Fruit and Vegetable News

A new round of weather resilience grants is available to specialty crop growers in Minnesota to help cover the costs of things like water tanks and wells, irrigation equipment, fans, shade systems, windbreaks, and more. Extension is available to support growers in brainstorming climate / weather resilience practices for your farms. Applications are due February 12, 2025. Looking for ideas? Check out our new page about climate resilience strategies for specialty crop growers .  If you are interested in brainstorming ideas or looking for support with your application, please do not hesitate to reach out to Natalie Hoidal at hoida016@umn.edu.  Image: tensiometer for measuring soil moisture and fine-tuning irrigation practices The full press release from MDA is copied below: Recognizing the risks posed by extreme weather, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is offering a grant opportunity to help eligible producers make their operations more resilient to drought, floodin...

Annalisa Hultberg, Extension Educator, food safety There is a new program from the United States Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency through which any farmer growing specialty crops in 2025 is eligible for funding to help get these crops to market. The application period closes by the end of day on January 8, 2025.   The new program is called Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops (MASC)  and  provides financial assistance to specialty crop producers. It is important to know that while this program is called the marketing assistance program, it does not require growers to use the funds for marketing purposes. It is in essence unrestricted funds available to specialty crop growers that they can use as they see fit. It is not a competitive grant program. The amount awarded to each producer will vary based on how many growers apply.    Who Is Eligible MASC covers producers who grow the following commercially marketed specialty crops grown in the US: F...

Dormant pruning of various fruit crops is often done after the coldest parts of winter have passed, and before bud break begins, allowing enough time to finish the total acreage. However, from now until the time you start pruning, it can be a good time to take inventory of your current pruning tools to take note of what tools you have and their condition.  In this article, we’ll discuss various tools that can be used for pruning dormant perennial fruit crops, how to best care for them, and what to do if serious corrosion happens.  Pruning tools  Hand shears and loppers: Hand shears/pruners : Also referred to as secateurs in some parts of the world, this tool can be used to cut smaller diameter branches up to 3/4-1 inch. For shrubs and vines, hand shears can be the primary tool used in pruning. Hand shears come in a variety of options: manual, ratcheting, electric, and pneumatic.  Loppers : Loppers look similar to hand shears, but they have very long handles with a bl...

You might have been aware of a looming reporting deadline of January 1, 2025, for the Corporate Transparency Act, which required companies doing business in the United States report their beneficial ownership information to the U.S. Department of Treasury bureau called the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). On December 3, 2024, the U. S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas granted a nationwide preliminary injunction so that reporting requirements for businesses has been suspended on a nationwide basis. Even though reporting is not required at this time, farm businesses who have filed a form with the secretary of state or similar office in their state to create a business and all foreign companies doing business in any U.S. state or tribal jurisdiction were to be included in this act. This would have affected agricultural producers because many farms have created companies and use business entities such as limited liability companies (LLC) or a corporation to ow...

Spotted wing drosophila (SWD) is an invasive fruit fly that targets soft-skinned fruits, including berry crops, by laying eggs in ripening fruit. This pest can cause significant crop damage, making it a critical concern for fruit growers. Join Madeline Wimmer- UMN Extension educator for an insightful session on spotted wing drosophila (SWD), tailored to Minnesota organic and conventional fruit growers. In this webinar, we’ll discuss SWD biology and lifecycle, including information about the SWD winter morph and its potential to survive in cold climates. We’ll also explore the latest research and innovative approaches for management. Image: Spotted wing drosophila (SWD) is an invasive insect pest that impacts fruit production, especially for soft-skinned fruit crops like raspberries. SWD males can be distinguished by their signature wing spots, while female adults advantageously have a serrated, saw-like ovipositor that enables them to lay eggs in ripening fruits. Note: This photo is no...

Perennial fruit growers are in a unique position when facing challenges related to extreme weather and climate change because of the inherent fixed nature and longevity of most perennial fruit crops, which remain in the same location for many years rather than being rotated seasonally like annual crops. With the anticipation that fruit growers will continue to face extreme weather conditions and other challenges related to climate change, the ability to identify and mitigate risks becomes increasingly essential to farm sustainability. Because of this, the Organic Fruit Growers Association (OFGA), in collaboration with the University of Minnesota Extension, has created a climate resilience-focused program that gives organic fruit growers the opportunity to join a cohort with other fruit growers and... Learn through our workshop series how changing weather patterns in the Upper Midwest are likely to affect your farm and develop a plan for how your farm can prepare for a changing c...

Image: The cycle of growth, fall acclimation, and dormancy that a perennial fruit crop goes through each year. These stages are all necessary for its growth, reproduction, and survival, and can provide a lens that helps growers better understand fruit production. Infographic by Madeline Wimmer. Words to be familiar with : Fall acclimation : A series of physiological changes triggered by external and internal factors that prepare a perennial plant to survive the winter and have enough carbohydrate reserves to support next year’s bud break, before mature, photosynthesizing leaves have developed. Dormancy : the portion of a plant’s life cycle when a number of physiological changes occur that allow the plant to overwinter in a less active state. Endodormancy : Also referred to as true dormancy, this state happens when plants first acclimate and go into dormancy. This state usually remains until a certain number of chilling hours have accumulated. Chilling hours : Hours where the ambient te...