9. Fruit CAT Alert, MSU
Vol. 23, No. 10, June 10, 2008
http://www.ipm.msu.edu/cat08fruit/f06-10-08.htm
In this issue
Small fruit news
Potato leafhopper control in winegrapes
Post-bloom management of fruitworms in blueberry
Warm wet conditions can promote anthracnose fruit rot in strawberries
The challenges of disease control during rainy spells
Blueberry IPM Twilight meeting
Other news
Regional reports
Weather news
*********
10. Fruit CAT Alert, MSU
Vol. 23, No. 11, June 17 2008
http://ipm.anr.msu.edu/cat08fruit/f06-17-08.htm
In this issue
Tree fruit news
Keep an eye on downy mildew in grapes
Summer leafroller control: Gather the information needed to make a sound
management decision
Rainfast characteristics of insecticides
Sooty blotch and flyspeck disease of apple and pear – The newest addition
to Enviro-weather
Enhancing return bloom with summer NAA 2008
Small fruit news.
Mid-season weed control options for blueberries
Irrigating blueberries
Grape IPM Twilight meeting
Blueberry IPM Twilight meeting
Other news
Regional reports
Weather
*********
11. MIFMA and SBAM Partner to Provide Michigan Farmers and Farmers Markets
with Greater Access to SBAM Benefits
East Lansing, MI
June 9, 2008
Michigan Farmers Market Association (MIFMA) members can now join the Small
Business Association of Michigan (SBAM) at a reduced rate and take advantage
of SBAM’s “P.O.W.E.R. Suite” of products and services, including Blue
Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network Group Health Benefits.
MIFMA and SBAM naturally fit together, focusing on and fulfilling the needs
of Michigan’s communities, locally. Together, they can now help farmers
markets, farmers, vendors and friends secure a more stable and viable future
through a network of information, resources and opportunities.
“By joining SBAM at a reduced rate, MIFMA members would gain access to all
of their member benefits as well, from merchant services to food and fuel
discounts,” said Dru Montri, MIFMA Association Manager. By being a member
of both MIFMA and SBAM, farmers have some extra help to succeed in every way
of business, now, with the multitude of information, resources and benefits
that these two organizations can provide.
SBAM is the only statewide and state-based association that focuses solely
on serving the needs of Michigan’s small business community. Its mission
is to help Michigan small businesses succeed by promoting entrepreneurship,
leveraging buying power and engaging in political advocacy. SBAM’s
“P.O.W.E.R. Suite” offers small business owners money and time saving
products and services in the areas of human resources, accounting and
finance, sales and marketing, legal, operations, information technology,
government relations and entrepreneurial development.
MIFMA was developed to promote farmers markets across the state and achieve
visibility to both producers and consumers, aiding in farmers market
management and education and developing long-term, sustainable funding
strategies. Other initiatives assist communities in beginning new farmers
markets or expanding existing ones and providing educational services and
consulting to market managers, vendors and sponsors.
For more information, visit www.farmersmarkets.msu.edu or contact Dru Montri
at (517) 432-3381 or [log in to unmask]
*********
12. Bee Colony Available
Woldumar Nature Center received a call about a honeybee hive exposed by tree
damage in the storm over the weekend. The hive was still active on June
11th despite being exposed on June 8th. It is located at 3800 Cooley Street
in Lansing (off Waverly). The property owner is leaving town for the rest
of the week, but said anyone interested can come collect it. Phone is
517.708.8761, name Tabitha.
*********
13. Farm Bill Becomes Law: new resources for sustainable food and farming
By Jeanne Merrill, Associate Policy Director
http://www.michaelfieldsaginst.org/news/newsletter_06_04_2008.html#3
Congress recently took final action on the 2008 Farm Bill by overriding
President’s Bush’s veto of the bill. While the failure of Congress to
fundamentally reform commodity programs perpetuates many problems with
current U.S. farm policy, the bill does include important building blocks
for a more balanced and sustainable food and farm policy.
Here are some of the highlights of the 2008 Farm Bill:
•Over $1 billion increase in funding for the Conservation Stewardship
Program (formerly the Conservation Security Program), a working lands
conservation program intended to promote clean water, wildlife habitat,
energy conservation and other natural resource protection.
•$75 million for the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program,
which will ease land and capital access for beginning farmers and ranchers.
•A five-fold increase in funding for organic farming research and
extension, to $78 million over 4 years, as well as a nearly five-fold
increase in organic certification cost share assistance to $22 million,
first time farm bill funding for a $5 million organic data collection
effort, and a new option within the Environmental Quality Incentives Program
for transitioning to organic farming.
•New local and regional food system initiatives, including a new federal
loan guarantee for food enterprises that support local and regional food
systems, and $33 million in mandatory federal funding for the Farmers Market
Promotion Program.
•Two important rural development programs, the Value-Added Producer
Grants (VAPG) program and the new Rural Micro-enterprise Assistance Program
(RMEAP) both received $15 million in annual mandatory farm bill funding. The
VAPG program also includes a 10 percent set aside of funding for beginning
and socially disadvantaged farmers. Although Michael Fields Agricultural
Institute is gratified that both programs received mandatory funding, the
funding amount represents a significant cut for the VAPG and is less than
had hoped for RMEAP.
•Important competition and contract agriculture reforms in the livestock
title, including authority that lets farmers not be bound by arbitration
clauses favoring corporate integrators. Also the Farm Bill includes several
pro-farmer reforms to rules governing production contracts, and a directive
to USDA to rewrite its rules on existing legal requirements prohibiting
unreasonable price preferences granted to large livestock operations to the
detriment of small and mid-sized family operations.
•The new bill also provides for interstate shipment of state-inspected
meat for small plants that meet high food safety standards.
Now begins the work of advocating for effective implementation and funding
of sustainable agriculture priorities in the 2008 Farm Bill. So it’s not
over yet. We promise to keep you updated and involved as the important work
of farm bill implementation gets underway.
Questions? Feel free to contact us at [log in to unmask]
*********
NOTICE OF POSITION OPENINGS
*********
14. Free housing- “Have space, need help”
Young family with historic farmstead located about five miles south of MSU
campus has space, but needs help around the farm and house in exchange for
room(s). We are offering the upstairs of the house (which has not been
renovated) but offers three separate rooms, a full bathroom and separate
entrance. In exchange for this housing, we expect approximately 8-9 hours of
labor per week or an average of 35 hours per month.
Labor will include work on our farm where we raise free-range hens,
sustainably grown raspberries and various other crops. Tasks might include
weeding, mulching, transplanting, harvesting, helping with u-pick sales,
spreading compost, etc. In addition, and dependent on skills and weather, we
seek help with property renovation and upkeep including painting, scraping
and light carpentry work. We will offer training on all of these tasks.
We think this opportunity would be good for an undergraduate or graduate
student. We seek someone that is friendly, a self-starter, able to complete
physically demanding work and independent. We would consider couples though
would need to discuss hours expected from two people. As we will live below
and share the kitchen, we seek someone that will be considerate of our
shared use of the space --especially at night.
In the past couple of years, we have not heated the upstairs, if we see a
significant increase in our utility bills, we will ask the boarder to
contribute towards the increased utilities. We do have cable Internet that
we are willing to share.
If you think you would be a good fit for this situation, please submit a
note of interest and resume (even if you do not have working background in
these fields, we would like to know a little more about the types of work
you have done in the past) to [log in to unmask] We will be back in
touch to schedule a meeting and tour of the property with selected
applicants so that both parties can determine if the situation will be a
good fit. If you have questions before putting together your note of
interest, please e-mail. This opportunity is open until filled with the
right person.
Thanks in advance,
Anne Rauscher
*********
15. Vegetable Specialist Sought by Purdue University
Southwest Purdue Agricultural Center, Vincennes, Indiana
Research Responsibilities: Conduct an applied research program to complement
extension efforts in vegetable crop and melon production. Primary research
area is
flexible but could involve cropping systems ecology, soil fertility / plant
nutrition,
irrigation management or weed science with an emphasis on sustainable
production.
Other research areas will be considered. Incumbent will be a key player with
an evolving
specialty crops center involving campus based staff.
Extension Responsibilities: Conduct an aggressive outreach program related
to commercial horticulture with an emphasis on melons and vegetable crops.
Develop educational programs appropriate to the needs of the industry and
county extension professionals. Serving growers with a very strong
research-based extension program is the major emphasis of this position.
Meaningful interaction with commercial growers and
marketers in southern Indiana is a key to success.
Teaching Responsibilities: Teach an introductory horticulture course at
Vincennes
University.
Qualifications: Ph.D. in horticulture, soil science, crop ecology, or a
closely related field. Applicants should have knowledge of areas related to
crop production, efficient use of crop production inputs, design of field
experiments, and problem analysis. Excellent oral and written communication
skills are essential in this position. Ability to work effectively with
clientele and county extension staff is essential and ability to work as a
member of diverse teams is important. Organizational skills are expected.
Appointment and Salary: The individual will be administratively responsible
to the Head of the Horticulture and Landscape Architecture Department,
Purdue University, West Lafayette. The appointee will be a member of the
Department’s Horticulture Extension Team as well as of the Southwest
Purdue Agriculture Program multi-disciplinary extension/research team. This
team serves the needs of the commercial vegetable industry in southern
Indiana.Professional appointment with Purdue University benefits including
the TIAA-CREFretirement program, medical, life, and disability insurance.
Salary will be competitive and commensurate with training and experience.
Date Available: Applications will be accepted until August 15, 2008 or until
position is
filled.
Application: Interested applicants need to apply online at
www.purdue.edu/jobs,
referencing posting number 0800880.
For questions on the employment process or how to apply, please contact Joy
Loflin,
Employment Consultant, at 765-496-7266 or
[log in to unmask]
Visit our Web Site at: http://www.hort.purdue.edu/
Purdue University is an Equal Opportunity, Equal Access / Affirmative Action
Employer fully committed to achieving a diverse workforce.
*********
EVENTS
*********
16. Annual Soil Building Workshop – Innovations to Build Soils to Feed
Sustainable Communities
Wednesday and Thursday, August 20th- 21st 9:00 – 4:00 each day
Held at Morgan Composting in Sears, MI (Osceola County)
The first day of this event will focus on vegetable production, and the
second will focus on field crop production. The goal of both days is to
provide information for farmers to increase their production and marketing.
This event will include:
A tour of the Morgan Composting facility
Demonstrations of equipment to perform seeding, transplanting, compost
application, and weeding
Information on loan options to permit expansion of production
Presentations will cover topics in soil building and markets.
Register by August 11th: $30.00 for one day, $50.00 for both days.
Register by August 16th: $40.00 for one day, $60.00 for both days.
For more information and for registration, the event flyer can be found at:
www.michiganorganic.msu.edu/Portals/organic/Soils&Equip-%20Aug%2020-21%20200
8%20Flyer.pdf
For the curious, here are some powerpoint presentations (both from Rodale
institute) that were given at last year’s soil building workshop. The
first discusses compost and compost tea:
www.michiganorganic.msu.edu/Portals/organic/1-Cover%20Crop%20Fundamentals.pd
f The second discusses other aspects of composting on farms:
www.michiganorganic.msu.edu/Portals/organic/docs/2007.gif
Please contact Vicki Morrone with any questions or suggestions at
517-282-3557 or [log in to unmask] You can also visit
www.michiganorganic.msu.edu for more information.
*********
17. Organic Producers Needed for Rothbury Music Festival
July 3-6th – to Feature Local Farmers Market to Promote Green Thinking
Among Music Fans.
Sweetwater Local Foods Market is still looking for organic producers for the
market at the music festival. It's a 3 day event. Anyone interested should
contact Diana Jancek at [log in to unmask] or 231-893-0323.
Billed as a New American Celebration, the ROTHBURY Music Festival, to be
held at Double JJ Ranch in Rothbury, MI over the 4th of July weekend, will
offer attendees the opportunity to taste the “healthy, humane,
homegrown” food of the farmers of the Sweetwater Local Foods Market. The
Sweetwater Local Foods Market in Muskegon is Michigan’s first farmers
market to exclusively sell local fruits and vegetables raised using organic
farming practices and meat, eggs, and cheese from humanely raised animals.
“We were thrilled to learn back in March that festival promoters were
seeking an ‘organic farmers market’ for their festival,” said
Sweetwater Market Manager Diana Jancek. “After our initial call they
immediately offered us the opportunity to bring our market and its farmers
into the festival. Their invitation highlights the fact that organic farming
is becoming more accepted and the food our farmers grow is becoming more
appreciated and in demand.”
Sweetwater farmers will offer festival goers a range of fresh vegetables,
meat and cheese packaged as snacks, baked goods, and other locally grown
items in a farmers market that will operate from 11am to 6pm each day of the
festival.
“Many of our vendors have prepared unique items especially for the
Festival,” said Jancek. “I think people will experience both great food
and great music this weekend – all the while supporting a green,
sustainable food system.”
The ROTHBURY Festival is the first in Michigan to consciously promote an
ecologically intelligent approach to large music events. All eating
utensils, bags, and other wrapping will be made from compostable materials
like corn-based plastic. The festival is also sponsoring an Eco-ThinkTank of
presentations, each day, on how to solve some of the important ecological
challenges before us.
*********
18. Public Hearing on Act-4-04 (A proposal affecting the Lansing City
Market)
City of Lansing Planning Board
6:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Lansing Center – Governor’s Room
333 E. Michigan Avenue (Second Floor)
The Lansing Planning Board will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, July 1,
2008, at 6:30 p.m. in the Governor’s Room of the Lansing Center, 333 E.
Michigan Avenue, Lansing, MI, to consider Act-4-08, a request by the City of
Lansing Planning and Neighborhood Development Department to:
1. Relocate the City Market operations, currently located at 420 E.
Shiawassee
Street, onto park property located west of the current City Market parking
lot.
2. Make the current City Market property available for sale for a mixed-use
private development (including retail, office, housing, and parking), in
accordance with the Central Lansing Comprehensive Plan, and to provide
easements as necessary to facilitate the proposed development.
For more information about this case, please contact the Lansing Planning
Office, at 483- 4066, on City business days, Monday through Friday, between
8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
If you are interested in this matter, please attend the public hearing, or
send a
representative. Written comments will be accepted between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
on City business days if received before 5 p.m. on Tuesday, July 1, 2008, at
the Lansing Planning Office, Department of Planning and Neighborhood
Development, 316 N. Capitol Ave, Lansing, MI 48933-1236.
Bill Rieske, Secretary
Lansing Planning Board
**********
19. Rapid Market Assessment Workshop
Thursday, June 26th from 9 am – 4 pm
Flint Farmers Market.
Learn how a Rapid Market Assessment can offer an intense one-time market-day
snapshot of your market. An RMA “swat team” of “outside” market
managers and other experts use simple, tested methods to: count market
customers, survey customers with a dot survey, and compile market
observations and recommendations. At this workshop, you will acquire the
skills to participate in and conduct your own RMA.
For more details and a registration form, please see
http://www.farmersmarkets.msu.edu/Portals/farmmarkets/RMA%20Workshop%2006260
8.pdf. Registration is required by this Friday, June 20th.
*********
20. Grazing Workshop
July 15th, 22nd, and 29th, 2008, from 6:00pm - 9:00pm.
This workshop is for all grazers and will feature a pasture walk on area
farms enabling participants to see fencing options and pasture layouts. More
details will be available in the next month or so. Here are the details to
date:
Small Farm Environmental Awareness Program
Sponsored by Madison and Pickaway Soil and Water Conservation Districts and
the Heart of Ohio RC&D Council
Focusing on:
* Pasture Management - Fertility Assessment
* Manure Management - Storage & Application
* Rules and Regulations
The program will be a series of workshops to educate participants on grazing
management and water quality concerns. The workshop series will be held July
15, 22, and 29, 2008, from 6:00pm - 9:00pm. Two of the workshops will be
held at field locations.
Contact info:
Traci Aquara, Program Administrator
Heart of Ohio RC&D Council
557 Sunbury Rd.
Delaware, OH 43015
740-368-5979, x-112
740-494-4295 or 595-4637(Home Office)
740-972-6447 (cell)
[log in to unmask]
**********
21. High Tunnel Tour of England
October 5-9, 2008
We are organizing a 5-day bus tour of high tunnel culture in England for
growers, Extension folks, or any other interested people. Cost is $800 per
person ($700 double), which includes most meals and all lodging (flight to
London not included). Ralph Kramer, the Haygrove High Tunnels representative
for the Eastern U.S., developed
the itinerary. We will tour cherries, raspberries, and strawberries and
possibly other
crops under tunnels, see the latest developments in tunnel structures, poly,
management demos, packing sheds, strawberry harvesting rigs, etc. We will
also visit Warwick Castle. Lodging will be in mid-level hotels on the
outskirts of the cities. Deadline for registration is August 22, but you may
want to register and purchase your air ticket earlier. Full details and
registration forms are posted at: http://www.hrt.msu.edu/TUNNELTOUR/
Contact Eric Hanson at MSU (517-355-5191 x1386, mailto: [log in to unmask])
with any questions.
*******
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