Illinois Fruit and Vegetable News:

A Newsletter for Commercial Growers of Fruit and Vegetable Crops
A Publication of University of Illinois Extension and the College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences

Vol. 17, No. 14, October 3, 2011

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"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." --Aristotle

Address any questions or comments regarding this newsletter to the individual authors listed after each article or to its editor, Rick Weinzierl, 217-333-6651, weinzier@uiuc.edu. To receive email notification of new postings of this newsletter, call or write the same number or address.

In This Issue:

Upcoming Programs

Regional Updates (Maurice Ogutu)

Notes from Chris Doll (effects of drought on fruit trees, notes on plum varieties))

Local Foods and Small Farms Issues (MarketMaker and Farm to School, revisions to child labor laws, bibliography of values-based supply chains)

Fruit and Vegetable Production and Pest Management (end dates near for use of endosulfan and Guthion)

University of Illinois Extension Specialists in Fruit & Vegetable Production & Pest Management

Upcoming Programs

For commercial fruit and vegetable growers ...

• Illinois/Iowa Fruit and Vegetable Symposium, November 18, 2011, at the Scott County Extension Office, Bettendorf, IA. For information, contact Maurice Ogutu, ogutu@illinois.edu, 815-235-4125
• High Tunnel and Greenhouse Open House and Workshop, November 22, 2011, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Dixon Springs Agricultural Center, Simpson, IL. Details to be provided in issue 15 of this newsletter (mid-October). For information, contact Rick Weinzierl, weinzier@illinois.edu, 217-244-2126.
• MarketReady and MarketMaker workshop, November 29, 2011, at the University of Illinois Franklin county Extension Office, Benton, IL. Details to be provided in issue 15 of this newsletter (mid-October). For information, contact Rick Weinzierl, weinzier@illinois.edu, 217-244-2126.
• Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable, and Farm Market Expo, December 6-8, 2011, in Grand Rapids, MI. For more information, see the EXPO web site at http://www.glexpo.com/.
• High Tunnel Open House and Workshop, December 9, 2011, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the University of Illinois St. Charles Horticulture Research Center, St. Charles, IL. Details to be provided in issue 15 of this newsletter (mid-October). For information, contact Rick Weinzierl, weinzier@illinois.edu, 217-244-2126.
• Illinois Specialty Crops, Agritourism, and Organic Conference, January 11-13, 2012, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Springfield, IL. Details to come.
• Southern Illinois Commercial Tree Fruit School, February 7, 2012, at the Mt. Vernon Holiday Inn, Mt. Vernon, IL. Details to come.
• Southwestern Illinois Commercial Tree Fruit School, February 8, 2012, at the First Presbyterian Church, Hardin, IL. Details to come.
• Southern Illinois Commercial Vegetable School, February 16, 2012, at the Mt. Vernon Holiday Inn, Mt. Vernon, IL. Details to come.
• Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association Annual Conference, February 23-25, 2012, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel and Conference Center, Springfield, IL. Details to come.
• Illinois Small Fruit and Strawberry Schools, March 6-7, 2012, at the Mt. Vernon Holiday Inn, Mt. Vernon, IL.

Related programs of interest ...

• Living on the Land - 10 Weeks of Tips and Tricks for Small-acreage Landowners, September 28 – November 30, 2011. Topics range from stewardship practices to income opportunities; Wednesdays from 6 to 9 p.m. The purpose of this course is to help people sustainably manage smaller acreage properties from about 1 acre to 50 acres. Session topics include inventorying of resources, managing soil, living with streams and ponds, managing well and septic systems, managing pastures and lawns, controlling weeds, beginning a business using small acreages, and much more. Four of the classes will be held at U of I Extension offices, including the Will Unit in Joliet, the Boone Unit in Belvidere, the Stephenson Unit in Freeport and the Sangamon Unit in Springfield. The remaining five classes will be taught through online webinars (the Sangamon Unit is offering a face-to-face option for all sessions). The tour will be determined by each county. To register or get a brochure click on the above Unit Office links.
• Farmer Grant Writing Workshop, October 18, 2011, at the University of Illinois Boone County Extension Office, 915 Alexandra Drive, Belvidere, IL from 6:30-8:30 p.m. (registration starting at 6:00 p.m.). Information will be provided on the basics of grant writing as well as specifics on grants available through the NCR SARE Farmer Rancher Grant Program and the Illinois Department of Agriculture AgriFIRST Specialty Crop Grant Program and the C-2000 Sustainable Agriculture Grant Program. For more information and to register, see http://web.extension.illinois.edu/bdo/ or contact Ellen Phillips at ephillps@illinois.edu, 815-732-2191.
• GROW! Young Farmers Finding Ways to Farm Screening, October 20, 2011, at The Art Theater, Champaign, IL, 6:30 p.m. Co-hosted by The Land Connection and Common Ground Food Co-op, a documentary film about young and beginning farmers and the importance of small farms and healthy food. All proceeds from the event will go towards supporting The Land Connection's mission of farmer education, protecting farmland, and strengthening local food systems.
• Small Farm Trade Show & Conference, November 3 – 5, 2011, at the Boone County Fairgrounds, 5212 N. Oakland Gravel Rd., Columbia, Missouri. Includes short courses, seminars, farmers forum talks, and a major indoor trade show. See the schedule for a listing of all events.
• Sangamon Area Farm to School Summit, November 5, 2011 at the Trutter Center, Lincoln Land Community College, 5250 Shepherd Road, Springfield, IL. Farm to School connects schools (K-12) and local farms with the objectives of serving healthy meals in school cafeterias, improving student nutrition, providing agriculture, health and nutrition education opportunities, and supporting local and regional farmers. Topics will include sourcing locally produced food, starting school gardens; incorporating food and nutrition into curricula, and implement a farm-to-school program. Organized by the Springfield Area Local Food Task Force. Contact Deborah Cavanaugh-Grant at cvnghgrn@illinois.edu or (217) 782-4617 for more information.
• Organic Gardening Day, November 5, 2011, at the Holiday Inn Hotel and Conference Center, Urbana, IL, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Advance registration of $60 includes an organic lunch and must be received by October 28. On-site registration on Nov. 5 begins at 8:00 a.m. and will continue as long as space allows. On-site registration does not include lunch. For more information and to register, contact Linda Harvey at 217-244-1693 lharvey@illinois.edu.
• Conservation Covers: Effective Cover Cropping in the Midwest, December 7 – 8, 2011 at the Decatur Conference Center and Hotel in Decatur, IL. A forum for farmers to exchange information, discuss opportunities for collaboration, and learn about new and successful practices related to cover crops. For more information and to register, see http://www.swcs.org/index.cfm?nodeID=34470&audienceID=1

Regional Updates

In northern Illinois, cooler weather with highs in 50s to upper 60s lows in the 30s to 40s dominated the last part of September. The region received 2-3 inches of rainfall during the same period. Frost was reported in northwestern and northern counties on the mornings of October 1 and 2, particularly in low lying areas. However, warm and dry conditions forecast for the next 10 days will favor growth and maturation of crops not damaged by frost.

Apple scab, sooty blotch, and fly speck are evident on some apples, but disease levels are mostly light, and picking of Cortland, Jonathan, Golden Delicious, Liberty, Empire, Red Delicious, Honeycrisp, and Fuji continues in many orchards, and most of the fall apple varieties will be ready for picking during the first two weeks in October. A few orchards are now closed for the u-pick customers, as all the apples have been picked, and some have pre-picked apples available for sale at their farm markets. Harvest of fall-bearing raspberries continues, and grape harvest is underway. Pumpkin harvest – for wholesale market and u-pick – is also moving quickly.

Maurice Ogutu (815-235-4125; ogutu@illinois.edu)

Notes from Chris Doll

Good weather for apple coloration (after most of the crop has been harvested) and great weekend weather for the direct marketers! Some light frost occurred on the morning of October 2, but no plant injury that I could see after the warm-up. The minimum temp was 38 degrees. September turned out to be a relatively cool month after four 100-degree days on the first four days. There were only four more days with highs in the 80s, and 10 days had maximums in the 60s. Rainfall in the middle of the month totaled 2.8 inches, which helped the soil moisture situation a little, but perennial plants such as small fruits and peach trees show the effects of drought in the form of poor growth and early leaf drop.

According to "Fundamentals of Fruit Production" by Garner, Bradford and Hooker, drought can cause stress problems and maybe growth irregularities. The following is a quote from this text: "It is a common observation that trees suffering from drought in late summer and early fall shed their foliage early. The function of the foliage during late summer and fall is to manufacture food materials which for the most part, are stored through the winter for use in tissue building in the spring. Premature defoliation, from drought or any other cause, therefore is likely to result in a check of growth the following spring through cutting down the available reserves. With some early fall precipitation, it may result in immature wood going into winter, and may also cause a premature dormancy followed by secondary growth and maybe some fall blossoming of fruit trees".

I have not seen any bloom yet, but peach leaves are dropping. Maybe the leaf curl sprays can be applied earlier this year.

After writing about interest in pear growing for direct marketers, the Goodfruit Grower magazine (volume 62, number 14) had a series of articles on pear production and varieties. There was also an excellent article about long-time acquaintance Paul Rood of Covert, Michigan, on his growing of both pears and plums. He was quoted as saying that Vibrant plum is his favorite variety. Since I just picked my second crop of Empress plum (New York origin), I have to say that I like its size, color and flavor. But its late maturity requires a long season control program for brown rot. There are many great flavored plums, but two varieties that I have enjoyed during the years were Mt. Royal and Ruby Sweet.

According to the 2011 apple crop forecast, the Illinois yield was supposed to be down 13 percent from last year. Hence, the short crop and quick harvest. Historically, the odd year crops of apples have been the highest, but that trend was broken because of the 2007 Easter freeze that look down that year's crop and helped put the higher yields in the even-numbered years.

Nut-tree enthusiasts would be welcome to attend the fall meeting of the Illinois Nut Tree Association meeting on Sunday, October 16, beginning at 10:00 a.m. at White Research Farm on highway 158 east of Millstadt.

Chris Doll

Local Foods and Small Farms Issues

MarketMaker and Farm to School

Farm to School programs connect schools with local farms. Schools buy and feature farm fresh foods such as fruits, vegetables, eggs, honey, meat, and beans on their menus; incorporate nutrition education into the curriculum; and provide students experiential learning opportunities through farm visits, gardening and recycling programs. Farmers have access to a new market through schools and participate in programs designed to educate kids about local food and agriculture.

Local farmers may sell to schools in several ways. Farmers can diversify their markets by supplying to local schools. This is especially important when farmers are dependent on limited commodity or wholesale markets. Schools represent a steady, reliable demand that helps farmers plan their crop planting, harvesting and marketing more effectively. Farmers may sell directly to schools by establishing a relationship with the food service staff, sell directly to schools through a farmers' market, sell through cooperatives to minimize transportation and administration costs, sell to wholesale distributors, or sell to the Department of Defense's Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, which delivers local food to schools.

While our children are eating unhealthy foods, farmers are losing out on potential markets. The farmer's share of the food dollar has dropped from 41 cents in 1950 to 20 cents in 1999. Farm to School programs can be one solution to the crisis facing small farms. Farm to School offers a new market to family farmers, especially urban-edge farmers who bring the added benefit of preserving open space and slowing sprawl. And by showing children that fresh local produce is delicious, Farm to School connections turn on the next generation to locally grown food.

Resources for managing a direct farm business: Illinois MarketMaker is a valuable resource for producers who would like to sell to educational institutions. Adding "Farm to School" to your MarketMaker profile under "Methods of Sale" makes your business searchable by educational institutions looking for fresh, local foods. Check out the Illinois Direct Farm Business link under Resources/Related Websites on Illinois MarketMaker to learn more about selling directly to consumers and educational institutions. It supplies valuable information and will help clarify most of the important rules and regulations pertaining to direct farm businesses.

Lori Dalfonso (309-792-2500; dalfonso@illinois.edu)

Revisions to Child Labor Regulations for Agriculture

The U.S. Department of Labor is proposing revisions to child labor regulations that will strengthen the safety requirements for young workers employed in agriculture and related fields. The proposal would strengthen current child labor regulations prohibiting agricultural work with animals and in pesticide handling, timber operations, manure pits, and storage bins. The department also is proposing to create a new nonagricultural hazardous occupations order that would prevent children under 18 from being employed in the storing, marketing and transporting of farm product raw materials. Additionally, the proposal would prohibit farmworkers under 16 from operating almost all power-driven equipment. See: http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/whd/WHD20111250.htm.

Annotated Bibliography of Values-Based Supply Chains

SAREP (University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program) has compiled an extensive annotated bibliography of literature relating to values-based supply chains for Know Your Farmer/Know Your Food: A California Project. The bibliography can serve as a valuable resource for anyone involved in creating or researching supply chains, food hubs, and farm to institution programs. The 14-page bibliography is online as a PDF file at http://asi.ucdavis.edu/newsroom/blog/new-resource-values-based-supply-chain-annotated-bibliography.

Fruit and Vegetable Production and Pest Management

Planning Ahead for Cancellation of Endosulfan and Guthion (azinphosmethyl)

As harvests end for many growers in the next few weeks, some will begin ordering 2012 pesticides and other supplies to get early discounts. Fruit and vegetable growers should be careful not to over-buy (or maybe not buy at all) a couple of insecticides that will not be legal to use much longer.

In November of 2010, the US EPA announced that all uses of endosulfan, an insecticide used somewhat commonly in insect management in vegetables and fruit, are to end in the near future. Dates for which use of endosulfan becomes illegal vary among crops, but for many crops, the date is July 31, 2012. For Midwestern fruits and vegetables, application of endosulfan becomes illegal as of July 31, 2012, for apricots, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, collard greens, cucumbers, dry beans, dry peas, eggplant, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, melons, mustard greens, plums and prunes, annual strawberries, stone fruits, summer squash, sweet potato, tart cherry, and turnip. Use of endosulfan is allowed until July 31, 2015, on apples, blueberries, peppers, potatoes, pumpkins, sweet corn, tomatoes, and winter squash. Use of endosulfan on perennial matted-row strawberries is allowed until July 31, 2016.

For the long list of crops where the endosulfan label expires as of July 31, 2012, it is important to note that after this date endosulfan may NOT be used on these crops despite crop listings on the label of products purchased in the past. Growers are advised to purchase and plan accordingly ... July 31, 2012, is not far off.

Similarly, Guthion (azinphosmethyl), has been the subject of a phase-out program for a few years. In 2012, only 1.0 pound of the active ingredient azinphosmethyl may be applied per acre per season in eastern regions of the U.S. This is a single application. Where Guthion is used for plum curculio control at petal fall, we generally recommend 2 lbs. Guthion 50W per acre – and that represents 1.0 lb. a.i.. It is essential that growers recognize that 2012 is the LAST year that Guthion / azinphosmethyl may be used on apples. Left-over Guthion cannot be used legally in 2013.

Rick Weinzierl (217-244-2126; weinzier@illinois.edu)

University of Illinois Extension Specialists in Fruit and Vegetable Production & Pest Management

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