Dear Valued Vegetable Crops Hotline Readers,
Welcome to issue 777 of the Vegetable Crops Hotline newsletter! Our mission remains steadfast: to deliver crucial updates on pest management, production practices, food safety, and marketing opportunities that directly impact your farming operations.
What’s Inside This Issue
Central Indiana is coming off one of the wettest stretches of the season. After a drier-than-normal July, the skies opened up in a big way: just two weeks into August, much of the state had already received more rain than a typical August sees in full, with many areas east of Indianapolis logging over 600 percent of normal precipitation for the period. Only far southern and southwestern Indiana have been spared, sitting near or below normal. (See “Soaking Rains to End the Summer, And Then Some” for the full breakdown of the numbers.)
The impact has been hard to miss. Homeowners have watched yards and basements take on water, and for farmers the stakes are also higher. Fields across the region have flooded, waterlogged soils are suffocating root systems, and disease pressure has climbed fast in the persistently wet, humid conditions, all at a point in the season when many crops should be heading toward harvest, not fighting to survive standing water. If your garden or fields were among those affected, don’t skip “Food Safety After Flooding” in this issue. As the water recedes, food safety needs to move to the top of the list. Floodwater can carry E. coli, Listeria, heavy metals, and chemical runoff, and any produce that came into contact with it may not be safe to eat or sell.
On a lighter note, if you’re already thinking ahead to next season, mark your calendar for the first annual Great Lakes Tek Flex, September 10–11 at the MSU Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center in Benton Harbor, MI. The field showcase will feature the latest in robotic weeding, drones, and precision ag technology from 18 companies representing more than 20 brands — details are inside.
Subscription Information
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If you need a hard-copy subscription form and don’t have internet access, please contact your nearest Purdue Extension office. Extension Educators, please download the hard-copy subscription form.
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In addition, digital subscribers receive emails with information about articles or announcements that need your immediate attention. These articles will be posted under Hot Topics on the VCH webpage and will be included in the next issue. All previous articles published in the VCH newsletter are available on the Vegetable Crops Hotline website.
Website Links in Newsletter Articles
We frequently include links to websites or online publications. If you can’t access these resources, don’t hesitate to contact your local Purdue Extension office or us to request a hard copy of the information.
Midwest Vegetable Production Guide
The 2026 Midwest Vegetable Production Guide is now available for growers, or you can download and print a guide from your computer. The guide is also available for $20 per copy. Contact your Extension Office or Stephen Meyers directly to purchase a copy.
Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports
Are you considering purchasing vegetable seeds? The Midwest Vegetable Trial Report features many articles to help you make an informed decision. The resource also hosts production-related research results.
Contact Us If You Have a Story to Share
Growers and Purdue Extension Educators, your input and expertise make this newsletter a truly useful resource. If you have hot topics you’d like us to cover, success stories to share, or questions for our Extension specialists, please email Petrus langenhoven or reach out to the specialist directly. We also welcome high-quality photos of pest issues, unusual symptoms, or innovative production practices you’ve implemented on your farm.
As always, thank you for reading, and happy growing!
Petrus Langenhoven, Editor
Clinical Assistant Professor and Vegetable Extension Specialist
Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
Purdue University