Here, at the end of the 2025 production season, you may find yourself wishing you had better records of plantings, treatments, harvest dates, yields, etc. That information is valuable to you for both financial records and future planning. This seemed like a good time to remind (if you’ve seen this before) or inform (if you…Read more about Digital Records are Easy and Useful[Read More]
Vegetable Crops - General
What began in 2010 as a modest student initiative in a field of honeysuckle has blossomed into one of the country’s most dynamic educational farms. Today, the Purdue Student Farm operates on 3.5 acres on the northern edge of campus, serving as a living example of how a land-grant institution can integrate teaching, research, and…Read more about Purdue Student Farm: Growing Leaders, Knowledge, and Community[Read More]
Dear Valued VCH Readers, Welcome to This Week’s Vegetable Crops Hotline – Our Final Issue for 2025 As we close out the 2025 growing season, this marks our final newsletter issue of the year. We’ll return with our next regular issue on February 20, 2026. Should any urgent matters arise during our winter break, we’ll…Read more about From the Editor’s Desk[Read More]
If you’re considering transitioning your farm to organic production, we have an event coming up in November that’s perfect for you! The Indiana Organic Network and Marbleseed are teaming up to host an Organic University event in Indiana at the Hendricks County Fairgrounds on November 6, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. This event…Read more about Marbleseed and Indiana Organic Network to host Organic University in November[Read More]
Keeping produce safe and meeting buyers’ and regulatory expectations starts with strong cleaning and sanitation practices. Farms that implement proper procedures not only protect public health but also improve efficiency and build trust with customers. To help growers and farm workers strengthen these skills, we invite you to join us on December 9th from 1:00…Read more about Cleaning and Sanitation Workshop – December 9[Read More]
The Midwestern Regional Climate Center (MRCC) has launched a new version of cli-MATE, its main online portal for United States climate data, analyses, statistics, maps, graphics, and other information. For over 40 years, MRCC has provided climate data to the public—initially through printed reports and later digitally as web access grew. The latest redesign of…Read more about Explore the New cli-MATE: Your self-service portal to U.S. climate data, maps, and more[Read More]
The recent passage of Indiana Senate Bill 28, along with provisions from the original Indiana water rights legislation, may raise concerns for landowners who utilize groundwater resources. If you have significant water usage due to irrigation or other agricultural activities, being prepared for challenges from your neighbors and community may help ensure that you can…Read more about Are You Ready for Challenges to Your Irrigation Water Use?[Read More]
Dear Valued VCH Readers, Welcome to this week’s edition of the Vegetable Crops Hotline! As we approach the final chapter of Indiana’s vegetable growing season, this marks our penultimate newsletter issue for the year. While the calendar suggests we should be settling into typical late-season conditions, the 10-day forecast tells a different story—temperatures are trending…Read more about From The Editor’s Desk[Read More]
Common names: common waterhemp, tall waterhemp Latin name: Amaranthus tuberculatus Family: Amaranthaceae (pigweed family) General description and identification Waterhemp is an upright, tall, summer annual herbaceous plant. It is native to the United States and has historically been found in waterways and floodplains. Today, waterhemp is often found in disturbed habitats, such as agricultural fields….Read more about Weed Spotlight: Waterhemp[Read More]
If you have any stakes in agriculture, you may have noticed a fairly rapid drying trend as summer has come to a close. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor on September 2, 76 percent of Indiana is considered abnormally dry—up from just 26 percent one week earlier. Moderate drought conditions have also expanded from less…Read more about Abnormally Dry and Drought Conditions Are On The Rise[Read More]