Many farmers might consider the winter to be a time of planning ahead for the next season rather than actual agricultural work. However, there are a few things farmers can attend to during the colder months to ensure a successful spring and summer.
The past few years has seen a rapid increase in the presence of a foreign pest that can be dealt with even during off-peak seasons. According to the Staunton News Leader, the Mid-Atlantic area has been experiencing a massive uptick in the number of stink bugs infesting area farms. Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania are being hit particularly hard.
One of the best things that new farmers can do to make sure that their land isn't infested once again come spring is to clear the area near their fields of Trees of Heaven. These invasive plants, also known as Ailanthus altissima or China Sumac, are native to Asia and provide a home to the stink bugs that also originate there. Reducing the number of this flora found near plots of land will go a long way toward preventing these kinds of infestations.
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