Calling all corn and soybean producers and agricultural advisers! The United Soybean Board (USB), in partnership with the Midwestern Regional Climate Center (MRCC), Iowa State Extension, Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship, and the Iowa Soybean Association, invites you to a virtual workshop informing the future of the MRCC’s Ag Climate Dashboard and new…Read more about July 16: Get Paid for Your Opinions About Ag Climate Data[Read More]
Vegetable Crops - General
OISC Clean Sweep Pesticide Disposal Program is a great opportunity to legally dispose of unwanted pesticide products at little or no cost. The 2025 Clean Sweep Pesticide Disposal Program sponsored by the Office of the Indiana State Chemist (OISC) offers statewide pesticide collection sites in LaPorte, Vigo, Decatur, Clark, Whitley, and Hendricks counties in August….Read more about OISC Clean Sweep Pesticide Disposal Program[Read More]
Small and medium-sized vegetable farms face unique challenges balancing profitability with sustainable production practices and food safety requirements. To better understand how these farmers navigate complex decision-making processes, the Soil to Market Team—comprising Maria Marshall, Renee Wiatt, Petrus Langenhoven, Betty Feng, and Nathan Shoaf—conducted a comprehensive survey of 500 small and medium-sized farmers across the…Read more about Understanding Farm Decision-Making: Insights from the 2024-2025 Producer Survey[Read More]
If you haven’t had the pleasure, please allow me to introduce you to the Harlequin bug, Murgantia histronica (Figure 1). This true bug (Order Hemiptera) is equipped with piercing-sucking mouthparts and has a preference for feeding on brassica crops. Unfortunately for us, their feeding results in white blotches on the leaf tissues (Figure 2), and…Read more about Insect Spotlight: Meet the Harlequin Bug![Read More]
Dear Valued VCH Readers, Welcome to this week’s edition of the Vegetable Crops Hotline! As summer heat intensifies across Indiana, this week’s edition provides timely guidance to help you navigate the challenges and opportunities of the peak growing season. With temperatures running 6 to 13°F above normal and increased humidity triggering pop-up showers throughout the…Read more about From the Editor’s Desk[Read More]
I couldn’t think of a better title this week, thanks to the hot weather we’ve been experiencing and the song by Arrow. While some people enjoy the heat and humidity, I must admit that I don’t find it overly pleasant. Over the past few days, average temperatures have ranged from 6 to 13°F above normal,…Read more about Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot[Read More]
We’ve made it! Meteorological summer started on June 1, but the official start of summer isn’t until June 20. The days are longer, temperatures have risen, and my allergies are in full swing. I let the dogs out last night, and there was still quite a bit of light in the sky just before 10:00…Read more about Meteorological Summer Has Arrived[Read More]
I’m excited to share that the University of Kentucky Center for Crop Diversification (UK CCD) and the Organic Association of Kentucky (OAK) are partnering with Glacial Drift Enterprises to host a Mechanical Weed Control Field Day on September 23 at the University of Kentucky Horticulture Research Farm in Lexington. Like many of your states, Kentucky is home to a…Read more about Mechanical Weed Control Field Day at the University of Kentucky – September 23[Read More]
Mark your calendars for July 24, 2025 – the Purdue Small Farm Education Field Day promises to be an invaluable resource for small-scale farmers and urban growers across Indiana. The Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, in partnership with the Purdue Student Farm, is hosting this comprehensive educational event from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m….Read more about Discover Small-Scale Farming Solutions at Purdue’s Educational Field Day[Read More]