The additional aid will fill gaps in previous rounds of assistance and help beginning, socially disadvantaged and small and medium-sized producers that need support. The program includes $700 million for pandemic response and safety grants for PPE and other protective measures to help specialty crop growers, among others; and up to $20 million for additional[Read More…]
Please join us for the Southwest Purdue Ag Center virtual field day! You will learn about many exciting research projects conducted at the research center. Topics on horticultural crops include: – Rainfastness of fungicides – What can IPM adoption in watermelons mean for pests, pollinators and profit? – Strawberry production with alternative systems – High[Read More…]
In early May, we had an extended cold period with daily average air temperatures in the 50s°F. Min temperatures are in the 40s°F, some nights even upper 30s°F. In most areas in southern Indiana, it is fortunate we did not encounter a frost with temperature dropped below 32°F, but the low temperature for the extended[Read More…]
Pumpkin planting is right around the corner. The recent Vegetable Beet Podcast produced by Great Lakes Vegetable Producers Network featured Brad Bergefurd from The Ohio State University and Nathan Johanning from University of Illinois talking about Pre-season Pumpkin Tips. They shared many of their insights in planting spacing, fertility management, weed control, no-till etc. A[Read More…]
Strawberry harvest is right around the corner. We visited a few fields last week, things are generally looking good at the farm visited. Damage from the freeze event about two weeks ago seems minimal. With last year’s lesson, growers are prepared and applied frost protection to the early cultivars. Under the protection, the blooms survived[Read More…]
USDA is implementing updates to the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) for producers of agricultural commodities marketed in 2020 who faced market disruptions due to COVID-19. This is part of a larger effort to reach a greater share of farming operations and improve USDA pandemic assistance. The CFAP 2 signup period has reopened as part[Read More…]
Vegetable growers, we would like to hear your story about the freeze event on Apr. 20 and 21. What crops are you growing? Did you take protective actions? Did it cause damage on the crops? Hearing your stories would help us better design our extension programs. If you allow, we would like to share your[Read More…]
Last year at about this time, we announced that the Southwest Purdue Ag Center (SWPAC) would be closed to visitors due to concerns about the pandemic. At this time, SWPAC is still closed to visitors. We have devised an alternative method of dropping off samples that will avoid face-to-face contact. Follow these instructions to drop[Read More…]
There is a frost and freeze warning for 4/20, 4/21, 4/22. Vegetable growers should be prepared to take protective actions on early-planted warm-season vegetables (tomato, cucumber, pepper, summer squash, bean etc.). For high tunnel growers, medium-weight floating row covers should provide sufficient protection. Growers should close the structure when inside temperatures drop below 80°F to[Read More…]