In this Issue:
Guest Article
Irrigation Reminders and the Value of "ET"
VEGETABLE NEWS
Vegetable Insects to Watch for - Early Season
STRAWBERRY NEWS
Cost Share Dollars Available for Food Alliance Certified Growers
APPLE NEWS
Codling Moth and its Look Alikes
Two Field Days on Organic and Low-Input Apple Production
| Vol 1 No.2 | May 17, 2004 |
Two Field Days on Organic and Low-Input Apple Production
Harry Hoch, Hoch Orchard and Gardens, LaCrescent, MN
The Upper Midwest Organic Tree Fruit Growers Association, with the support of the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Services and the USDA - Risk Management Agency, announces two field days on organic and low-input apple production. The Upper Midwest Organic Tree Fruit Growers Association was formed at the 2004 Upper Midwest Organic Farming Conference last February among commercial and hobby tree fruit producers to provide education and encourage research to improve organic tree fruit production in the upper Midwest.
SATURDAY, MAY 22
Hoch Orchard and Gardens,
LaCrescent, Minnesota
10 AM to 3 PM Rain or Shine
Hoch Orchard and Gardens (hochorchard.com) is a small family farm across the Mississippi River from LaCrosse, Wisconsin. Harry uses integrated pest management and many unconventional low-input practices. In the mid-1990s, Harry had one block of trees certified organic. Today his farm is certified earth-friendly by the Midwest Food Alliance.
Harry will discuss aspects unique to his orchard, showing us in the morning how he divided his orchard based on the landscape into 10 to 12 zones for pest monitoring as well as his density of traps. In the afternoon he will show diverse hardy, dwarf rootstocks, varied training systems of permanent stakes, temporary wood stakes, tall vs. short stakes, trellising and espalier systems, and semi-dwarf central leader systems. Participants will share their experiences and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each system. There is not a perfect one!
We decided that it would be nice to provide you with lunch on the farm, and handouts. Advance registration is preferred as well as a modest registration fee of $15 per person. Same day registration will be allowed at the Hoch Tour due to the late announcement in the MN Fruit & Veg. IPM News. Lunch will not be provided for same day registrants due to the inability to estimate the numbers, so bring a lunch if you don't preregister. Feel free to call or email Harry Hoch for directions to the farm: 507-643-6329 or email: hoch1@acegroup.cc
The orchard is about two and a half hours from the twin cities, and about ten minutes from the Nodine Exit off Interstate 90.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23
Keith Kozub's White Pine Orchard, River Falls, Wisconsin
Keith Kozub has a 4 acre orchard, about 45 minutes east of Minneapolis, which he has managed organically since he planted the first tree in 1975. Keith has a wide range of apple varieties on semi-dwarf and standard-size rootstock. He will discuss disease susceptibility of different varieties, managing plum curculio, gearing up for apple maggot, apple thinning, his somewhat severe pruning methods, and managing soil fertility. Advance registration is preferred as well as a modest registration fee of $15 per person.
TO REGISTER: Send your name(s) and complete contact information. Email is fine. We must know, and preferably have your check, by May 17 and June 17, respectively, so we can order lunch and get handouts made. You may register for one or both field days. To avoid renting tables and chairs, we may limit attendance. Make your check payable to MOSES.
Directions will be sent electronically to completed registrants. |
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Co-Editors: Bill Hutchison, Department of Entomology,
University of Minnesota, hutch002@umn.edu
Jeanne Ciborowski, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Ag. Resources Division,jeanne.ciborowski@state.mn.us
Suzanne Wold-Burkness, Department of Entomology, University of
Minnesota, woldx018@umn.edu
The Newsletter is published weekly from May through August, cooperatively, by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) and the University of Minnesota (U of MN). Reports are posted on the U of MN and MDA web sites on Fridays. If you have suggestions and/or comments, please send your contributions by 4 p.m., Tuesday to Jeanne Ciborowski, 651-297-3217, jeanne.ciborowski@state.mn.us , MDA, 90 W. Plato Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55107-2094. You can access the Newsletter at the U of MN web site in htm. format at: www.vegedge.umn.edu/MNFruit&VegNews/mnindex.htm and at the MDA web site in pdf. format at: www.mda.state.mn.us/biocon/fruitreports/default.htm
Partial funding for this publication is provided through partnership agreements with the Minnesota Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association and the United States Department of Agriculture – Risk Management Agency (RMA) and the RMA Community Outreach and Assistance Partnership Program. These institutions are equal opportunity providers.
DISCLAIMER
References to products in this publication is not intended to be an endorsement to the exclusion of others which may have similar uses. Any person using products listed in this publication assumes full responsibility for their use in accordance with current manufacturer directions.
Last Revised May 14, 2004.
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