Fruit and Vegetable News

Authors: Gabi Bolwerk and Bailey Tangen, Extension educators Spring is a great time of year to test your soils. Many folks get a standard suite of tests that report soil organic matter, soil texture, and nutrient levels. But, for those interested in soil health, there are lots of lab test options to consider. Should you use lab soil health tests? With all of the available options, it can be hard to distinguish which lab tests, if any, should be used to measure soil health. See the pros and cons below to help determine if you should get lab soil health tests done. Pros of lab soil health tests: They provide quantifiable information you can refer back to in future years. They can help determine if a management change has impacted your soil health and function. Cons of lab soil health tests: There is no one test that can determine the health of your soil, due to soil’s dynamic nature. Soils are constantly in flux, with aspects that can change based on the time of year, weather, and manage...

Authors: Bailey Tangen and Gabi Bolwerk, Extension educators Spring is a great time to start thinking about how to adjust your management practices to reduce erosion and improve soil health. A good first step is to understand the current state of your soil. To do this, you can perform a quick in-field soil health assessment. In this visual guide, we’ll walk you through how to conduct your own in-field soil health assessment. In an in-field soil health assessment, we look at the biological and physical properties of soil as they relate to soil function. This assessment can be done in 15-20 minutes and should be done in a few spots in your fields to get a full picture of how your soil functions. To learn more and to get help doing an assessment, call your local NRCS or SWCD office. These folks are willing to come out to your field, do an assessment, and provide management recommendations to protect the vitality of your operation and the productivity of your soil. A few notes before “digg...

Annalisa Hultberg,  Extension Educator, food safety The Produce Safety Mini-Grant are funds that help reimburse Minnesota produce farmers for expenses that improve on-farm food safety systems. The Produce Safety Program has approximately $30,400 to distribute via the 2026 mini-grant. This grant provides reimbursement up to $800 per farm. No matching funds from the applicant are required. Who can apply? Produce growers who farm in Minnesota, who:  Grew and sold one or more of the following crops in 2025: Leafy greens, apples, berries, carrots, cucumbers, garlic, green beans, herbs, melons, microgreens, mushrooms, onions, peppers, sprouts, summer squash/zucchini, tomatoes. Have completed the  Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule Grower Questionnaire , or otherwise verified their farm's Produce Safety Rule Status with the MDA, at least once between 2023-2026. Are in good standing and not debarred or susp...

The ability to back up with already established free-standing apples trees can be challenging. Good pruning and training practices, year by year, can guide a tree into having a strong structure and canopy microclimate conducive to good fruit quality. The University of Minnesota Extension wants to support your efforts to learn how to prune dormant, woody fruit crops!  The following resources were previously created by UMN and provide information to assist pruning practices. Keep in mind that recordings of both upcoming pruning webinars will also be available on the UMN Small Farms YouTube channel for those unable to attend live sessions. Grapes Videos: Grape pruning webinar (Level: Beginner to advanced)  UMN Extension grapevine winter injury    (Level: Beginner to advanced) Pruning out grapevine trunk diseases   (Level: Beginner to advanced) Pruning new vines – One or two years old   (Level: Beginner to advanced) Pruning high cordon grapevines in...

Authors: Madeline Wimmer, Soon Li Teh, John Thull When working with spur-pruned grapevines in cold climates, the spurs—the regions where fruit-bearing shoots emerge—are originally created by shortening canes originating from a young cordon (i.e., the arm(s) of a grapevine). Overtime, these original spurs support newer spurs that stack on top of the older spur region year after year, and this can lead to what is known as spur creep, when a spur becomes long, old, and less productive. Why is spur creep a problem? As spurs continue to age, they can accumulate damage from cold temperatures, similar to cordons, and become less productive over time. Additionally, the longer they grow, the less room there is for the current season’s canopy, which is especially true for Vertical Shoot Positioned (VSP) grapevines that have less canopy area, overall. Spur creep can leave portions of the cordon blank, as they become unproductive, and can be worsened if growers heavily thin away all the non-cou...