Fruit and Vegetable News

It's never too early to begin thinking about spring frost protection for the fruit crops you grow. Cold stress and frost damage have the potential to impact perennial fruit crops during different times of the year, and springtime in the Upper Midwest is no exception. While cold stress can happen at warmer temperatures, frost occurs when ambient temperatures fall below freezing (32 ° F).  When a spring frost happens, it can harm vegetation, and negatively impact bloom and fruit set. This is problematic recognizing that many perennial fruits exit dormancy and begin growing in Minnesota before the threat of spring frost has passed. Crop loss due to frost damage can be devastating and many strategies that help annual crop growers (e.g., delayed planting) are not usually possible for perennial crops. Image: Young grape shoots damaged by late spring frost (May 11th, 2021). Photos taken by Madeline Wimmer. What happens when dormant chilling requirements are ahead of schedule? During winte...

  Annalisa Hultberg, Extension Educator, food safety Agritourism and U-pick farms may have different food safety risks and considerations than traditional fruit and vegetable farms, since the general public (who may not be well-versed in food safety considerations) are being invited to the farm.  Here are some key recommendations to keep your produce safe for U-Pick and orchards this coming season. Photo: Annie Klodd What are the risks? Many bacteria like  Salmonella ,  Campylobacter  and  E. coli  can be spread to fresh produce from animals and sick humans. Viruses like Norovirus and Hepatitis   can easily transmitted between humans via fresh produce and other food, surfaces and the air.  These bacteria and viruses can seriously sicken people, especially the young, old, and immunocompromised.  There have been outbreaks at agritourism farms, especially those that have animals. Take some basic precautions to reduce the potential for ...