At the end of the cooking time, leave the goose to rest for at least 30 minutes, covered loosely with foil.

The bird will not go cold, but will be moist and much easier to carve. Cook for 10 minutes at 450f/fan 425f/gas 9, then reduce to 375f/fan 330f/gas 5 and cook for 20 minutes per kg for mediumrare, 32 minutes per kg for more well-done, plus 30 minutes resting time.

For your pasta accompaniment, you can choose a homemade pasta, ravioli, manicotti or cannelloni. I personally love manicotti, which is both satisfying and pairs well

with the goose. I use a recipe with four cheeses that is unbeatable. Ricotta cheese is a must for manicotti (cottage cheese can be used as a substitute, only in a pinch).

Cream cheese ensures that the filling is creamy and not grainy. Parmigiano and mozzarella cheese round it all out, along with the best combination of herbs and some garlic for enhanced flavor. Finally, whisked eggs bind the filling nicely and add more body and substance to it.

I also recommend serving an antipasto with fresh baked bread. My antipasto platter includes Genoa salami, mortadella, prosciutto and pepperoni for the meats, provolone and Romano Pecorino for the cheeses, plus olives, figs, mushrooms and red peppers. There are many ways to prepare this dish, but most importantly, the quality of your ingredients is key. Your holiday meal will be nicely rounded out with a fine eggplant parmigiana, fried calamari, broccoli rabe and stuffed artichokes. I am getting hungry just thinking about this feast.

With regard to wine pairings, goose has a stronger flavor than most turkeys and has a higher fat content. My preference is a Barolo or Barbaresco, as both of these reds have a structure and acidity to cope well with the rich flavor of the meat. They are also impressive special occasion wines, which is what you look for during the Christmas holiday. Alla tavola e buon appetito!

Editor’s Note: Andy Lagana is a Chef at Crystal Springs Resort in Hamburg, Sussex County, N.J. For more information on its culinary program, visit www.CSResort.com.

USDA Nutrition Incentives Improve Access to Healthy Food The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced an investment of more than $52 million to improve dietary health and access to fresh fruits and vegetables for eligible families.

The funds support efforts across three National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) competitive grant programs that make up the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP). The program is named in honor of the former USDA Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services (1997 to 2001).

“USDA is delivering on its promise to bolster food and nutrition security for underserved communities,” said USDA Chief Scientist and Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young.

“Investments like this enable people to afford and eat healthy fresh fruits and vegetables so they don’t have to make a choice between healthy eating and cheaper less healthier options.”

GusNIP’s three grant programs include Nutrition Incentive, Produce Prescription and the Nutrition Incentive Program Training, Technical Assistance, Evaluation and Information (NTAE) Center. By bringing together stakeholders from various parts of the food and health care systems, GusNIP projects help foster understanding to improve the health and nutritional status of participating households, facilitate growth in underrepresented communities and geographies, and aggregate data to identify and improve best practices on a broad scale.

“GusNIP has provided over $270 million in funding to nearly 200 projects throughout the U.S. since its 2019 launch and participants are consistently reporting increased fruit and vegetable intake as a result,” said NIFA Director Dr. Manjit Misra. “This latest round of funding only strengthens the impacts these programs are having nationwide.”

Nineteen awardees are receiving GusNIP Nutrition Incentive (NI) funding totaling $41.8 million. NI projects increase the purchase of fruits and vegetables by providing incentives at the point of purchase among income-eligible households participating in the USDA Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Produce Prescription awards account for $5.2 million to 11 awardees. These projects demonstrate and evaluate the impact of fresh fruit and vegetable prescriptions. The goals of the program are to increase procurement and consumption of fruits and vegetables, reduce individual and household food insecurity and reduce health care use and associated costs.

One awardee is receiving $7 million through the NTAE Center program. NTAE projects offer training, technical assistance, evaluation and informational support services.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate-smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and cleanenergy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.

10 December 2023 The rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd had a hit in the 1970’s when they sang “Oo-oo that smell.” This hit comes to mind when discussing skunks and other critters who can do major damage to your lawn.

Skunks are nocturnal, meaning active at night, therefore we do not see them often, but if startled, they may spray you. In late summer and fall, skunks are most active, looking for food sources and damaging your property. What can you do to deter skunks?

Read on…

Recently, I spoke with a homeowner who had re-seeded their yard this fall. He noticed a few days later large patches of grass and dirt torn up. He did everything right, aerating and slice-seeding his whole yard.

First he thought it was grubs in the soil, but no grubs were present. Next, he assumed it was earthworms, and that seemed to be the cause.

Skunks digging in your yard make small, 3-4 inch conedshaped holes in the grass.

They are mainly looking for grubs or earthworms in the soil. Usually, you have a grub problem if skunks appear.

GardenerNews.com Turf ‘s Up

By Todd Pretz Professional Turf Consultant

Oo-oo that smell?

If you see a sign of skunks digging, dig up the area to identify if grubs are present.

Apply an insecticide labeled for grubs. As far as earthworms, there are no pesticides labelled to kill earthworms since they are considered beneficial to Mother Earth. Raccoons can also cause damage when looking for food. If you have any wildlife nests or chickens nearby, they will go after eggs too. You may also see skunk scat in the area. It looks similar to cat scat. If you have a security system with motion sensitive cameras, you can see if critters are showing up at night.

There are a number of humane ways to get skunks out of your yard; some are

more difficult than others.

You can trap them and move them to a natural area miles away but be careful not to get sprayed! If you find the skunk’s home, you can fill the skunk hole with soil, leaves, or straw. Come back the next day and see if the skunk has cleared the debris. Otherwise, try filling it with gravel or dirt; again, take caution that the skunk is not present. Perhaps your best option is a licensed pest control exterminator or maybe your town can help remove these critters.

Many remedies have been tried over the years; a combination of these methods listed here might work.

Spreading “used” cat litter or hanging rags soaked in

ammonia or vinegar can be effective. You can spread fresh orange or lemon peels around your yard or try a mixture of castor oil and dish soap and spray it around your yard boundaries. Others say try original scent Pine-Sol, moth balls, Epsom salts, coffee grounds, or cayenne pepper.

Or, spray vegetable oil around the yard near their home if you can find it. They do not like to get their coats oily. Some suggest coyote urine which is available at many stores in areas with large deer and other wildlife populations. Some repellents for wildlife are available in granular and liquid forms for skunks, rabbits, snakes, deer, and moles. How about this one, do you have

motion sensitive lights and/or sprinklers which come on and might scare them away?

How do you repair skunk damage? Just like regular seeding, preparation is the key to success. Aerate if the ground is hard and rake up dead grass and debris to expose the soil for the best seed-tosoil contact. Apply grass seed and a seed starting fertilizer to establish grass quicker. Water regularly if you can to hasten seed growth. Until you get rid of the skunks, re-seeding may be an ongoing reality.

Turn up the volume on Lynyrd Skynyrd and rock on.

I would like to wish everyone a happy holiday season. Bake some extra cookies and light a few candles and grab a cup of cheer. Spend some time with family and friends and watch some football too.

Editor’s Note: Todd Pretz is Vice President of Jonathan Green, a leading supplier of lawn and garden products in the northeast. For more information, please visit: www.jonathangreen.com

A Slow Growing, Scraggly, Shrub?

By Hubert Ling Hybrids from the English yew and the Japanese yew such as ‘Hicks’ grow fast and form neat compact evergreen hedges up to ten feet tall. So why grow a slow growing, scraggly, shrub just because it is native?

Maybe you should grow our NJ native American yew Taxus canadensis because it is the most shade and cold tolerant evergreen shrub available. You could also grow it because it is listed as S1 (critically imperiled) in NJ, and you would be one of the very few people in NJ to have it grace your yard.

You might also grow American yew out of gratitude if you have successfully been treated with Taxol®™ (generically known as paclitaxel) for the treatment of advanced ovarian, bladder, breast, colorectal, head and neck, and lung cancers. For

many of these patients, Taxol was the treatment of last resort.

Paclitaxel can be used to make a good case for plant conservation. In a widereaching study of 30,000 natural products by the USDA and NIC, this famous anti-cancer agent was first discovered in the Pacific yew which is a relatively uncommon shrub. If this uncommon shrub had gone extinct, we would have never found this very valuable drug. However, usable concentrations of this drug were only available in the tree bark and harvesting bark kills the tree.

Alternate sources of the drug were sought, and it was discovered that paclitaxel is also available in the bark and foliage of the Chinese and American yews. These two plants became major sources for the rapidly increasing demand for paclitaxel. With increased demand and the difficulty of extracting small

concentrations of paclitaxel from yews, attempts were made to synthesize the compound. These attempts succeeded but the process is very laborious, and the yields are small. Additional attempts to obtain commercial quantities of paclitaxel were carried out using yew tissue culture in the laboratory, but these also were not economically viable.

Recent studies using fermentation tanks with genetically modified fungi have yielded a very promising 1.6 g/L of paclitaxel; thus, this method may become the cheapest source of large quantities of the drug, which currently costs about ten times the price of gold.

American yew is relative common in parts of Canada and New England; it ranges south to VA and TN. In NJ it is only rarely seen in four northern counties. However, it is one of the few plants which will flourish in the dense shade of mature hemlocks.

It generally grows in shady, cool, well drained, slightly acid soil but is also found in boggy areas along with white cedar. If the tree canopy is removed, the yews will dieoff too.

In contrast with the English yew, which is a very longlived small tree, American yew only forms a slow growing shrub 3-5 feet tall, and these shrubs only live for several years. However, young branches root when they touch the ground so a long-living, low growing clone persists for many years.

Male and female cones of American yew are found on the same plant but can also occur on separate plants. Both cones are about 1/8 inch long.

For people, cats, cattle, dogs, and horses, all parts of yew are toxic except for the red pulp surrounding the toxic seed. Children have become seriously ill by consuming the fruit and deaths have occurred, but cedar waxwings, robins, and starlings can consume the

fruits freely. Yew foliage is the favorite of moose, rabbits, and deer but yews may be killed by over browsing. Isle Royale in Michigan was once covered with yew. However, with the introduction of moose, yew has become rare.

If there is a year with little snow cover, over browsing is very likely to occur. Because they are evergreen, yews provide year-round cover for birds and small animals.

Although Native Americans had numerous medicinal uses for American yew, since the plant is really toxic, experimenting with yew as a treatment for any ills is a really bad idea.

Plant American yew if you keep its limitations in mind; it is a truly unique plant.

Editor’s Note: Hubert Ling is Horticultural Co-Chair of the Native Plant Society of New Jersey. He can be reached at milhubling@ verizon.net.

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December 2023 11

12 December 2023

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December 2023 13

14 December 2023

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Poinsettias are the Festive Superstars of the Holidays (Continued from page 1)

Capital Poison Center, in most cases, exposure to any parts of the poinsettia plant in children or pets has very little if any effect.

In a 1995 poll funded by the Society of American Florists, 66 percent of the respondents held the false impression that poinsettia plants are toxic if eaten. Research at Ohio State University in 1971 showed that rats fed unusually high doses of poinsettia plant parts were not adversely affected.

The POISINDEX® Information Service, the primary resource used by most poison control centers, states that a 50-pound child would have to eat more than 500 poinsettia bracts to surpass experimental doses. Based on the rodent tests, accepted by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the commission denied a 1975 petition filed by a New York citizen demanding that poinsettia plants carry caution labels that indicate they are poisonous.

Let’s start off with a little poinsettia history.

The plant was first discovered in Mexico and brought into the United States by the first minister to Mexico, Dr. Joel Poinsett. Poinsettias are in the Euphorbia family.

December 12 was considered National Poinsettia Day to honor the day of Poinsett’s death in 1851. In 2002, an Act of Congress made it official.

Poinsettias range from creamy white to pink to the traditional bright red.

Some varieties have bracts with patterns in red and white, pink and white, or green and white and even bright orange.

Flower forms vary as well, with some looking similar to a rose. You will also find unusually colored poinsettias such as blue or purple in garden centers. These are cream-colored varieties that are spray (Cont. on Page 22)

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December 2023 15 Tree Notes

By Bert Kuhn NJ Licensed Tree Expert (LTE) Licensed Tree Care Operator (LTCO)

Confronting Tree Damage from Insects and Disease

Throughout my career in the tree industry, I’ve seen changes in techniques, equipment, and methods to meet new and old challenges more effectively, and with greater efficiency and safety. Environmental changes continually display the dynamic nature of our planet, undoubtedly accelerated through human activity.

Global trade is a significant factor as our world grows more connected. Plants, pests, and diseases certainly have been affected by these changes.

Examples of these disease and insect problems are Dutch Elm Disease, Chestnut Blight, Spongy Moth (formerly called Gypsy Moth), Hemlock Wooly Adelgid, Bacterial Leaf Scorch, and Emerald Ash Borer.

Another emerging epidemic is occurring with Beech Leaf Disease, which is devastating our native Beech trees. Much of my career in arboriculture has been spent dealing with the effects of these diseases and pests.

There is some good news.

The American Chestnut Foundation, whose mission is to return the iconic American Chestnut tree to its native range, has been at work for decades to bring back this majestic and environmentally productive tree. Its overall goal is to restore entire forest ecosystems. The American Chestnut Foundation hopes to create a template for the restoration of other trees and plant species threatened by non-native pests and diseases.

The American Elm, devastated by Dutch Elm Disease has been bred with various other species of Elm to provide disease resistance while respecting the form

grandeur of our American Elm. This was done by favoring a tighter vascular network within the tree so once infected, the fungus could not successfully spread through the tree. The USDA had a breeding program using only American Elms with tight vascular systems that yielded the disease resistant ‘Valley Forge’ and ‘New Harmony’ cultivars.

Another breeding program all New Jerseyans should be aware of is the Rutgers Hybrid Dogwood series.

At the time, our beloved Flowering Dogwoods were being weakened by dogwood anthracnose and powdery mildew. Dr. Elwin Orton crossed our native flowering Dogwood with disease resistant dogwoods from Asia and the Pacific Northwest. This breeding program produced a series of over a dozen disease-resistant dogwoods that could tolerate more sun and produced larger ‘flowers’ (they’re actually modified leaf-bracts). Elwin Orton was also responsible for the most comprehensive American Holly breeding program ever.

Great job Rutgers Research Team!

As for the Hemlocks, which have been ravaged by infestations of Hemlock Wooly Adelgids, biological controls of introducing predatory insects show some promise. Initially, we were told adelgids would only impact hemlocks in the landscape, but they have moved into the forests and sadly, are affecting them now too.

The Spongy Moth (historically called the gypsy moth) is a voracious leaf chewing caterpillar. Although

healthy trees can usually tolerate outbreaks of this pest, stressed trees usually cannot. Repeated infestations can also cause healthy trees to lose their vigor.

Thankfully, their populations tend to collapse after two to four years, primarily due to naturally occurring autoimmune diseases.

The origin of these devastating diseases and insects is usually overseas and spread by global trade. When introduced into a new environment, these plant problems can run rampant due to the absence of natural controls found in their native environments. We will continue to be challenged to devise and employ strategies which protect our plants and their ecosystems. From an arborist’s perspective, I pray and hope the Beech Trees are not next!

Sometimes arborists feel like we’re going from one fire to the next. Sadly, we also have abiotic events to contend with. In August of 2011, we experienced major tree loss due to Hurricane Irene, then Super-storm Sandy, followed by a freakish eighteen-inch snowstorm on Halloween of 2012. Adding this storm damage into the equation makes it easy to understand why the tree care industry continues to expand.

Does all this spell gloom and doom? Not necessarily. Will challenges continue to arise?

Most certainly. Hope exists in the form of natural corrections along with man’s intervention.

We are fortunate to have a community of arborists in New Jersey who are the cream of the crop. NJ has the best trained, most qualified arborists in the nation!

Editor’s Note: Bert Kuhn is President of the New Jersey Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture and CO/Owner of Action Tree Service (# NJTC768009), based out of Watchung, NJ. He can be reached at 908-756-4100

Do Adult Cicadas Actually Feed on Anything?

By USDA ARS Every so often, cicadas emerge above ground and blanket the earth with their exoskeletons while emitting a highpitched chirp from sunrise to sunset. The periodical cicadas in the genus Magicicada come every 13 or 17 years, though other types of cicadas emerge much more frequently in our neighborhoods. A long-standing agricultural query related to the periodical cicadas was recently answered by an Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) research team at West Virginia’s Appalachian Fruit Research Station. Simply: once periodical cicadas emerge, do they actually feed on vegetation?

Magicicada pose a threat to U.S. agriculture due to their ability to damage orchard trees when they lay their eggs on tree branches. Many growers and nurseries take this into consideration and refrain from planting new trees in years when periodical cicadas emerge, as their eggs can kill young trees.

ARS researchers investigated the best way to solve this agricultural challenge, by reviewing the life history, reproductive biology, and evolutionary relationships of cicadas over the past 150 years. But many have often disagreed about whether, or how much, the adults feed. This is because the needle-like mouthparts of cicadas do not leave much evidence of any feeding, unlike chewing insects, and their digestive tracts that are notoriously difficult to dissect. USDA-ARS researchers studied adult male and female Magicicada during the 2021 emergence of Brood X in Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia as the insect moved through apple orchards and wooded public parks and residential properties.

The findings disrupted the age-old popular myth of adult periodical cicadas not feeding. Scientists found mainly woody plant and Malus, or apple tree DNA, in adult cicada guts and found that 54 percent of those cicadas contained DNA from multiple plant species.

While this strongly implies that adult Magicicada feed on plant sap, it was necessary to show that the recovered plant DNA were not just leftovers from meals eaten during the nymph stage.

“We tested teneral adults, or brand new adult Magicicada that had not had a chance to feed yet, to check for any leftover plant DNA,” said USDA-ARS research team leader James Hepler. “We couldn’t find any plant DNA in the guts of teneral adults, so we can be reasonably sure that the DNA found in mature adult Magicicada was eaten during the adult stage, since no DNA carries over from the nymph stage.”

Cicadas appear to have highly permeable exoskeletons that permit considerable water loss and allow water to evaporate out of the insect a little easier than many other insects. Also, the presence of essential amino-acid- producing endosymbionts in the gut tissues of adult Magicicada imply that despite the water loss, some nutrition is being derived as they feed on plant species.

USDA-ARS will continue to examine the life cycle of Brood X and solve agricultural challenges directly related to their life span above ground. More studies will also be conducted to look at the impact that adult Magicicada contribute to tree physiology.

The Agricultural Research Service is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s chief scientific in-house research agency.

Daily, ARS focuses on solutions to agricultural problems affecting America. Each dollar invested in U.S. agricultural research results in $20 of economic impact.

16 December 2023 Now that the 2023 growing season is almost finished and some cold weather is finally here, it is time to finish our tasks for this year and then start to prepare for the 2024 growing season. We want to finish 2023 strong, so that it springboards us into a good start for 2024.

First of all, and this might seem obvious, it is time to put everything away. A few months of rain, snow and freezing and thawing never did any good for any piece of equipment. It might be warmer than it used to be, but we are still not in Florida.

Get whatever you can under cover so that it is protected for the winter. Another advantage to this is that just the physical act of moving a truck, tractor or piece of equipment might jog your memory a little bit. For example, you might remember that the last time that you used a certain mower that blades were not that sharp, etc… These service and repair tasks can then be noted and tackled later on in the winter.

There is something to be said for just having everything in one place. I can remember my father relating a story to me about a certain hay farmer What a glorious day we had at the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association (NJLCA) 23rd Annual Golf Challenge at Wild Turkey (at Crystal Springs Golf Resort). The weather was perfect, and the course was spectacular! A record-breaking year, we had over 140 registered golfers for this year’s outing. A portion of the proceeds of the event go to scholarships for members and their families and other students in a green or outdoor living industry-related field.

I have to give a shout out to the winners of our event!

1st Place Team: Kodiak Landscape Design - Bob Pedatella, Joe Pedatella, Bill Vanderburg, Dave Verthold 2nd Place Team: (Tied for 1st, but lost in the tiebreaker) Green Meadows Landscape - Rich Goldstein, Justin Flatow, Brett Petillo, Greg Petillo Most Honest Team (Highest Gross Score): Sprinkler Guy Irrigation - Eric Muehleisen and Pete Delindia Men’s Longest Drive: Greg Petillo, Green Meadows Landscape Women’s Longest Drive: Rosie Shannon (who also came within 15 feet of winning the $1 million Hole-InOne!), Oakland Marine & Equipment Straightest Drive: Brett Petillo, Green Meadows Landscape Closest to the Pin: Matt Curtis, Borst Landscape & Design Grand Prize: Mike Cornell, MDC Landscaping Following an excellent day on the course, attendees and special guests came back to the Grand Rotunda for an amazing spread of food for lunch

GardenerNews.com The Town Farmer

By Peter Melick Agricultural Producer

Winter Work

in our area. He said that every summer it would take him half a day to find his hay baler. It would still be parked in the last field he used it last season, and of course by this time, the new hay was already waist high, making its discovery that much more difficult. Don’t be that guy!

Another reason to put everything away is so that you don’t find your stuff with the snowplow. It’s funny that you can look at something for months on end, and then you put a couple of feet of snow on the ground, you lose your bearings, and all of a sudden, Bang! Oh, that’s where that was! Plus, it is so much easier to plow snow with a minimal number of obstacles.

An additional post-harvest task that is extremely important is winterizing any and all pipes and equipment. It’s amazing what force water has when it freezes, and it can wreak havoc on all sorts of pumps, fittings, tanks and pipes if these are left undrained. Irrigation lines should be drained or flushed, and any equipment that uses water, such as sprayers and washers, should be drained as well. There is nothing more frustrating than filling a sprayer for the first time in the spring, and then finding out you need to replace a cracked fitting in a hard-to-reach area of the pump. It is also important to fix any leaks in any water lines that will be in use during the winter. What was just a

wet spot during the summer and fall can quickly become a dangerous patch of ice during the winter months.

Rodent control is another task that should be a top priority as we head into winter.

As the weather turns colder, mice and rats will look to set up housekeeping indoors and away from the elements.

Therefore, it is extremely important to protect any seeds, stored grains, or any other food products from these hungry rodents. These varmints tend to have good memories. So, if you have had a problem in a particular location in the past, there is a good chance that mice or rats will target this area again. That is why it is crucial that we stay ahead of

The NJLCA Today

By Gail Woolcott Executive Director

Swinging to Victory and the presentation of the awards! We would like to thank all our golfers and of course our sponsors of the event: Bobcat of North Jersey; Braen Supply; Callahan & Faherty; Cambridge Pavers, Inc.; Chris James Landscaping, Inc.; DiTomaso Landscape Group; Downes Forest Products; Exclusive Stoneworks, LLC; Green Meadows Landscaping, Inc.; Hunter Industries; Kodiak Landscape & Design, Inc.; MBI Gluckshaw; Meadowlands Exposition Center; Middletown Trailer Supply; Mr. C Fence; New Jersey Turfgrass Association; Paige Water Solutions; Plant Detectives; R & J Land Care, LLC; Route 23 AutoMall; Sprinkler Guy Irrigation; Superior Plus Propane; and Terre Company/ Extech.

Finally, I must thank Hionis Greenhouses for the stunning mums they provided for décor at the event and Crystal Springs Golf Resort for always providing top notch service and an unbelievable property!

Next up, the NJLCA will be

hosting its annual Holiday Gala and Landscape Achievement Awards Dinner on December 5th. In sponsoring the awards program, the NJLCA strives to recognize superior landscaping projects and to encourage landscape contractors’ consistent use of quality materials and workmanship.

We also spend this time to recognize those contractors, vendors, members, legislators and more for their dedication to the NJLCA and the outdoor living and green industry. It is the association’s way of thanking those who keep us strong and thriving throughout the years. I look forward to announcing the winners in the January issue of Gardener News!

Finally, I wanted to provide an update on the leaf blower ban situation.

Unfortunately, the group in Montclair that was asking for a stay to keep the townships complete ban of gaspowered leaf blowers and generators to charge batteries was denied.

However, the group of contractors involved are not giving up and are

expecting to move forward with the lawsuit on the grounds that this ban is unconstitutional.

Therefore, NJLCA has embarked on a social media and direct mail campaign to educate other contractors as well as consumers about the pros and cons of gas-powered and batterypowered leaf blowers in municipalities with current or proposed gas-powered leaf blower bans. We are of the mind that many of those who live in these townships are not even aware this is happening in their town, and if they were aware would not support these initiatives. The NJLCA is not against the use of battery-powered equipment when and where appropriate. We ask only that we are permitted to use gas-powered equipment during peak leaf seasons in spring and fall. When the time comes that battery-powered equipment is strong enough and can hold a charge longer, we should review regulations then. We want to work with the municipalities to come up with a compromise that works for all.

this problem.

Now is also the time to start doing some minor service on equipment and vehicles. As a rule, as the weather gets cooler, tires will lose a few pounds of air pressure, so they should all be checked and filled as needed. And as everyone knows, engines are harder to start in cold weather, so it is a good idea to charge or replace any sub-standard batteries.

At the same time, we should also be adding the proper cold weather fuel additives to our fuel tanks. See you in the New Year!

Editor’s Note: Peter Melick is co-owner of Melick’s Town Farm in Oldwick and a 10th-generation New Jersey farmer. Peter is a member of the Tewksbury Township Committee, Hunterdon County, NJ. He also served as a director for the New Jersey Farm Bureau and is a past president of the New Jersey State Board of Agriculture. Peter has also been featured on NJN, News 12 New Jersey and on the Fox Business Network.

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season filled with warmth, the love of your families and the joy of spending time together. See you in 2024!

Editor’s Note: Gail Woolcott is the Executive Director for the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association.

Gail received the New York State Turf & Landscape Association 2022 “Person of the Year” award on December 1, 2022. Gail also received a proclamation from the Westchester County, New York Board of Legislators proclaiming December 1, 2022 as “Gail Woolcott Day” in Westchester County. Gail has also been presented with a community service award from the Borough of Fairview, New Jersey for her assistance in leading the 9-11 Memorial Park project and the Legislative Champion of the Year award from the Federation of Employers and Workers of America. She can be reached at 201-703-3600 or by emailing gwoolcott@ njlca.org.

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December 2023 17

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18 December 2023 At the recent Perennial Plant Conference at Swarthmore College, Owen Worser and Summer Rayne Oakes both advocated for turning lawns into more naturalistic plantings. Wormser outlined the environmental issues with lawns.

Lawns have a massive carbon footprint, producing four times more carbon than they absorb. The American lawn is the largest irrigated crop in the United States, requiring more irrigation than corn or soybeans.

Homeowners use ten times more chemicals per square acre than farmers. These chemicals often poison the soil and cause serious impacts to pollinators and feeding birds.

Converting a lawn to a garden bed, pollinator garden or meadow planting does not have to be a major undertaking. If every homeowner could aspire to convert 10% of their lawn over time, this positive impact on the environment would be monumental. By comparison, a lawn converted to a planting bed is considerably less maintenance.

It requires very little water and no fertilizer, herbicides, fungicides or insecticides. They support habitats for birds, butterflies, bees, moths and a host of other native species.

There are many different design approaches to consider, but a simple rule-of-thumb is to plant 50% grasses and 50% flowering perennials. The grasses might include side oats gramma, Bouteloua curtipendula; switch grass, Panicum virgatum;

GardenerNews.com Pennsylvania Horticultural Society

By Andrew Bunting Vice President of Horticulture

Converting Lawns into Garden Beds prairie dropseed, Sporobolus heterolepis; little bluestem, Schizachyrium scoparium; big bluestem, Andropogon gerardii; and purple love grass, Eragrostis spectabilis.

There are many, many flowering perennials to choose from. The following are great ornamental plants, but also some of the very best of the perennials for pollinators, including anise hyssop, Agastache foeniculum; butterfly milkweed, Asclepias tuberosa; purple coneflower, Echinacea purpurea; pale coneflower, Echinacea pallida; rattlesnake master, Eryngium yuccifolium; beebalm, Monarda didyma; beardtongue, Penstemon digitalis; mountain mint, Pycnanthemum muticum; smooth blue aster, Symphyotrichum laeve; showy goldenrod, Solidago speciosa; and blue sage, Salvia azurea.

While many pollinators are generalists, meaning they can visit many types of pollinator plants, there are a host of specialist bees that need specific plants. Some of these plants include Chrysopsis mariana, Erythronium americanum,

Geranium maculatum, Heliopsis helianthoides, Heuchera americana, and Rudbeckia laciniata.

There are several approaches to take when reducing the lawn on your property. One of the easiest approaches is to simply widen your garden beds. You can expand them to the lawn side of your property. Either new plants can be purchased to add to this new garden bed space, or you might also simply divide your existing perennials to create new plants. Also, a quick assessment of your lawn will undoubtedly highlight many unused parts of your yard. For example, often where pathways converge or where a walkway converges with the driveway there are triangular shaped areas that are simply unusable lawn or recreation spaces. When these areas are converted to garden beds, they also inevitably create great “pockets” of ornamental gardens. This approach can be done over time so as not to make the transformation too burdensome economically or otherwise.

While most of the

aforementioned plants are sun loving, lawn conversion can also occur in parts of the yard that are shady or too wet. In fact, often these areas have difficulty sustaining an attractive lawn in the first place. There are many great ornamental plants that can withstand poorly drained soil, including standing water. A few great shrubs should be considered including the Virginia sweetspire, Itea virginica ‘Henry’s Garnet’; buttonbush, Cephalanthus occidentalis; summersweet, Clethra alnifolia ‘Ruby Spice’ and ‘Hummingbird’; and several selections of winterberry, Ilex verticillata, including ‘Winter Red’, ‘Winter Gold’ and ‘Maryland Beauty’. For good fruit production you will need a male pollinator such as ‘Southern Gentleman’.

There, too, are many outstanding perennials that can withstand moist conditions including, Joe-pye weed, Eutrochium dubium; turtlehead, Chelone glabra; butterfly milkweed, Asclepias incarnata; two cardinal flowers, Lobelia cardinalis and Lobelia

siphilitica; royal fern, Osmunda regalis; sensitive fern, Onoclea sensibilis; and two native iris, Iris prismatica and Iris versicolor.

In addition to creating ornamental beauty and creating ecological habitats on your property, there will be the additional benefit of reduced mowing, which will result in the need to purchase and consume fewer fossil fuels, which will result in less pollution.

Editor’s Note: Andrew Bunting is Vice President of Horticulture for the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. He is one of the most recognized horticulturists in the Philadelphia, Pa., region and a highly regarded colleague in the world of professional horticulture.

Bunting has amassed a plethora of awards, including the American Public Gardens Association Professional Citation, Chanticleer Scholarship in Professional Development, Delaware Center for Horticulture’s Marion Marsh Award, and the Certificate of Merit from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.

In addition, Bunting has lectured extensively throughout North America and Europe, and participated in plant expeditions throughout Asia and Africa. Learn more at https://phsonline.org/team/ andrew-bunting

Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) Announces 2024 PHS Philadelphia Flower Show Theme

United by Flowers is the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s theme for the 2024 PHS Philadelphia Flower Show.

The theme emphasizes the unity that blooms each Spring at the PHS Philadelphia Flower Show – a moment when hundreds of thousands from the region, nation, and the world come together to experience the transformative power, stunning beauty, and joyfulness of gardening.

This year’s theme honors this flower-filled world and all the unique people at the heart of the Flower Show—from trendsetting professional designers to amateur competitors who have been submitting plants for blue ribbons for decades, from fashionistas in floral attire looking for the ultimate selfie, to generations of families and crowds of friends who make it an annual tradition that ushers in the Spring season.

“In a world where loneliness has become an epidemic, the PHS Philadelphia Flower Show brings people together

to connect over their shared love of gardening and floral beauty. It is a place where magic happens, and where people from all walks of life come together as one. This growing community represents the essence of United by Flowers,” said Seth Pearsoll, Vice President and Creative Director of PHS. Now in its 195th year, the award-winning PHS Philadelphia Flower Show is a world-renowned gardening event and PHS’s main fundraiser, known for its stunning visual displays, world-class plant competitions, family activities, artisanal crafts, educational offerings, and curated shopping.

The award-winning PHS Philadelphia Flower Show is the nation’s largest, and the world’s longest-running horticultural event and features stunning displays by some of the world’s premier floral and landscape designers.

Started in 1829 by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, the Show introduces diverse and sustainable plant varieties

and garden and design concepts. In addition to acres of garden displays, the Flower Show hosts world-renowned competitions in horticulture and artistic floral arranging, gardening presentations and demonstrations, and special events.

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS), an internationally recognized nonprofit organization founded in 1827, uses horticulture to advance the health and wellbeing of the Greater Philadelphia region. PHS programs create healthier living environments, increase access to fresh food, expand access to jobs and economic opportunity, and strengthen deeper social connections between people. PHS’s work spans 250 neighborhoods; an expansive network of public gardens and landscapes; year-round learning experiences; and the nation’s signature gardening event, the Philadelphia Flower Show. PHS provides everyone with opportunities to garden for the greater good as a participant, member, donor, or volunteer.

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December 2023 19

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) Hosted Tree Plantings Throughout Philadelphia Region, Volunteers Helped Plant Over 1,700 Trees From November 16 – 19, 2023 the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) and over 90 of its PHS Tree Tenders groups, community organizations, and neighborhood volunteers will come together to plant 1,770 trees throughout the Greater Philadelphia region.

Through this semi-annual initiative, PHS creates and enhances tree canopy in neighborhoods across the Philadelphia region to promote healthier, greener communities.

PHS Tree Tenders is a core component of PHS’s mission to create healthy living environments and build social connections. It is regarded as one of the most robust urban tree planting programs in the nation and considered to be at the forefront of the urban forestry movement. The PHS Tree Tenders training program offers low-cost education in tree planting and ongoing tree care to individuals and volunteer community groups, with its reach extending to all five of Philadelphia’s surrounding counties, as well as the entire state of Pennsylvania.

Today, there are more than 180 active Tree Tender groups in the Greater Philadelphia region, and PHS has trained over 6,000 volunteers who have rallied neighbors to come together to plant and care for trees. Since 1991, PHS Tree Tenders have planted over 30,000 trees in neighborhoods across the Greater Philadelphia region.

Also in November, The Nature Conservancy

December is not known for colorful foliage among deciduous and semideciduous plants.

Understandably, with the hustle of the Holiday Season and the chill of winter about to begin, few gardeners are giving the topic much thought either.

Yet, for those looking for seasonally appropriate garden color, there is a small group of plants suitable for Holiday cheer.

One little known consideration with a great ancestry is x Gordlinia grandiflora, commonly called Mountain Gordlinia or Gordy to its gardening friends! x Gordlinia grandiflora is a member of the Theaceae or Tea Family and as the ‘x’ in front of the genus indicates, it is a cross between two distinct genera. In this case, the cross is between Gordonia lasianthus, the Loblolly Bay and Franklinia alatamaha, the Franklin Tree. The cross was made by Thomas Ranney and Paul Frantz of N.C. State University in August of 2002, resulting in nine seedlings.

The nomenclature of these two plants is highly intertwined and deserving of a little investigation!

Gordonia lasianthus was initially named Hypericum lasianthus by the Swedish botanist Carl

(TNC), in partnership with PHS, released new results and analysis of a federally funded community science study that mapped Philadelphia’s urban heat islands, highlighting the need for trees in the city’s hottest, most heat-vulnerable neighborhoods. The study and analysis — detailed in an interactive ArcGIS StoryMap titled Citywide Heat Ride — involved multiple community groups and city residents who gathered more than 38,000 temperature and humidity measurements across 105 square miles of the city in a single day in July 2022. Temperatures soared as much as 10.5 degrees higher in some areas than others at the same time of day. Findings revealed that areas with more concrete, roads, parking lots, and fewer trees trap heat, making them hotter on average. Tree-dense areas, on the other hand, stayed cooler throughout the day. According to TNC’s analysis, some of the areas of highest need for trees include Kingsessing, Grays Ferry and Hunting Park. Kingsessing has just 14% tree canopy, while Grays Ferry has just 6%.

The analysis highlights how tree planting and care would equitably address extreme heat, public health, and quality of life for Philadelphia neighborhoods.

Studies have also linked increased tree canopy to lower rates of violence and better health outcomes, including reduction in heat-related illness. The US Forest Service estimates that achieving 30% tree canopy would prevent over 400 premature

deaths per year in Philadelphia, including over 200 premature deaths in areas of lower socioeconomic status. However, according to a study conducted in 2018 by The City of Philadelphia and University of Vermont Spatial Analysis Lab, the city’s tree canopy declined by 6% from 2008-2018, averaging only 20% tree canopy, with some Philadelphia neighborhoods having as little as 2.5% tree canopy.

Throughout the year, PHS plants and cares for trees and works towards the goal of a healthier urban forest, especially for neighborhoods with low canopy coverage and high average temperatures.

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS), an internationally recognized nonprofit organization founded in 1827, uses horticulture to advance the health and well-being of the Greater Philadelphia Region. PHS programs create healthier living environments, increase access to fresh food, expand access to jobs and economic opportunity, and strengthen deeper social connections between people. PHS’s work spans 250 neighborhoods; an expansive network of public gardens and landscapes; year-round learning experiences; and the nation’s signature gardening event, the Philadelphia Flower Show. PHS provides everyone with opportunities to garden for the greater good as a participant, member, donor, or volunteer. For information and to support this impactful work, please visit PHSonline.org.

Morris County Park Commission

By Bruce Crawford Horticultural Manager

Very Curious Shrubs!

Linnaeus (1707-1778) in 1753.

It was reclassified and properly named in 1771 by the British naturalist John Ellis (1710-1776).

The inspiration for the name came from James Gordon (1708-1780), an Englishman who Ellis once proclaimed as an ‘eminent and highly respected gardener’. Hardy in zones 7-10, it is a plant I have yet to grow or see.

By contrast, Franklinia is a plant I have grown for over 40 years.

Currently extinct in the wild, it owes its existence to a Quaker farmer named John Bartram (1699-1777).

Bartram lived in the Philadelphia area and developed a strong interest in botanizing native flora. His third son William (1739-1823) shared his father’s botanical interests, and they would often explore together. In October of 1765 they had crossed the Alatamaha River in Georgia,

just up-stream from Darien where they came across a number of small trees which John described as ‘very curious shrubs’ although he failed to provide a name at that time.

William returned to Georgia in 1773 and sought out those ‘curious shrubs’, whereupon he finally named it Gordonia pubescens.

The plants bore a strong similarity to Gordonia, and the pubescent seed capsules inspired the species epithet. Upon returning home in 1777, he planted seed in his father’s home and sent specimens to England. After further study it became evident this plant was a unique genus. John Bartram was a longtime friend of Benjamin Franklin (1705-1790) and in recognition of their friendship, named it in his honor. The species recognizes its origin by the Alatamaha River where they were

last seen in 1790.

Fortunately, Franklinia is easily propagated and unlike Gordonia, Franklinia is very hardy, enduring winters in zones 5-9. The plants typically grow as large, multistemmed shrubs reaching 20-30’ tall by 15-20’ wide. The deep green leaves are oblong, reaching 5-6” in length with radiant red fall color. Blooming from July to October, the 5-petaled flowers are white with a large central boss of bright orange anthers. x Gordlinia embraces the best of both parents! The plants are upright in form, growing 20-30’ tall and 8-15’ wide. The white flowers appear from July into October, reaching upwards of 5” in diameter with a central boss of yellow anthers. The dark glossy green foliage is lanceolate and in NJ is retained well into winter.

Some of the leaves turn brilliant red, providing a most appropriate December display of green and red for the Holiday Season!

Mountain Gordlinia is listed as hardy in zone 7-9, although I have grown it successfully in New Brunswick, NJ for over six years without issue. Best in full sun with protection from winter winds, it appreciates moist yet well-drained soils.

Understandably, Mountain Gordlinia is not a plant that readily comes to mind for the December Garden. It is a plant that I have enjoyed for its ease of culture, combined with beautiful summer and autumn bloom and festive December foliage. Like Franklinia, it too may be a ‘very curious shrub,’ but it is a very deserving addition to your holiday garden celebration.

Happy Holidays!

Editor’s Note: Bruce Crawford is a lover of plants since birth, is the Manager of Horticulture for the Morris County Parks Commission, and a Past President of the Garden State Gardens Consortium. He can be reached at BCrawford@ morrisparks.net

20 December 2023

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NORTHEASTERN ASSOCIATION OF STATE The Northeastern Association of State Departments of Agriculture convenes the following 10 states: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Bill Creating PA Preferred Organic Brand to Spur Consumer Confidence, Feed Continued Growth for PA Farmers Governor Josh Shapiro signed House Bill 157, officially creating a PA Preferred Organic™ brand for PA-grown organic agricultural products. Products bearing the new PA Preferred Organic label will meet both U.S. Department of Agriculture standards for organic production, and the PA Preferred® program’s Opens In A New Window rigorous standards for goods grown in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania’s agriculture sector is a major economic driver in the Commonwealth, contributing 132 billion dollars a year to Pennsylvania’s economy, and the Shapiro Administration is committed to continuing Pennsylvania’s long tradition of agricultural leadership.

Today’s announcement builds on Governor Shapiro’s investments in organic agriculture through the Pennsylvania Farm Bill and the creation of the new Organic Center of Excellence through the 2023-24 budget.

“Products that earn the PA Preferred Organic brand will give consumers confidence they are getting a quality product that meets the high standards they expect,” Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said. “The Shapiro Administration is working with the legislature to help build consumer confidence in locally-grown products, so that Pennsylvania organic farmers continue to grow their businesses’ bottom lines and keep Pennsylvania on top.”

Pennsylvania is third in the nation in organic sales with $1.09 billion annually, a 47% increase in only two years. One of only four states with more than 1,000 certified organic farms, Pennsylvania ranks number one nationally in sales of organic livestock, poultry, and mushrooms.

Transitioning to organic — and staying certified — is an investment for farmers seeking to meet the standards that earn the USDA Certified Organic Opens In A New Window seal on their products. The seal demonstrates to consumers that products are grown and processed according to rigorous, established, scientific management practices that enhance biodiversity and soil health.

Organic farmers and those seeking to become certified organic can find in-depth information about financial and technical assistance available for meeting standards and promoting their products through the PA Preferred Organic Initiative at agriculture.pa.gov.

RECYCLE THE

NEW YORK DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE New York State Department of Agriculture Announces Over $1.2 Million Available for Community Growing and Food Distribution Programs Through Two Grant Programs The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (AGM) and Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) today announced $1.2 million is available as part of New York State’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program’s Nutrition Education and Obesity Prevention (SNAP-Ed) program. Funding is available through the SNAP-Ed Food Box and Community Growers Grants programs, which each provide funding to eligible groups to further expand access to fresh, affordable foods in underserved communities across New York State and support New York’s agricultural industry.

New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “Every New Yorker deserves to eat fresh, healthy food that nourishes their body and helps them feel their best, and one of the top ways we can do that is by expanding the availability of affordable, New York grown food in our communities, These two funding opportunities announced today will help get more healthy, local foods to our underserved communities while supporting New York farmers and our agricultural economy. I’m grateful for our partnership with the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance and their help getting this terrific program off the ground.” he SNAP-Ed Food Box Grant program expands access to nutritious and locally grown produce to communities at reduced rates, while working to connect farmers with new markets and drive growth in New York’s agricultural industry. This statewide grant program encourages participants to make local produce available and accessible to SNAP-eligible/food insecure communities while simultaneously providing nutrition education.

Administered by AGM in partnership with OTDA, the program is federally funded and available to not-for-profits and government entities.

Proposals for projects up to $10,000 are eligible.

Qualifying project proposals will be reviewed and approved in the order of receipt and until funds are exhausted. Project proposals are due by 4:00 pm on December 15, 2023. Applications for funding must be submitted by email to kendall.hough@ agriculture.ny.gov with the Subject: 2023 SNAP-

Ed Food Box Grant Program. Learn more about the program and apply at https://agriculture.ny.gov/ rfa-0309-snap-ed-food-box-grant-program.

The SNAP-Ed Community Growers Grant program supports urban farming and nutrition education. The program provides direct assistance to community-led gardens and not-for-profit farms that work to combat food insecurity in under-resourced areas and help food insecure communities develop an interest and skillset to grow and cook healthy, locally produced food. This initiative recently expanded to serve nutritionally underserved communities across all of New York State.

Administered by AGM in partnership with OTDA, the program is federally funded and available to not-for-profits and government entities.

Proposals for projects up to $50,000 are eligible.

Awards will be made to eligible, qualifying projects in order of receipt and until funding is exhausted.

Applications for funding must be submitted via the Grants Gateway to be considered for funding.

Faxed, mailed, or e-mailed applications will not be accepted. Project proposals are due at 4:00 pm on December 15, 2023. Learn more about the program and apply at https://agriculture.ny.gov/rfa-0308snap-ed-community-growers-grant-program.

Community-led growing spaces are collaborative projects on shared open space that produce healthy and affordable fresh fruits and vegetables for local community consumption.

Gardens offer physical and mental health benefits by providing opportunities to eat healthy fresh fruits and vegetables; engage in physical activity, skill building, and creating green space; beautify vacant lots and revitalize neighborhoods; and create safe spaces and improve social well-being by strengthening local connections.

Most importantly, community growing spaces and nutrition education programs help improve residents’ access to fresh, healthy food and combat food insecurity and hunger. The purpose of these nutrition education activities is to increase fruit and vegetable consumption of low-income SNAP eligible consumers and to reduce their incidence of chronic disease.

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December 2023 21

DEPARTMENTS OF AGRICULTURE NEWS CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

VERMONT DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

CT DoAg Announces Grant Opportunities to Assist Connecticut Agricultural Producers

2023 ‘Fantastic Farmer’ Award Recognizes Hartland Dairy and Cheese Operation

The Connecticut Department of Agriculture (CT DoAg) is accepting grant proposals for the 2024 Farm Transition Grant (FTG) to assist Connecticut farmers and agricultural cooperatives in the diversification of existing operations, transition to value-added agricultural production and sales, and other venues in which a majority of products sold are grown in the state.

Applications are due no later than 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 10, 2024.

“Farm Transition Grant is a funding opportunity designed to assist Connecticut farmers and agricultural cooperatives with a diverse set of interests, backgrounds, and futures,” said Agriculture Commissioner Bryan P. Hurlburt. “These strategic investments into small businesses fosters continued economic viability while leveraging ingenuity and private investments for a more robust agriculture sector in the state.”

Farm Transition Grant is authorized by and funded through C.G.S. Section 22-26k to strengthen the economic viability of Connecticut’s agricultural businesses in times of growth and change. CT DoAg continues to utilize feedback from agricultural producers to implement strategic revisions to the program to meet the needs of farmers. New for the 2024 program year will be a 25% advance of the grant award for Infrastructure Investment Grant, Research and Development Grant, or Innovation and Diversification Grant. The remaining 75% of the award will be reimbursed upon project completion and submission of final reporting documents. New Farmer Micro Grant awardees will continue to be able to request a 50% advance of their award.

Grant guidelines and forms can be found at www.CTGrown.gov/grants with additional details on match requirements and eligible expenses. Applications will be scored by a review panel. Grant awards to be announced in February 2024.

Nestled near a hillside in Hartland, Vermont, sits land that has seen agricultural uses since the 1770’s. Now home to Cedar Mountain Farm and Cobb Hill Cheese, this land continues to support Vermont’s agricultural traditions with an eye toward the future under the watchful leadership and experienced hands of Kerry Gawalt. Emphasizing sustainability, stewardship, education, diversity, value, and heritage since 1999, Gawalt exemplifies all the qualities needed to receive the third annual ‘Fantastic Farmer’ title and a significant award of $5000 from the A. Pizzagalli Family Farm Fund.

While working to restore and maintain a healthy farm system on the centuries old agricultural land in Windsor County, Cedar Mountain Farm and Gawalt manage draft horses, maintain a dairy cow herd of 60 Jerseys, manage 72 acres with 26 varieties of vegetables and herbs on a one-acre plot. Additionally, the property hosts a 1000-tap maple sugaring operation, and supplies milk for Cobb Hill Cheese, an award-winning artisan cheese brand owned and operated by Gawalt and the farm.

“I really love working with cows, caring for the land, and sharing what I know about farming. I have been very lucky to have had some amazing mentors during my life. Farming and nature have been a part of my world since birth,” Gawalt said. “Many people have influenced me and shared their knowledge of animals, farming and cooking over the years. I am fortunate to have the opportunity to work in agriculture and hope to continue to share my love of farming with others.

Vermont has a wealth of agricultural history which I am always learning more about every day.”

The ‘Fantastic Farmer’ title is one of three annual award programs supported by the A.Pizzagalli Family Farm Fund. Including the Vermont Barn Painting Project and the High-Quality Milk Awards, the mission of the Fund is to support farmer efforts to grow their business, cultivate, and deliver their products to the consumer, in a way that respects the heritage, culture, and stewardship that our farmers and farming community strive for every day.

In March, The Vermont Dairy Industry Association (VDIA), announced the 2022 Vermont High-Quality Milk Awards. The awards recognize the dairy farmers who produced Vermont’s best quality milk in 2022. These farmers were recognized at the annual Vermont Dairy Producers Conference, held for the first time in-person since the beginning of the pandemic.

Also this summer, four barns around the state received a fresh coat of paint through the Vermont Barn Painting Project, with two more approved. These barns were painted by their owners, who then received an $8,000 micro-grant from the A. Pizzagalli Family Farm Fund. This program reimburses barn owners for improving and preserving their barns and farm property for future generations and improve their roadside appeal across Vermont, for their local communities, visitors, and tourists.

“The goal of the A. Pizzagalli Family Fund is to support and reward Vermont’s hard working agricultural entrepreneurs, maintain the integrity of barns across the state, and preserve Vermont’s vistas for visitors and Vermonters alike,” said Lisa Pizzagalli. “The Pizzagalli family thanks our farmers for their hard work and looks forward to these programs benefitting more agricultural families in the coming years.” ”We are grateful for all these programs that are helping our farmers. These investments by the Pizzagalli Family are making a difference across Vermont.

These dollars are supporting our hard-working farmers and improving our rural economy. We are fortunate to have these grants,” said Agriculture Secretary Anson Tebbetts.

The Vermont Barn Painting Project, with support from the A. Pizzagalli Family Farm Fund and partners, will continue the program next year and beyond.

To nominate or apply for the 2024 Vermont Fantastic Farmer Award, please visit: https://agriculture.vermont.gov/administration/fantastic-farmer-award. To find out more about the High-Quality Milk Awards, visit: Vermont Dairy Industry Association 2023 Vermont High-Quality Milk Awards. To learn more about the Vermont Barn Painting Project, visit:https://agriculture.vermont.gov/ administration/vermont-barn-painting.

NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Students Benefit From Connection between NJ Farms and Schools As part of the New Jersey Department of Agriculture’s continuing efforts to improve nutritional opportunities for school children, New Jersey Assistant Secretary of Agriculture Joseph Atchison III, announced that a record-high 222 New Jersey schools are participating in the 2023-2024 school year’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP).

The United States Department of Agriculture has allocated $5,930,389 to New Jersey for this school year’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, to provide fresh produce to over 105,000 students in 57 districts throughout 16 counties during the school day. The students also receive nutrition education.

Eighty percent of the 222 schools have agreed to link their FFVP to the Jersey Fresh Farm to School Program. The FFVP program has grown from 33 schools in 2008 to a high of 222 schools for the 2023-2024 school year.

The goal of the program is to introduce children to healthy foods, increase their fruit and vegetable consumption, and encourage improved lifelong dietary habits.

“The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program encourages students to taste new offerings and to develop healthy eating habits that benefit them for a lifetime.” Assistant Secretary Atchison said. “FFVP creates enthusiasm in schools and benefits farmers around the state as New Jersey produce is often featured for their FFVP snack.”

Additional funds have been allocated to schools for connecting their FFVP with the Farm to School Program. The schools must provide Jersey Fresh produce a minimum of 12 days per school year and must verify where the produce was grown.

Some of the criteria used in selecting the schools to participate in FFVP include elementary schools with 50 percent or more of their students eligible for free or reduced-price meals; schools that plan to purchase locally grown fruits and vegetables as much as possible; all students having access to the produce offered; and plans to partner with outside organizations to enhance nutrition education.

Go to https://bit.ly/3Q3ulNe to see which schools are participating in the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program for the 2023-2024 school year.

22 December 2023

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Poinsettias are the Festive Superstars of the Holidays (Continued from page 14)

painted. They are sometimes sprinkled with glitter.

Poinsettias change color in response to shorter winter days. Poinsettia flowers are actually made up of bracts, which look like petals, and tiny yellow flowers in the center, called cyathia.

People also ask me how to best care for them.

I usually place them in a south, east, or west window where the plant will receive bright daylight.

My indoor temperature is usually 65-70 degrees F. This is ideal for poinsettias.

I also avoid placing my poinsettias where temperature fluctuates, such as near cold drafts, heat ducts, fireplaces, fans, space heaters, etc.

Please note that poinsettias

will suffer damage if they are exposed to temperatures below 50 degrees F. Please also note that freezing temperatures will kill poinsettias. Remember, they are tropical plants.

When purchasing poinsettias and outside temperatures approach 35 degrees F, be sure the plant is well wrapped or sleeved before transporting. Low temperatures, even for short periods, can damage leaves and bracts. I never place my plants in the back of my SUV. They are always in front of the back seats with the heat on. When I’m out shopping, the florist, garden center or greenhouse is always my last stop.

Once home, I always keep the soil moist. I only

water the plants when the soil surface feels dry to a light touch, or the pot feels lightweight when lifted.

Never allow poinsettias to get so dry that they wilt.

I also remove the decorative foil or outer pot before watering. I want to make sure my plants drain freely. Constant wetness will rot plant roots.

I can tell you one thing; my home will be fully decorated with poinsettias this year.

I will also distribute many of these beautiful plants to several of my friends to help them ring in the Christmastime holiday.

Please remember, like other non-food items, poinsettia plants are not edible and are not intended to be eaten. So, be sure to keep

Full Moon December 26, 2023

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the poinsettia and all other century, and Johann Friedrich plants out of your child’s and Klotzsch, the botanist who your pet’s reach. described it.

If you suspect any type of poisoning, you can reach the National Capital Poison Note: Tom Center online at www.poison. Editor’s Castronovo is executive org or by calling 1-800-272editor and publisher 1000. of Gardener News.

If you suspect your Tom’s lifelong interest in pet may have ingested a gardening and passion for potentially toxic substance, agriculture, environmental call the APCC at (888) 426- stewardship, gardening 4435. and landscaping, led to the During this festive founding of the Gardener season, I’m going to focus News, which germinated in on the beauty of the plant and April 2003 and continues acknowledge Joel Roberts to bloom today. He is also Poinsett, who introduced dedicated to providing this species to the United inspiration, and education States in the 1820s as well to the agricultural, as Alexander von Humboldt gardening, landscaping and Amié Bonpland, who and nursery communities first collected it in Mexico through this newspaper and in the earlier part of that GardenerNews.com.

The Premier Gardening Monthly Newspaper Number 248 Published Monthly RESERVE AD SPACE Website: www.GardenerNews.com E-Mail: Mail@GardenerNews.com Staff

Executive Editor/Publisher . . . . Tom Castronovo Art Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Susan F. Kessel Advertising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tom Castronovo Tom Castronovo Todd Pretz Gail Woolcott

December 2023 Columnists

Andrew Bunting Brian Schilling Peter Melick

Bob Andrzejczak Bruce Crawford Andy Lagana

Joe Atchison III Bert Kuhn

December 2023 Contributing Writer Hubert Ling

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24 December 2023

GardenerNews.com

BEAST OF THE NOR’EAST

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