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CSA emphasis in Northeast Ohio — fresh and local is the way to go Page 3

Michigan Farm Bureau honors Benzie Co.’s Don Nugent for distinguished ag service Page 27

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Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . A19 Direct Marketing . . . A11 Landscaping . . . . . . . . A22 Today’s Marketing . .A11

Pest Control . . . . . . . . . . .5 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Today’s Marketing . . . .6 Fruit & Vegetables . . .14

INSERTS GROWER MARKETPLACE

Classifieds . . . . . . . . B15 Fruit & Veg. Equip. A20 New Varieties . . . . . . B1 Today’s Marketing. . A5

The Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association elects new president and board members Page A4

Inserts: (Some Areas) JR Johnson Supply Schmidlin Greenhouse Waldos

Great Lakes Expo Page 13

Linton’s Enchanted Gardens Page 2

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Brambling Rows Berry Farm Page 3

Use of high tunnels still growing—Page 3

Direct marketing profitable for Ohio growers Page 2

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Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Irrigation . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Sustainable Organic . 11 Today’s Marketing . . . .6 Equipment . . . . . . . . . . .24

Inserts: (Some Areas)

Greenstar Calhoun Bend Mill

Inserts: (Some Areas) Southern Specialty Food Produce Promotions Northern Tool

Wisconsin Landscape Contractors Association Southeast Chapter helps out at Congdon Gardens ~

Great courage can earn customer loyalty ~ Page 3

Page 11

Garwood Orchards and Farm Market

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Insert Grower Marketplace

Coming full circle

NW area greenhouse industry major contributor to regional economy

~ Page 2

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First time for everything

Mouzin family’s farm has grown and prospered

October 2011

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Lowes Creek Tree Farm Page 3

Frese Ornamental Nursery Page A2

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Classifieds . . . . . . . . B13 Winter Planning . . . A5 Christmas . . . . . . . . . B1 Today’s Marketing. A11

Morning Sky Greenery

Page 2 - Section A • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • December 2011

by Kelly Gates Sally Finzel always had a fascination for plants. She chose horticulture and plant sciences as her main area of focus while attending Cornell University. But she never dreamed that she would own a growing business of her own someday.

According to Finzel, it took a move to small town in the Midwest for her to consider establishing a nursery.

“We moved to Morris, MN because my husband was a professor and wanted to teach at a small college,” she explained. “However, because the town is also small, there were not many opportunities for me to get a job that would utilize my degree. So, I partnered with a couple of folks from Morris and started growing native plants under the name of Morning Sky Greenery.”

Three years later, Finzel bought out her partners and she has been working hard ever since to make Morning Sky Greenery one of the best native plant producers in the upper midwest. She also wants to acknowledge her longtime office manager and horticultural consultant, Mary Holm, who has helped her to fulfill this goal.

Each fall, she and her staff of employees — up to 12 people during peak season — travel throughout the region in search of seed stock. They sweep ditches. They wander through prairies, wetlands and woodlands gathering a wide array of seeds as they are just

about to fall from flowers, grasses, vines, trees and shrubs that grow naturally throughout Minnesota.

“When we first started, we mostly collected wild flower and grass seeds, using propagation manuals to figure out how to grow each variety,” said Finzel. “We also relied a lot of reputable native wildflower and grass producers that helped teach us which are the best species and varieties to grow, which are the showiest and other characteristics that helped us determine what plants would go into our inventory each year.”

Finzel’s study of plant identification at Cornell was indepth as well. That, coupled with the ongoing, hands-on learning over the years, has resulted in a list of plant offerings that exceeds 250 varieties and continues to expand annually.

It is necessary to have a large assortment as Morning Sky Greenery’s customers often use its plants for major restoration projects.

“We sell to a lot of different government agencies and also to private individuals,” noted Finzel. “Many of our plants are used in shoreline restoration projects along rivers, lakes and streams. They also go into rain gardens in new developments and some shoreline restoration projects that are designed to incorporate natural infiltration basins. Growing native plants for landscapes in order to improve water quality and provide wildlife habitat is our number one priority”

Sally Finzel takes inventory outside the greenhouse.

Many of the cost-share projects being installed are done by the Department of Natural Resources or Soil and Water Conservation and Watershed Districts. The native plant nursery also sells to colleges and universities that conduct research. It supplies plant

Morning Sky Greenery owner, Sally Finzel, oversees the seedlings started in the No. 1 greenhouse.

Photos courtesy of Morning Sky Greenery

material to zoos, botanical gardens and a wide array of other institutions too.

In order to ready the plants for installation, Morning Sky Greenery has a proven process that begins with careful selection of each batch of seeds.

“We hand-collect most of our seeds and in November, we start to stratify some of the species that need to be in cold, moist sand for a few months before planting,” said Finzel.

“In March, we start to sow out our seed flats in our two hoop houses that are covered with inflated double poly.”

The company later transplants small plants into 6packs. Some are placed into 4inch or 6-inch pots, depending on the variety.

As soon as the small flowers, grasses, vines, trees and shrubs have good root systems;, they are moved outdoors to acclimate to the environment; when they are hearty enough to withstand the elements. This, said Finzel, prepares them for eventual planting outside. Then, a whole new batch of seeds are sown and the cycle begins anew.

When it comes time to ship, the nursery’s staff takes special care to reuse any packing materials rather than using new items. Individual plants are wrapped tightly in newspaper. Even cardboard boxes that once carried cereal and toaster strudel to the grocery store are reused as containers

for customer orders.

“We try to be as green of a company as possible,” Finzel told Country Folks Grower.

“Along with packing and shipping materials, we also reuse our pots. Many of our customers return them to us, we wash them and use them again and again.”

After 20 years of operation, Morning Sky Greenery has certainly come a long way.

According to Finzel, it has gone through a number of growth spurts that have required her to enlarge her workforce and continually expand the company’s inventory.

The nursery is currently poised to take on even more varieties of native plants. And, to help educate customers about the boundless possibilities of native plant installation.

“We keep adding more and more species all the time and learning more about which plants work well together in specific environments,” she said. “There is a lot to consider when approaching a plant installation project, so we offer consulting services to people who need help determining which plants to select. We take great pride in our customer service and the expertise we have gained over the years. As we look to the future, I can see Morning Sky Greenery offering even more help as a consulting firm and a greater selection of native plants as well.”

One stop shopping for locally grown food New concept also helps direct marketer

Local Roots manager Jessica Eickleberry, at left, with Monica Bongue of Muddy Fork Farm.

Photos by William McNutt the first organizational efforts it became obvious volunteer action would only accomplish so much, and board member Jessica Eikleberry was named manager, which along with an assistant, represent the only paid positions in Local Roots. Eickleberry stresses the aims of Local Roots are to provide locally grown food to area residents all year long, while providing a onestop location for both consumers and those delivering the goods to be consumed.

Ohio has many permanent market sites, usually an off shoot of a long time orchard and fruit growing operation, but most have become small groceries or mini-supermarkets, where local produce is from the same acreage as the market site location, and much of the rest is imported from outside wholesale sources.

Local Roots offers enclosed walls and a roof for 100-120 growers, who do not have to travel to other sites during their busiest times. In its first year of operation, activity was primarily limited to Wayne and surrounding counties such as Ashland, now looking at setting up a similar facility, plus Holmes county with its large Amish population of small farmers, who have turned increasingly to specialty crops, and welcome the short transit to Wooster. This year has seen product showing up from at

least 10 counties within 5075 miles.

Currently Local Roots has over 650 members who have paid the minimum $50 annual membership fee (one time $1000 payment for lifetime membership) to become members of a cooperative structure based on a unique concept: Local Roots is incorporated as a for-profit producer and consumer cooperative, rather than the usual designation as one or the other in separate corporate structures. Eikleberry says it was difficult to find a lawyer who could assemble the non-standard Code of Regulations that was needed, but the joint proprietorship does give both parties representation and responsibility in meeting a common goal. Volunteers can trade 10 hours of work for membership, producers often will have deductions made from their payments. Volunteers consist of nearby College of Wooster students, stay at home mothers, those under 16 not yet job eligible and of course retirees.

Those who sell at the market must guarantee the product comes directly from their farm operation; no middleman or wholesale purchases are allowed. All commodities are bar coded at delivery time, and consigned for sale; Local Roots has no inventory, each consigner handles their own, with signage allowed to designate

who has grown or made the item sold, plus price asked.

With this set up, cash accounts are recorded to each producer, and checks sent twice per month to each consigners direct pay checking account, minus the 10 percent for Local Roots, which goes into their reserve account for overhead needs plus future projects.

On the front burner now is a kitchen to be rented out for processing various fresh fruit and vegetable crops, helping growers extend the growing season, which in turn will offer more opportunities for expanded sales.

Expansion of current freezer and cooling capacity, as market output grows, is seen as a future need.

Monica Bongue’s philosophy calls for everyone who wants locally grown food, free of pesticides and other chemicals, in her case organically grown, to have it available. She wants to know the farmer who has grown the food she is eating, and know how he or she feels about growing it. Bongue visualizes Local Roots as an outlet for these growers, providing a central location for distribution and sales, plus saving trips to several locations that may not make most efficient use of their time. Jessica Eikleberry reports monthly average sales of $10,000 per month from the consignment of perhaps 100 plus growers as a year round average. She said organically grown mer-

chandise is perhaps 20 percent of the offering, another 20 percent produced conventionally grown product, with the remainder stressing “natural” overall production.

Space for a conference room is open to community groups, and also offers room for workshops on cooking, gardening and crafts, the latter an important addition to commodities sold at Local Roots.

How do they compare on pricing to local supermarkets?

Jessica says they are very competitive. Of course the abundance of volunteer labor is a major factor in keeping costs low, down the road the question may become: can we keep up the initial enthusiasm and can-do attitude that has helped so greatly to make this a very successful start-up operation? Local Roots is part of movement that will continue to grow, as younger parents, especially, seek better nutrition for their children, and a better educated younger population wants to know more about the food they eat.

The question is still open about the adoption of such methods on a larger scale, as much of the world’s population lives in food deficient areas. After all a baby recently born somewhere in the third world has raised its population to 7 billion, while agricultural land continues to be taken away for other uses. But organizations such as Local Roots continue to offer an excellent alternative where a choice is available.

Attractive displays of fresh, locally grown produce greet shoppers at Local Roots.

December 2011 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Section A - Page 3

by William McNutt No consumer related movement has grown faster in the past 10 years than the trend toward production of food crops that do not leave where they were grown. Best estimate is that 3-5 percent of food now grown in this country is sold less than 100 miles from the farm.

Ironically this is the way it used to be until mid 20th century, when 50 percent of the U.S. population lived on farms, and provided most the meat, milk and produce eaten by their urban neighbors. Every major city had municipal markets and neighborhood grocery stores from which locally grown, fresh products were sold.

A rise in population, coupled with industrial expansion, doubled and tripled the size of cities and inevitably lowered farm numbers while increasing acreage devoted to one-man management.

Currently nearly threefourths of the fruit and vegetables we eat travel thousands of miles to reach giant supermarkets in the Midwest and East coast; many consumer groups would like to see at least a partial return to former status.

Local Roots, headquartered in Northeastern Ohio’s Wayne County seat town of Wooster, has achieved significant improvement during the past 2 years in expanding local food marketing for both growers and consumers. The first step was the formation of a steering committee, which later became the first board of directors, of enthusiastic volunteers committed to the cause of locally produced food. One of them was Monica Bongue, herself a grower of organic produce on 2 acres of the 27-acre farm where she and her husband, a plant breeder at OARDC, reside. She now acts as coordinator of marketing for Local Roots, on a volunteer basis, while continuing the farm operation.

Next was the acquisition of a building in downtown Wooster, owned by the county commissioners, who granted a 2-year rent-free lease. In the meantime, various skills of volunteers and board members were utilized to remodel and renovate the building as a full scale market, with donations coming from many sources, including a regional supermarket chain.

These developments were aided by grants from Ohio Department of Agriculture and USDA for specialty crops and rural development. From

Small Farm and Specialty Production

by William McNutt For at least the past 5 years, Farm Science Review has significantly increased presentation of research relating to specialty crop production; while continued emphasis on agronomic crops has not lessened, increasing emphasis on high value crops has grown immensely. Local food production and consumption is finding ever wider markets as growing numbers move to formerly rural areas.

Community gardens, especially in public school areas, coupled with direct farm-to-consumer sales in urban areas help this trend.

Gardens can be set up in blighted areas, abandoned industrial sites and former parking lots, with help available from various non-profit government agencies and commissions; many service clubs find this an attractive community service project.

Sponsoring groups can set up a work schedule, recruit school class members for school gardens, plus adults for other locations, who participate in order to secure food from the gardens.

Together they decide what produce to grow, who will get it. Usually city water can be used for irrigation, at Ohio State, in an early example of over 40 years duration, land has been set aside for gardening at Buckeye Village, housing foreign graduate students, with many tools plus irrigation water provided by OSU.

Dr. Gary Gao, OSU extension horticulturist, warns that growing grapes in Ohio is a risky business, unless all factors are in line.

Small acreage growers have developed a profitable sideline by contracting to grow grapes for winemakers or juice processors. Many wineries do not raise their own or do not have enough land to expand. Depending on the variety, grapes will sell for $500-1500

Country Folks The Monthly Newspaper for Greenhouses, Nurseries, Fruit & Vegetable Growers

Page 4 - Section A • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • December 2011

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per ton, with an estimated yield of 7-8 tons per acre, which the winemaker will convert and sell for about 10 times that much. But do not rush out and start planting, warns Dr. Gary Gao, OSU extension horticulturist, since growing grapes is a risky business, unless all factors are in line.

Ohio soils have poor drainage below the surface, and good drainage is a necessity.

Climate extremes abound in this state, early Spring frosts can kill as cold air collects in valleys; land for grapes should be fairly level, with no more than 15 degrees of slope. Have soil tested, soil type and drainage determine type of grapes that can be grown, lime will needed if too acid, the need for tiling will be almost assured, and new growers can count on 5 years with no or very little income from grapes, while $7000-8000 per acre is a standard figure for completing a start up.

On a side note, while the profit picture for Ohio agriculture is the best in several years, this factor is also resulting in great demand for available land, which now sees some SW/NW Ohio prime farmland approaching $10,000 per acre, according to OSU Ag Economist Carl Zulauf. While corn prices are going down due to greater storage inventory than USDA has previously estimated, they could move even lower if ethanol restrictions, such as less subsidy and lower import duties go into effect. One third of the crop is now used for ethanol, while consumer organizations grumble about increasing food cost, plus poorer nutrition resulting in more childhood obesity. Advocates of increased local food consumption claim this would be helped if more attention was paid to nutritive value of fresh and local, it needs to be remembered that specialty produce raised on smaller acreage is also getting more costly, as is the little suitable land near metropolitan areas best suited for direct marketing. This land will also be vulnerable for development sale purposes as the economy recovers, when it will become competitive with the $10,000 per acre bids observed for conventional type production.

Zulauf went on to say Ohio’s total

farm assets are up from the 79 billion dollar estimate of 5 years ago, with cash building up, which of course is driving up per acreage bidding.

Expanded dairy and livestock production is a factor, with expanded operations not wanting to grow their own feed. There will be a 2012 Farm Bill, with emphasis on ethanol, direct pay, conservation and cotton, the last of which has outsized influence with help from Southern legislators, though all Congressional committees are being asked to submit suggestions for reductions in financing. Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown is proposing direct payments based on income loss to farmers, not on the basis of selected crops. Support for specialty crops will continue, particularly in reference to nutrition, direct marketing, locally produced foods, and organic culture, though specialty production has no base, and will need to be reauthorized for support by August 2012, when terms of the 2007 bill (finally passed in 2008) are set to expire. Total monies previously provided are not likely to be cut, but will probably be reapportioned.

Jill Clark, Director of Farmland Innovation at OSU, reported on a project currently being conducted to place nutritional food in low income neighborhoods, where the population has no transportation, or available supermarkets. Most of their food is purchased at convenience stores, Dollar markets, drug outlets, or similar locations, which have high mark ups or limited produce sales. In the past a Jill Clark few outlets of this Director of type have purchased Farmland fruits and vegetables Innovation at at supermarkets or OSU big box stores, transported it to their stores, and sold them with a healthy markup. Collective buying groups have also been formed which concentrate on specialty produce with high nutrition levels, placed in area corner family type stores, where nearly two-thirds of low income population already buy their food, hopefully to be sold at an affordable price.

This project is working with Ohio Produce Growers Marketing Association (OPGMA) to supply mid level services to move product of this type, where growers will supply product to neighborhood outlets, but do not want to be involved in selling directly to consumers. This may be modeled somewhat on Community Supported Agriculture, but cuts back on individual grower involvement, while also offering other possibilities.

One might be to pool with another grower who wants to sell direct and would do the delivery, or contract to supply such produce to a middleman, who would handle billing and delivery.

Moving food from farm to table has never been a simple process — to date slightly over 3 percent of our food supply is acquired from direct marketers.

Imported fruits and vegetables make up almost two-thirds of the produce consumed in the U.S., and most produce has a long journey to get to that final destination. Any decrease in that journey can only benefit both producer and consumer.

Today’s Marketing Objectives By: Melissa Piper Nelson Farm News Service News and views on agricultural marketing techniques.

Marketing vs. sales why two strategies are better than one Isn’t marketing the same as sales? Aren’t sales what marketing is all about?

Those two questions surface in almost every discussion about agricultural and agribusiness entrepreneurism and business growth.

Marketing and sales

represent two similar, but separate pieces, to an overall business plan.

Marketing is everything you do upfront to reach the audience you feel will most likely buy your product or service. Sales are the finalizing agreement between buyer and seller that closes the deal.

The strategies you develop for each of these

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growth segments signal how you plan for your business to grow and prosper over a defined time period. Each component, marketing or sales, requires different strategies. That is why two distinct plans are better than combining them together.

Marketing asks you to strategize about the key buying groups that want to introduce your product to and that have the means to most likely purchase it. A marketing plan helps you pare down a broad buying public to the target audiences you need to reach. You may have already defined that you are interested in reaching families who buy fresh produce, or

tourists who enjoy farm outings. You have built your advertising and promotional campaigns around those interests.

Marketing asks you to delve deeper and identify the sub-groups where sales will actually take place and make your business grow. It moves from the shot gun approach of trying to reach all populations to the specific consumers most likely to become your loyal customers.

Sales strategies take this information and research to the conclusion of the agreement or purchase. The customer is interested and now you must close the sale.

It is wonderful to have a stream of customers coming to look over a product or attraction, it takes additional strategy to have them actually purchase your product, buy tickets to your event, or agree to stock their shelves with your

food and value-added products.

Some business owners choose to seek outside help in developing a marketing plan. Marketing research firms and other business consulting groups can devote time to more complex marketing issues, especially in dealing with wholesale and retail contracts or franchising.

Some business owners and managers feel these types of specialized services help zero in on target audiences and identify specific points of sales where growth is more likely in a shorter period of time.

Farm gate operators may decide that local research is more helpful in designing a simpler marketing plan.

This is often more appropriate for new and developing businesses, although business mentoring programs and business incubator

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December 2011 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Section A - Page 5

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services provide marketing assistance for local entrepreneurs. Regardless of how a marketing plan is developed however, the ultimate goal is to lay the groundwork for sales.

A sale is often defined as “the act of completion of a commercial activity.” Sales then are the finalizations of marketing’s preparation. If you have a team of sales representatives, they have already learned the essentials of closing the deal. In the case of smaller or more specialized operations, employees should have that same instruction. Employees are often the first line of sale representation your customers experience and need to have the information and training necessary to provide good information and encourage sales.

Sales strategies outline who you expect to sell your product or service to, how often, and how many units you will sell for a given price. This sounds simple enough, but developing this overall strategy demands some time, research, and knowledge of your industry or point of sales. Developing a strategy for selling at a farmers’ market is different than working with a team of wholesalers and retail outlets.

While marketing and sales go hand in hand, they represent two distinct points of planning and operation for any agricultural business or service industry. They lay the foundation for your overall business operation and success.

Farm business planning is supported by the Cooperative Extension Service, local colleges and business counseling groups.

From providing templates for marketing and sales strategies, to courses on completing an overall business plan, ag operators have an abundance of resources from which to create good, solid plans. The USDA’s National Ag Library at www.nal.usda.gov is one of many online sites that provide templates and resources for agricultural planning.

The information above is provided for educational purposes only and should not be substituted for professional business or legal counseling.

Page 6 - Section A • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • December 2011

Evaluating advertising strategies for fruits and vegetables and the implications for obesity in the United States by Jura Liaukonyte, Bradley J. Rickard, and Harry M. Kaiser, Dyson School, Cornell University and Timothy J. Richards Morrison School of Agribusiness, Arizona State University Obesity has become a huge problem in the United States with over a quarter of the population categorized as obese.

The average American has gained 16.3 pounds during the 21 years (1988-2008) which results in an average weight gain of 0.77 pounds annually.

The U.S. obesity problem has been blamed on a host of factors such as relatively low prices per calorie for high fat and sweetened foods, insufficient exercise, substantial marketing campaigns by the fast food industry, and other environmental and economics factors. Another important factor is the trend in fruit and vegetable consumption, which has declined by 12.5 percent (fruit) and 7.6 percent (vegetables) on a per capita basis over the last 15 years.

One type of advertising that has been more common in Canada (Go for 2&5), Australia (Fruit and Veggies-More Matters), and the United Kingdom (5 a Day) than in the United States is “broad-based” advertising, which is designed to promote overall consumption of fruit and vegetables rather than specific commodities.

The fruit and vegetable sector in the United States currently has a voluntary broad-based program that is significantly smaller than the Go For 2&5 broad-based program used in Australia. The U.S. industry has discussed adopting a mandatory broadbased program that

would be used in addition to the current commodity-specific programs. In 2009 advocates of a mandatory program proposed to assess first handlers of all fruits and vegetables an annual per-unit tax in order to raise $30 million for broad-based advertising. However, the majority of growers did not want to adopt the proposed program and the policy failed after a plebiscite was conducted among all first handlers in 2009.

We recently conducted economic experiments to examine the efficacy of commodity-specific and broad-based advertising on increasing the demand for fruits and vegetables and reducing obesity. In our study, we measured the impact of broad-based advertising, commodity-specific (apple and potato, separately) advertising, and two hybrid programs that include broadbased and commodityspecific advertising across eight selected fruits and vegetables.

We use experimental methods to elicit consumers’ willingness to pay for various fruits and vegetables subject to either broad-based or commodity-specific advertising. Willingness to pay estimates can be easily converted into changes in demand and we use these measures in our simulation. We simulate the potential effects of the fruit and vegetable promotion strategies on food consumption using an equilibrium displacement model developed by Okrent and Alston (2011). Our simulated changes in quantities of retail food products are translated into changes in daily and annual calories consumed using the average daily quantity of food and energy intake in the 2005-06 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys.

Our results found strong support that broad-based advertising has a significantly higher effect than commodity-specific advertising on consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for fruits and vegetables. For example, WTP increased by 18.1 percent, 22.9 percent and 32.8 percent for the three treatments

involving broad-based advertising, which were all statistically significant unlike that for commodity-specific advertising (see Table 1).

These results are consistent with the findings of a very successful broad-based advertising program field experiment implemented over a three-year (20022005) period in Australia, which suggests that both industry stakeholders and government health agencies should carefully consider adopting a broadbased promotional strategy.

Our research provides the first piece of empirical evidence about the broad-based advertising effects relative to commodity-specific. While our research has some limitations, it is an im-

portant starting point in a significant industry debate in the U.S. Broad-based advertising has the capacity to increase demand for fruits and vegetables, and it also has the capacity to decrease caloric consumption and obesity.

We find that a successful broad-based advertising campaign for fruits and vegetables, either alone or as a hybrid with commodity-specific campaigns, may reduce average annual caloric intake per person by approximately 1,800 kcal (Table 1). This calculation takes into account the direct effects of advertising on demand and prices for fruit and vegetables, as well as the indirect effects of changes in demand for all other products as a result of the demand

and price effects. Although this reduction may appear small, it is a substantial part of annual weight gain (0.77 pounds per year) that average American has experienced. Such a strategy could be used as one component of an overall program to

reduce obesity and the serious health risks associated with it. Therefore, based on the results of our study, an increase in broad-based advertising may lead to benefits for producers of fruits and vegetables and consumers more generally.

Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable and Farm Market EXPO Michigan Greenhouse Growers Expo Each of the past shows have been huge successes, and this year will be just as impressive. We feel this is THE show to attend in North America!

We will again be located in DeVos Place, Grand Rapids, MI on Dec. 6-8.

We are pleased to have the Michigan Greenhouse Growers Expo join us again, their educational program will be held concurrently with the Great Lakes EXPO and they will be part of the trade show. This will bring in many new companies and members, enlarging our event even more. Exhibitors with greenhouse related products will be noted in the program, making it easier for attendees to find the companies related to this new facet of the trade show.

Companies exhibiting include; seed, nurseries & packaging companies, chemical & fertilizer companies, equipment large & small, processing equipment, lending and leasing, insurance, and investment companies, as well as Greenhouse related products. There are also many private brand companies as well as entertainment exhibits for the farm markets. We have many state and federal agencies that also exhibit,

updating the attendees on topics relating to regulations, programs and changes that are occurring.

In addition to the trade show, concurrent educational sessions will take place, for fruit, vegetable and greenhouse growers, and for farm marketers - 64 sessions and workshops over 3 days! This year we will again have Greenhouse related topics.

In addition to the trade show and eductaional sessions, these special events will be taking place.

Farm Market Bus Tour Monday, Dec. 5 This year’s Farm Market Bus Tour will be held on Monday, December 5, the day before the Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable & Farm Market EXPO opens. Last year’s tour attracted participants from 18 states plus Canada. In 2011, a number of the top farm market and agri-tourism locations in southwest Michigan – all different from prior year’s stops – will be visited. The tour is sponsored by Fruit Growers News and Vegetable Growers News with support from the Michigan Farm Marketing & AgriTourism Association.

The Farm Market Bus Tour is a great opportunity to network with other farm marketers, learn new marketing tips and

discuss strategies. While traveling on the buses between stops, there will be interactive discussions to share information and ideas with others on the tour.

The cost of the tour is $155 per person. This includes transportation to the farm market stops, lunch and snacks.

Registration is limited.

Register by using the registration form or go online to register at www.GLEXPO.com. Call Erin Dwyer at 734-677-0503 or email edwyer@managedbyamr.c om if you have questions or need additional information about the tour.

Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to see and learn about new possibilities for your market.

Grape Industries Luncheon Dec. 6, 11:15 a.m. 12:45 p.m., Gerald R. Ford Ballroom, Amway Grand Plaza Hotel This luncheon program is co-sponsored by the Michigan Grape and Wine Council and National Grape Cooperative for the purpose of discussing topics of importance to the juice and wine sectors of the Michigan grape industry.

The guest speaker for the luncheon will be Dr. Jerry Baron, Executive Director, IR-4 Project from Princeton, New Jersey. He will discuss how the IR-4 Project assists growers and food processors by facilitating the

registration of agricultural chemicals and biopesticides on grapes and other specialty crops.

Tickets are $18.

Advance purchase through pre-registration is recommended. A limited number of tickets will be available at registration on Tuesday morning.

Industry Luncheon Dec. 6, Noon - 1:30 p.m., Pantlind Ballroom, Amway Grand Plaza Hotel This event brings together grower leaders and

others with an interest in current issues important to agriculture. U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (invited) will be the featured speaker at this year’s luncheon.

Senator Stabenow chairs the Senate’s Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry and will have an important leadership role in crafting the next Farm Bill. She understands the issues important to agriculture, particularly specialty crops.

Tickets are $25 and

are available through pre-registration only.

Midwest Pickle Association, Pickle & Pepper Research Committee Dec. 6, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Gallery Overlook G-H Members of the Midwest Pickle Association are invited to attend this special reporting and business program. The program schedule will be as follows: Cucumber research reporting session

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December 2011 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Section A - Page 7

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EXPO from A7 and working lunch (11 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.); Brine cutting demonstration (2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.); Pickle & Pepper Research Committee meeting (3:30 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.); MWPA business meeting (4:15 p.m. - 5 p.m.).

MSHS Annual Meetings Dec. 6, 4:15 p.m., Grand Gallery Room C The annual meeting of the Michigan State Horticultural Society will include director elections and reports on activities.

All members are welcome to attend.

Meet the Buyers Reception Dec. 6, 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Imperial Ballroom, Amway Grand Plaza Hotel Fruit and vegetable growers will have an opportunity to connect with potential new markets at this event. The reception provides an opportunity for growers to meet with retail and wholesale buyers. This event is hosted by Michigan Food and Farming Systems (MIFFS), the MSU Product Center and the Michigan Department of Agriculture. Last year’s event brought together more than 300 farmers and 15 buying institutions.

Michigan Farm Marketing & Agri-Tourism Association Gathering Dec. 6, 5 - 6 p.m., Gallery Overlook Room E &F Held just prior to the popular Farm Marketing Roundtable, this gathering is for all Michigan farm market and agritourism operators who wish to learn more about the Michigan Farm Marketing & Agri-Tourism Association. This will be an enjoyable social time

and an opportunity for informal discussion about the work of this organization. The association will hold a brief annual meeting during the gathering.

Michigan Apple Queen Pageant Dec. 6, 8 p.m., Ballroom B Reigning Michigan Apple Queen Alyson Wendzel from Watervliet will crown the 2012 Michigan Apple Queen at the conclusion of this enjoyable event. The pageant is sponsored by the Michigan Apple Committee. No ticket is required to attend.

Prayer Breakfast Dec. 7, 7 a.m., Pantlind Ballroom, Amway Grand Plaza Hotel This event provides a time for Christian fellowship and an opportunity to pray for our industry and country. Pastor Doug Cuthbert of Sister Lakes Community Church will provide the

message at this year’s Prayer Breakfast. Doug was born and raised in Southwest Michigan. He has been in the ministry for thirty-five years.

Doug has used his pastor’s heart and counseling skills to lead seminars in the following countries: Peru, Mexico, Soloman Islands, China, Russia, and Namibia and Zambia in Africa.

His seminar topics include “Soul Care,” “Art of Leadership,” and “Healing the Heart of the Wounded.” Pastor Doug has a unique way of relating a loving God to a hurting world.

Tickets are $15 and should be purchased through pre-registration or on Tuesday at registration.

MVC Annual Meetings Dec. 7, 11:15 a.m.

Grand Gallery Room C, DeVos Place Convention Center The annual meeting of the Michigan Vegetable

Council (MVC) will include director elections and reports on activities.

All members are welcome to attend.

Michigan Apple Growers Luncheon Dec. 7, Noon - 1:30 p.m., Ballroom B This is a free luncheon program open to all Michigan apple growers.

This event is co-sponsored by the Michigan Apple Committee and a number of industry sponsors. A featured speaker will address an issue of importance to apple growers. The pro-

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EXPO Banquet Dec. 7, 6:30 p.m., Ballroom B Internationally renowned marketing expert, John Stanley, will be the featured speaker at this year’s banquet.

John will also be making presentations in the farm marketing and greenhouse education sessions during the

EXPO. He travels extensively from his home in Australia to educate and entertain audiences around the world about economic and consumer trends that impact farm and retail businesses.

He has a Master of Science (Horticulture) degree from Essex University (U.K.) and in his early life taught perishable retail management at Merrist Wood College in Guildford, England.

The banquet program will also include recognition of people who have made outstanding contributions to Michigan’s fruit and vegetable industries. In addition, industry scholarship recipients will be recognized and the winner of this year’s cider contest will be announced.

Tickets are $35 and advance purchase through pre-registration is recommended. A limit-

ed number of tickets will be available at registration until noon on Wednesday.

Cider Contest Dec. 7, 1:30 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Gallery Overlook G-H The cider contest will judge the best cider produced by Michigan cider makers (only Michigan cider producers are eligible for the contest). Here are some important details for the contest: • To enter, cider producers must submit two 1-gallon cider jugs at the Exhibitor Registration desk in the Grand Gallery concourse in DeVos Place on Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., or on Wednesday from 9 a.m. to noon. No entries will be accepted after

noon on Wednesday.

• Cider samples must be thawed by 1 p.m. on Wednesday (this is the responsibility of each cider producer, not the contest coordinator).

• Cider contest judging will be on Wednesday afternoon. Judging will be held in one of the upper level Grand Gallery meeting rooms and will be open for viewing starting at 1:30 p.m.

• Winners will be announced at the EXPO Banquet on Wednesday evening. First place receives a plaque and a traveling trophy. Second and third places receive a plaque.

• Samples of the winning ciders will be available to taste in the

Grand Gallery of DeVos Place Convention Center on Thursday morning.

• Entry forms are available in advance by contacting Bob Tritten, MSU Extension (8107 3 2 - 2 1 7 7 ; tritten@msu.edu). Forms can also be downloaded from the Great Lakes EXPO’s website at this a d d r e s s : www.GLEXPO.com/docs /cidercontest.pdf Michigan Organic Food and Farm Alliance (MOFFA) Meet and Greet Dec. 8, 11:30 a.m. 1 p.m.

Gallery Overlook B This gathering is sponsored by the Michigan Organic Food and Farm Alliance (MOFFA) and is for farmers and others interested in organic farming. This will be an opportunity to meet MOFFA members and others interested in organic farming and organic food. You will learn what MOFFA has to offer and its membership opportunities, as well as tasting some of Michigan's organic foods.

For more information visit www.glexpo.com.

See us at The Great Lakes Expo Booth # 1102-1103

December 2011 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Section A - Page 9

Tomato pathogen’s tricks of the trade unraveled For decades, scientists and farmers have attempted to understand how a bacterial pathogen continues to damage tomatoes despite numerous agricultural attempts to control its spread.

Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato is the causative agent of bacterial speck disease of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), a disease that occurs worldwide and causes severe reduction in fruit yield and quality, particularly during cold and wet springs.

In the spring of 2010, for example, an outbreak in Florida and California devastated the harvest in those areas.

“There is not much that can be done from a farming standpoint,” said Boris Vinatzer, associate professor of plant pathology, physiology and weed science in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, www.cals.vt.edu/, at Virginia Tech, and an affiliated faculty member with the Fralin Life Science Institute. “First, farmers try to use seed that is free of the pathogen to prevent disease outbreaks. Then, there are some diseaseresistant tomato cultivars, but the pathogen has overcome this resistance by losing the gene that allowed these resistant plants to recognize it and defend themselves.

For the rest, there are pesticides but the pathogen has become resistant against them.”

So how exactly has the pathogen evolved to con-

sistently evade eradication efforts? This is where science steps in, and a copy of the bacterial pathogen’s game plan is crucial.

Thanks to the collaborative work of Vinatzer, Virginia Bioinformatics I n s t i t u t e , www.vbi.vt.edu/, computer scientist Joao Setubal, statistician Scotland Leman, and their students, the genome of several Pseudomonas syrinage pv. tomato isolates have been sequenced in order to track the bacterial pathogen’s ability to overcome plant defenses and to develop methods to prevent further spread.

Their findings were recently published in the August 2011 issue of PLoS Pathogens, a peer reviewed open-access journal published by the Public Library of Science.

The research team has studied the pathogen for nearly five years. In 2007, with resources from the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute and the Fralin Life Science Institute, Vinatzer sequenced the genome of Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato using a Roche GS-FLX™ sequencer at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute.

In 2008, Vinatzer received a $1 million, fiveyear Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award from the National Science Foundation to continue investigation of the pathogen. Shortly thereafter, he brought Setubal, a former Virginia Tech faculty mem-

Page 10 - Section A • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • December 2011

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ber who recently went to work for the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil, and Leman, assistant professor of statistics at Virginia Tech, onto the project to handle the bioinformatics and statistical aspects of the research, respectively.

First, the scientists needed to map changes in the bacterial pathogen over large spans of time.

They compared DNA sequences of bacteria isolated in multiple years, dating back to 1960 and stored since then in international culture collections. Setubal, along with Nalvo Almeida, an associate professor at the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, provided automated genome annotation and helped Vinatzer with identifica-

tion and analysis of mutations that distinguished the sequenced genomes.

“One of the questions we asked was, ‘did the bacteria isolated in 2000 directly evolve from the bacteria isolated in 1975, or did they evolve independently from an ancestor that lived further back in time, maybe 100 to 200 years ago?’” said Vinatzer.

To answer this question, Leman, Vinatzer, and Rongman Cai of Lixian, China, a graduate student in Virginia Tech’s Department of Plant Pathology, Physiology, and Weed Science, used statistical methods to correlate the differences in the DNA sequences between the isolated bacteria with the

years in which they were isolated to determine if the bacteria progressively became more different from the first bacteria isolated in 1960.

The research team found that the pathogen likely evolved on a relatively recent time scale and continues to adapt to the tomato by minimizing its recognition by the tomato immune system. This suggests that new pathogen variants with increased virulence are spreading around the globe unobserved, presenting a potential threat to biosecurity. Ultimately, it calls for more precise methods of pathogen identification to replace outdated taxonomic descriptions that were established at a time when it was impos-

sible to classify bacteria precisely because the necessary molecular techniques had not been developed yet.

This particular pathogen is important to study because “it has been used as a model pathogen by many labs around the world and is economically significant because it reduced tomato quality and yield,” said Vinatzer.

Currently, Vinatzer is extending the research project to investigate where the pathogen originally evolved, how it is spreading around the globe, and what can be done to interfere with its spread, including how the tomato might be engineered to be more resistant to the pathogen.

Thanks to the collaborative work of Virginia Tech’s Boris Vinatzer, above, and other researchers the genome of several bacterial pathogen isolates have been sequenced in order to track their ability to overcome tomato plant defenses and to develop methods to prevent further spread.

Registration open for Market Manager Certificate Program Registration is now open for the Michigan Farmers Markets Association’s (MIFMA) second annual Market Manager Certificate Program. The Market Manager Certificate Program encourages farmers market man-

agers to pursue leadership skills and professional development in topics essential to market management.

Six day-long sessions will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Jan. 11, 25, Feb. 1, 15, 29, and

March 14 at Greenstone Farm Credit Services in East Lansing.

Sessions cover topics that farmers market managers need to know to run their markets successfully and sustainably into the future,

including Business Planning and Managing Market Growth; Market Governance; Policy and Enforcement; Group Dynamics and Conflict Management; Marketing and Outreach; and Fundraising. The final

session is a managerto-manager education and networking opportunity that is all about sharing experiences and lessons learned.

The fee for all six sessions is $300 for MIFMA members and

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December 2011 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Section A - Page 11

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$600 for non-MIFMA members or $75 for single sessions for members and $150 for nonmembers. The cost is per person. Register online at www.mifma.org

by Dec. 31 for the full program or two weeks before the session date for individual sessions.

Certificates will be awarded to individuals who complete the full six-day program including all course assignments, offering acknowledgement to market organizers and vendors that the market manager is a trained professional.

For individuals unable to attend sessions, online resources are available. See www.mifmainstitute.com . The MIFMA Cyber-Institute provides a vast range of information for market managers; however, online courses do not replace certificate program requirements.

To see the full Market Manager Certificate Program brochure or to get more information, visit www.mifma.org or contact Maggie Smith at smithm833@gmail.com or 517-432-3381.

World’s blueberries protected in unique, living collection Familiar blueberries and their lesser-known wild relatives are safeguarded by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists and curators at America’s official blueberry genebank. The plants, collected from throughout the United States and more than two dozen foreign countries, are growing at the USDA Agricultural Research Service National Clonal Germplasm Repository in Corvallis, OR. The blueberries are maintained as outdoor plants, potted greenhouse and screenhouse specimens, tissue cul-

ture plantlets, or as seeds, according to research leader Kim E. Hummer.

The genebank’s purpose is to ensure that these plants, and the diverse genepool that they represent, will be protected for future generations to grow, enjoy, study and improve. For example, plant breeders can use plants in the collection as parents for new and even better blueberries for farm or garden.

Blueberries and several other small berries are among the fruit, nut and specialty crops housed at the Corvallis reposito-

ry, which in turn is part of a nationwide, ARSmanaged network of plant genebanks.

Likely the most comprehensive of its kind in the United States, the blueberry collection nevertheless continues to expand, Hummer reports. Some acquisitions, referred to as accessions, are donations from breeders. Others are acquired through collecting expeditions, which have taken plant explorers to Russia, China, Ecuador and Uruguay, among other places, as well as throughout the United States to find new blue-

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berry plants for the repository.

The collection includes species of wild blueberries native to the Pacific Northwest that have pigmented flesh or pulp.

Some breeders are trying to breed some of these species into the familiar highbush blueberry that has a white interior, Hummer noted.

If breeders can put color on the inside of berries through crossbreeding the internalcolor berry plants with highbush plants, the breeders may be able to produce a berry that gives fuller color to processed blueberry jams, jellies, juices and dried or frozen fruit.

Other prized speci-

mens at the genebank may someday become landscaping favorites.

One example: low-growing Vaccinium praestans from Russia, China and Japan. Also known as redberry Kraznika or rock azalea, it could make an interesting, attractive ground cover that comes complete with edible fruit.

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LANSING, MI — Recently the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) Director Keith Creagh encouraged the state’s fruit growers to complete the 2011 Fruit Acreage Inventory being conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).

“The fruit industry plays an important role in meeting our goal to

increase the economic impact of the food and agriculture industries from $71.3 billion to $100 billion in five years,” said Creagh.

“The last Fruit Acreage Survey was conducted in 2006. It is critical for the funding of university research and extension programs and federal grants available to Michigan producers and commodity organizations as well as other food and agriculture based businesses to

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have access to current statistical information.”

Survey forms were mailed to USDA’s database of Michigan fruit growers in early October. Assistance in completing the survey is available from USDA staff by calling 800453-7501.

The results of the 2011 Fruit Survey will be available in November 2012 and will provide a summary of the fruit acreage in Michigan and the varieties that have been planted.

Funding to conduct the survey is provided through the federal Specialty Crop Block Grant program, administered by MDARD. The goal of the program is to increase the competitiveness of specialty crop industries, which includes fruit, vegetables, herbs, bedding plants, maple syrup and other crops.

The 2006 data is available on the USDA website at www.nass.usda.gov/St atistics_by_State/Michi gan. Click on the drop down link to “Michigan Rotational Surveys” in the “Publications” section. Other annual reports on Michigan agriculture are also available on this website.

December 2011 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Section A - Page 13

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Page 14 - Section A • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • December 2011

Ohio specialty crops growers to meet in January

by Wiliam McNutt Specialty crops growers in Ohio and neighboring states will find many reasons to attend the Ohio Produce Growers annual conference and 100-booth trade show, taking place at Kalahari Convention Center in Sandusky, Ohio on Jan. 16-18, 2012. This year the over 40 educational sessions offered by OPGMA will be enhanced by the annual meeting of North American Raspberry and Blackberry Association, who will provide many bramble related educational meetings.

Three Monday sessions will be offered at no

registration cost to growers desiring to know more about food safety and the Ohio Produce Marketing Agreement. In addition to food safety, educational tracks include vegetables, tree and small fruits, marketing, merchandising, business, disease and insect management, plus nutrition and research updates. Vendors from various parts of the U.S. will demonstrate the latest innovations in produce, equipment, products and services.

John Stanley, renowned international marketing expert, will give the keynote

address, concentrating on primary issues of food safety, plus conducting several sessions on merchandising and marketing to consumers, with emphasis on acquiring an understanding of consumer needs. Stanley’s topics include Merchandise Your Way To Success and Marketing to the Consumer, which also will focus on using the Ohio Produce Marketing Agreement as an integral tool to enhance trust between consumer and marketer. For over 30 years the Australian born Stanley has been assisting horticultural industries around the world to increase profitability and expand their markets.

He wears the label of “retail guru” as one of the leading horticultural consultants in their world, having appeared at specialty grower conferences in 26 countries.

NARBA is co-hosting the many bramble growers from the mid western area, with membership devoted to

nurseries, marketers, processors, researchers, breeders and processors, included affiliated organizations in 35 states and five countries. Relevant educational sessions at the OPGMA conference will include growing blackberries in colder climates, fundamentals of Raspberry and Blackberry production, challenges of raising brambles, trends and challenges in bramble crops breeding, plus a workshop on new paths in red raspberry genetics.

A two part seminar will examine how various production practices influence soil health and raise nutritional value of specialty crops grown on that soil.

Frank Gasperini, head of the National Council of Agricultural Employers, will address possible changes at state and national levels that will affect growers.

Gasperini says agriculture needs to continue working with Congress and regulatory agencies for laws and rules that will allow sufficient domestic food production of intensive labor crops to

continue .

Lengthening of the growing season with the use of high tunnels has increased the profits of specialty growers in the past 10 years.

Now the possibility of high tunnel construction that can be easily moved to another location is creating much interest, since the practice could permit easier soil renovation and crop rotation. A conference session will discuss advantages, and how manufacturers might be encouraged to research the need for increased production of mobile high tunnels. An educational session on greenhouse tomato disease prevention in high tunnel operations, plus several roundtables on overall disease prevention and safety practices, are also scheduled.

Traceability of product to the first handler will be a part of any national food safety program. Growers are offered the opportunity

by OPGMA to attend a seminar on this subject and learn how to create an effective pro-

gram on their road to certification. Smaller acreage growers are becoming more important in Ohio, as many part timers are entering the field. How to diversity on smaller acreage in order to compete with larger producers who already have an advantage in economies of scale and efficiency will be another offering. Tips on scheduling and securing labor, production logistics and inputs, will be part of this seminar. Growers who depend on direct marketing, but often have a need for moving surplus product, may also have an opportunity to sell wholesale to such institutions as hospitals, schools retirement centers, and other businesses, even grocery stores desiring local produce. Representatives from these groups will be present on the final day of the conference to discuss other possible sales outlets, and what will be necessary if producers desire to move in this direction.

For further information plus registration contact opgma@ofa.org

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MSU’s Product Center spurs job growth, preservation EAST LANSING, MI — In a state hit hard by job loss and unemployment, the Michigan State University (MSU) Product Center for Agriculture and Natural Resources has demonstrated that businesses can achieve positive results amid a languid economy.

Working with clients since 2004, the Product Center has helped create approximately 750 new jobs and retain an additional 365.

It has achieved these impressive numbers by sticking to its mission of empowering clients to be entrepreneurial; assisting client partners to become more competitive and prof-

itable; and creating innovative products, new jobs and expanded incomes in the agriculture, food and natural resource sectors. A team approach benefits not only the Product Center but also the clients with whom it works.

The Product Center’s work resulted in increasing its clients sales annual sales to $309.7 million and an increased investment of $228.9 million.

Dave and Wendy Achatz of Chesterfield, MI, can attest to the power of the Product Center when it comes to helping a business to realize its full potential. The couple started

in the food business 35 years ago with their family restaurant in downtown Armada in northern Macomb County. When they sold the restaurant in 1990, Achatz vowed that he “would never get back into the food business.”

Soon he realized that the food business was all he knew. The Achatzes started a piemaking business in 1993 in a pole barn on their 10-acre farm.

They operated from it for the next 12 years until zoning concerns forced them to look elsewhere.

Enter Matt Birbeck, the Product Center supply chain and mar-

keting specialist who helped the Achatzes acquire a bakery in an industrial park in Chesterfield about 10 miles south of Armada.

It was through Birbeck that the Achatzes were able to find and finance the new building and begin supplying fresh pies to upscale restaurants throughout southeastern Michigan and into the Ann Arbor, Lansing and the Chicago areas.

The company also was able to create a new line of frozen, ready-to-bake pies to supply the Whole Foods Market chain in the Mid-Atlantic re-

gion.

“We use no hydrogenated oil or preservatives in our pies, which makes our products fit perfectly in the all-natural trend,” Dave Achatz said. “(Matt) has the right personality for our culture,” Wendy Achatz said. “I am not afraid to share our problems with him so he can help us find real solutions.”

Specialized services consultant and MSU Extension educator Dianne Novak helped the Achatzes address packaging and production issues while food product development

specialist and MSU assistant professor Janice Harte provided nutritional analysis. Birbeck also helped them connect with the MSU Eli Broad College of Business to create franchising and marketing strategies.

In 2007, Achatz Pies added 10 new jobs, retained another 40 and added about $50,000 in additional sales when they moved from their farm processing facility in Armada to the new processing facility in Chesterfield.

Last year, the Product Center helped them

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Page 16 - Section A • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • December 2011

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MSU from A16 add a frozen meat pie business that created 26 jobs and added

about $1 million in additional sales.

Achatz Pies isn’t the

only group with something to crow about: Michigan Turkey Pro-

ducers have received valuable guidance from the Product Center too.

A cooperative of 15 growers formed the business in 2000 after Bil-Mar Farms announced two years earlier that it would stop slaughtering turkeys at its processing plant in Zeeland. The cooperative, which at the time employed more than 250 line workers, added a 16th grower and acquired a former potato processing plant nearby to begin producing raw turkey meat that it would sell to customers around the world.

Initial sales of the meat generated about $70 million, but rollercoaster market swings in the following years foreshadowed the need to develop a valueadded product that would be less susceptible to the fluctuating price of the commodity.

“The first two years were solid in terms of sales revenue, but in ’03 it dipped substantially,” said Dan Lennon, the cooperative’s chief executive officer. “We knew we had to do something quick because the losses were building quickly.”

That’s when Michigan Turkey Producers secured a grant from the USDA to conduct a feasibility study on value-added food service products. Product Center director Chris Peterson and his team of innovation counselors worked with Michigan Turkey to complete the study, which not only identified marketable products but affirmed management’s belief that it needed to invest in a plant where the meat could be cooked.

“The study clearly showed that to be successful, the cooperative had to cook its own meat,” said Extension educator and Product Center associate director Tom Kalchik, who directs the venture development arm of the Product Center. “The selling of raw meat, year in and year out, was too volatile.

The creation of the value-added product would bring the highest level of stability to the earnings cycle.”

The cooperative’s next step was to purchase and renovate an old warehouse in nearby Wyoming, MI, which it converted to a $20 million, state-of-the-art cook plant. The Product

December 2011 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Section A - Page 17

www.leepub.com

Center provided funds from its Agricultural Innovation Program to develop food safety plans for the new facility, which began production in 2006. The initial result was 65 new jobs and $7.5 million in additional sales.

With the assistance in 2006 of a JulianStille grant from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the cook plant has been expanded to employ 175 people who cook 30 million pounds of turkey meat annually to generate sales of $75 million. All told, Michigan Turkey Producers sell upwards of 120 million pounds of turkey meat to customers across the U.S. and in Canada, Mexico, Asia and Africa.

“We’ve always had excellent support from MSU faculty at the Product Center,” Lennon said, “especially in the early design phase and in conceptualizing a plan for the future. When we came to them in the beginning the response was, ‘What can we do to help?’ And that was critical because at that time there was very little help from the state.”

MSU student among those receiving first USDA-NIFA fellowships EAST LANSING, MI — A Michigan State University (MSU) graduate student received one of the first fellowships awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Elizabeth Savory, a plant pathology doctoral candidate in MSU AgBioResearch scientist Brad Day’s lab, received $75,000 for her research on cucumber downy mildew.

The fellowships were awarded to 54 pre- and postdoctoral students in 32 universities to help develop the next generation of agricultural, forestry and food scientists.

Through NIFA’s competitive grants program — the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) — the organization distributed $6 million in its first year of fellowships to help preand postdoctoral students develop research and educator careers.

“It is very, very exciting,” Savory said. “I got the phone call while I was in the lab, and everyone thought I was hyperventilating.”

“This is an amazing achievement,” said Day, assistant professor in the Department of Plant Pathology. “For her to be on the founding list

of winners for this program is a fantastic award not only for Elizabeth, but for Michigan State as well. She came in and began working on a very difficult project where there wasn’t a lot of information and really built this from the ground up. Now she’s ready to take it to the next step, so this award really represents her time here at MSU.” Savory studies Pseudoperonospora cubensis, which causes downy mildew. The pathogen reemerged in Michigan in 2005 to devastate Michigan’s cucumber fields.

(Michigan is the largest producer of cucumbers for processing in the United States.) In Day’s lab, Savory studies the genetic makeup of the pathogen and cucumber using next generation RNA sequencing technology. She finds every gene expressed in the pathogen and the plant and compares them during periods of infection to try to identify what genes in the pathogen might cause infection or what genes in the plant are involved in susceptibility.

She aims to better understand the connection between downy mildew and cucumbers and to develop a useful model for understand-

ing plant pathogen interactions in general.

The next phase of Savory’s plan is to create an outreach and education program for Michigan growers. She works with a cucumber commodity group called Pickle Packers International, which also funds some of her research.

“My overall goal is to take what we’ve developed in the lab and translate it into something we can use to actually help farmers in the field,” Savory said.

“There is somewhat of a disconnect between what we do and what our growers think we do or think we should be doing, so we are planning some informational sessions to show growers and members of the Pickle Packers what goes on in the lab and translate it, explain why it matters.”

Savory also plans to use a portion of the NIFA funding to travel to Japan next summer.

She will present her research there at the International Congress on Molecular Plant Microbe Interactions.

Savory said she is thrilled to receive funding on a project that reaches many different levels.

“I’m so honored to receive this,” she said.

“This will help increase general awareness about the importance of cucurbit downy mildew and its economic im-

Page 18 - Section A • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • December 2011

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Purdue agronomist: Consider costs before tilling

by Lisa Schluttenhofer WEST LAFAYETTE, IN — Farmers should take soil drainage, fertilizer and planting needs and economic thresholds into consideration before making tillage decisions, a Purdue Extension agronomist says.

“The first thing to consider when looking at tillage is whether we benefited from the tillage we did last year,” Tony Vyn said. “Once again this year, there was very

little yield advantage for those that did conventional tillage.”

No-till soybeans continue to perform as well as conventional tillage options, he said. No-till has also been found to be consistently successful for corn in rotation with soybeans when comparisons are based on similar planting dates for alternative tillage systems. But for farmers who intend to plant earlier, incorporate lime or

band-apply fertilizers such as phosphorous below the soil surface, strip tilling and vertical tillage are two relatively new options that still protect the soil resource.

“These new, intermediate systems can preserve surface residue while enabling successful establishment of corn,” Vyn said. “However, we have not achieved success with no-till operations when corn follows corn on poorly drained soils.

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As with any tilling system, with farmers paying more than ever for seed, we want to make sure that the final populations are not compromised and the yields are consistent.”

Both minimum-till systems enhance soil drying while leaving much of the soil undisturbed. Strip tilling disturbs only onethird of the area and results in comparable yields to the standard fall chisel system in corn planted after either soybean or corn, Vyn said.

Shallow vertical tillage operations involve highspeed coulter and harrow operations that typically penetrate no more than the top 2-3 inches of the

soil, cut and redistribute residue and help level the field surface.

Other farmers in Indiana are considering double-row strip tillage, which involves strip-tilling (for instance, between former corn rows), followed by planting soybean rows between 7 and 8 inches apart near the center of the strip. With this planting system, the soybeans can form an earlier canopy cover.

Farmers should consider planting methods during the fall before tilling any more than necessary, Vyn said.

“Before making any tillage decisions, growers should consider an accu-

rate reflection of the total cost,” he said. “Conventional tillage usually means three full-width passes in the field - sometimes more. We’ve noticed very little yield gain, so typically the expenditure isn’t worth it.”

Minimal or no-till systems can save farmers more than $20 per acre in equipment maintenance, fuel and labor. But the complete savings are realized when soil productivity is considered.

“Full tillage and subsequent soil loss can quickly lead to negative implications for your land’s long-term productivity,” Vyn said.

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F ruitt & Vegetablee Equipment Safe storage of oxyacetylene cylinders

by James Carrabba, Agricultural Safety Specialist, NYCAMH Oxyacetylene cutting and welding equipment is commonly used in many agricultural operations. It is important for anyone who uses this equipment to be able to use it properly and safely. It is also very important that the compressed gas cylinders are stored safely.

This article will discuss some basic safety guidelines that need to be followed for properly storing oxyacetylene cylinders.

Acetylene is the most common gas used for welding and cutting metals, and is very flammable. The oxygen won’t burn or explode but as-

sists other gasses burn at greater rates when mixed together. Acetylene and oxygen are stored separately in compressed gas cylinders. Due to the pressures inside, a compressed gas cylinder can be shot through the air like a rocket if its valve becomes damaged or broken. Gas cylinders need to be protected from physical damage, heat, and tampering.

Here are some basic guidelines for proper storage of compressed gas cylinders: Storage areas should be designed to adequately accommodate the various gas cylinders that will be used at the farm. It should be well-drained

and well-ventilated and preferably be of fire proof construction. Like gasses should be stored together with each other. Cylinders should not be stored in subsurface locations.

The storage area should be free of corrosive chemicals or fumes.

The storage area should be prominently posted with the hazard class or names of the gasses that are stored there. No smoking signs should be posted at the storage area.

The storage area should not exceed 125° F. There should be separate storage areas for empty and full cylinders.

Empty cylinders can be marked with MT or EMP-

TY written on them.

When not in service, acetylene and oxygen cylinders must be stored separately from each other. They must be separated by a distance of at least 20 feet or be separated by a non-flammable wall that is at least 5 feet high.

Cylinders should be stored in an upright position and chained to prevent them from falling.

Single acetylene and oxygen cylinders that are being used are considered “in service.” They can be stored on a cart or at a fixed work station adjacent to each other without a fire-proof partition. Cylinders that are in service must be secured

to prevent falling.

Containers must be protected from any objects that could contact the surface of the cylinder and cause an abrasion or cut into the cylinder. Cylinders cannot be stored near elevators, walkways, unprotected platform edges, or any locations where they could be struck by heavy moving or falling objects.

Keep cylinders away from flammable and combustible materials.

Cylinder valves must be closed when not in use and prior to moving.

Cylinders can be stored outside, but the bottom of the cylinder must be protected from the ground to prevent corrosion. With outside storage it is preferable to store the cylinders on asphalt or

concrete areas that are graded to drain water away. In the summer, full cylinders should be screened against the direct rays of the sun and the outside storage area should not exceed 125° F. In the winter, the cylinders should be protected from accumulations of ice and snow.

When the cylinders are not in service, or during transportation, the regulator must be removed and the protective cap screwed into place over the valve to protect it.

When moving cylinders, it is best to transport them on a cart. They can be moved short distances by rolling them on their bottom edge. Cylinders should never be dragged over the floor.

Awald Farms acquires Concord Nurseries Awald Farms of North Collins, NY, has acquired Concord Nurseries Inc. also of North Collins. NY. Concord Nurseries was a well known producer of

grapevines in the Nursery Trade.

Awald Farms is continuing the production of quality grapevines by propagating them in

Awald Farms is continuing the production of quality grapevines.

plug trays in a greenhouse and then transplanting them into raised plastic beds with drip irrigation in a soil virgin to grapevines.

Awald Farms also produces many well known varieties of raspberry and blackberry plants for sale.

The farm has been family owned and operated since 1914 when under the operation of Edward P. Geiger, grandfather of the current

Page 20 - Section A • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • December 2011

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Now operated by the third and fourth generations of the family, Awald Farm products are sold to farm markets, grocery

stores, wineries, berry growers, plant nurseries, home gardeners and individuals alike throughout the United States and Canada.

For more information or to obtain a catalog or price list, call or fax Ed or Millie Awald at 716337-3162, voice, or 716337-3600, fax.

Small Farm Works offers growers unique transplanting system The paper chain pot transplanting system is a unique, ingenious, and highly efficient means to transplant vegetables, flowers and herbs. It is unlike any transplanter used in the U.S. or Europe. It has no motor and is pulled by hand. It allows a single person to transplant as many as 264 plants in less than a minute. This is accomplished while

standing upright thus eliminating countless hours spent kneeling, crawling, or stooping.

The system relies on planting into paper pots that are in a chain. Because the pots are in a chain, they feed themselves through the transplanter. A new flat of paper pots comes compressed and is opened using a set of metal opening rods and a frame. The most com-

mon paper pot flats have 264 cells. Seeding a paper pot flat can be done by hand but seeders are available that seed an entire flat at a time.

Once the seedlings are ready to be transplanted and soil prepared, the transplanter is pulled into a bed to begin creating a furrow.

A tray of seedlings is placed on the transplanter platform and one end of the paper pot chain is pulled down into the furrow. A narrow metal stake is inserted through the first cell into the soil to secure the start of the paper chain. Then the transplanter is pulled down the bed and all the seedlings go into the ground, one after the other. Small metal flanges at the rear of the transplanter push

soil over the paper pots and packing wheels tamp the soil.

The paper pot system is ideally suited to closely spaced crops, especially onions, leeks, scallions, and shallots. This is because in-row spacing is determined by the length of the paper chain connecting each cell. Currently, paper chain pots are available that result in 2 inch, 4 inch and 6 inch in-row spacing. The system also works very well for spinach, various Asian greens, and many types of cut flowers. Other crops that can be grown include chard, kohlrabi, basil, cilantro, beets, corn, peas, beans, and lettuce. By skipping cells, it is also possible to plant crops like broccoli and kale.

The paper chain pot system was invented in Japan and is currently being imported to North America by Small Farm Works (www.smallfarmworks.com). A video of the transplanter in action can be viewed at our web site. A video demonstrating how to open, fill, and seed the paper pot flats is also available.

The paper chain pot transplanting system is an economical option for vegetable growers because it can substantially reduce labor costs. It also enables

hoophouse growers to expand the number of plantings in a season (due to transplanting normally direct seeded crops). Another benefit is achieving higher density stands of crops that germinate better in controlled conditions (in a greenhouse of germination chamber) rather than field conditions.

For more information, contact John Hendrickson at smallfarmworks@tds.net or 920927-7362 or N1749 Yerges Road, Reeseville, WI 53579.

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December 2011 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Section A - Page 21

STRAWBERRY PLANTS

Using biochar to boost soil moisture

by Ann Perry Scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are leading the way in learning more about “biochar,” the charred biomass created from wood, other plant material and manure.

The studies by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists at laboratories across the country support the USDA priorities of promoting international food security and responding to global climate change. ARS is USDA’s chief intramural scientific research agency.

Soil scientist Jeff Novak at the ARS Coastal Plains Soil, Water and Plant Research Center in Florence, SC, is coordinating the multi-location effort. In one project, he led a laboratory study to see if different biochars could improve the sandy soils found on the Carolina coastal plain and Pacific Northwest silt loam soils derived from volcanic ash.

Novak’s team used

peanut hulls, pecan shells, poultry litter, switchgrass and hardwood waste products to produce nine different types of biochars. All the feedstocks were pyrolysed at two different temperatures to produce the biochars. Pyrolysis is a process of chemical decomposition that results from rapid heating of the raw feedstocks in the absence of oxygen.

Then the biochars were mixed into one type of sandy soil and two silt loam soils at the rate of about 20 tons per acre.

After four months, the team found that biochars produced from switchgrass and hardwoods increased soil moisture storage in all three soils. They saw the greatest increase in soils amended with switchgrass biochar produced via high-temperature pyrolysis — almost 3 to 6 percent higher than a control soil sample.

Biochars produced at higher temperatures also increased soil pH

levels, and biochar made from poultry litter greatly increased soil levels of available phosphorus and sodium.

The scientists also calculated that the switchgrass biochar amendments could extend the window of soil water availability by 1 to 3.6 days for a soybean crop in Florence, and could increase soil water availability for crops grown in Pacific Northwest silt loam soils by 0.4 to 2.5 days.

Given their results, the team believes that agricultural producers could someday select feedstocks and pyrolysis processes to make “designer” biochars with characteristics that target specific deficiencies in soil types.

Results from this study were published in Annals of Environmental Science and in the Journal of Environmental Quality.

Read more about this work in the November/December 2011 issue of Agricultural Research magazine.

Page 22 - Section A • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • December 2011

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Wisconsin ag exports continue to show record growth MADISON, WI — The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) has released the agricultural export highlights from January through September 2011, and they continue to be a bright spot in today’s economy.

Through the first three quarters of this year, Wisconsin has exported $2.1

billion worth of agricultural products. That’s a 24percent increase over the same period in 2010.

The state’s previous nine month record was set from January through September 2010 at $1.7 billion for agricultural exports. Wisconsin ranks 17th in the nation for agricultural exports.

Through September 2011, Wisconsin led the

nation in the export of the following products: mixes and dough for the preparation of bakery products, bovine semen, canned sweet corn, yeast and baking powders, flaxseed, and ginseng roots. In the first three quarters of this year, Wisconsin ranked second in the nation in the export of: cheese, mink fur skins, beer, and baby formulas.

Wisconsin sold to over

(preserves, butters, jellies, sauces, mustards and salsas)

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The top five agricultural export markets for Wisconsin during the first three quarters of 2011 are:

140 countries during the first three quarters of 2011. The top five markets for Wisconsin agricultural exports are: Canada, Mexico, South Korea, China, and Japan. The top four markets experienced double-digit growth.

Cereal grains continue to be the most valuable agricultural export for Wisconsin. Cereal includes rice, wheat, oats, barley, and corn. Cereal exports in the first three quarters of 2011 had a value of $287 million.

The second highest valued Wisconsin agricultural export through September 2011 is beverages, with 169-percent growth. This group includes denatured ethyl alcohol, beer, and nonalcoholic beverages.

Miscellaneous food, including ingredients, sauces, yeasts, soups, and

Country Canada Mexico South Korea China Japan

Value Export Growth $1 billion 44% $150 million 12% $93 million 36% $79 million 32% $74 million 2%

mustards, is the third highest ag export through September 2011 valued at $183 million with 23-percent growth. Dairy, eggs, and honey are the fourth highest ag export for this period valued at $168 million, a 4-percent increase.

Baking-related exports round out the top five ag exports with a value of $160 million, an 18-percent increase. Baking-related exports include malt extract, mixes, doughs, pastry, and bread mixes.

Recently ratified trade agreements with Panama, Colombia, and South Korea have created new opportunities for agricultural

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exporters to expand international sales and create jobs. Trade expansion benefits families and businesses by: supporting more productive and higher paying jobs, expanding the variety of products available for purchase, encouraging investment and more rapid economic growth, and keeping our economy open, dynamic, and competitive.

Every dollar of exports creates another $1.40 in supporting activities to process, package, finance, and ship agricultural products. These exports support approximately one million jobs in the United States both on and off the farm. One of every three acres in the nation in planted for export.

The Wisconsin International Trade Team at DATCP offers international business counseling, education, and market research. To learn more, visit datcp.wi.gov/Business/Exports, call 800462-5237, or email international@wisconsin.gov.

December 2011 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Section A - Page 23

Page 24 - Section A • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • December 2011

FDA publishes report on listeriosis outbreak The FDA released a document on Oct. 19 that provides an overview of factors that potentially contributed to the contamination of fresh, whole cantaloupe with the pathogen Listeria monocytogenes, which was implicated in a multi-state outbreak of listeriosis.

In early September 2011, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state health departments, began to investigate a multi-state outbreak of listeriosis.

Early in the investigation, cantaloupes from Jensen Farms in the southwest region of Colorado were implicated in the outbreak.

On Sept. 10, FDA, along with Colorado state officials, conducted an inspection at Jensen Farms during which FDA collected multiple samples, including whole cantaloupes and environmental (non-product) samples from within the facility, for laboratory culturing to identify the presence of Listeria monocytogenes. Of the 39 environmental samples collected from within the facility, 13 were confirmed positive for Listeria monocytogenes with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) pattern combinations that were indistinguishable from three of the four outbreak strains collected from affected patients. Can-

taloupe collected from the firm’s cold storage during the inspection was also confirmed positive for Listeria monocytogenes with PFGE pattern combinations that were indistinguishable from two of the four outbreak strains.

As a result of the isolation of outbreak strains of Listeria monocytogenes in the environment of the packing facility and whole cantaloupes collected from cold storage, and the fact that this is the first documented listeriosis outbreak associated with fresh, whole cantaloupe in the United States, FDA initiated an environmental assessment in conjunction with Colorado state and local officials. FDA, state, and local officials conducted the environmental assessment at Jensen Farms on September 22-23, 2011.

The environmental assessment was conducted to gather more information to assist FDA in identifying the factors that potentially contributed to the introduction, growth, or spread of the Listeria monocytogenes strains that contaminated the cantaloupe.

FDA identified the following factors as those that most likely contributed to the introduction, spread, and growth of Listeria monocytogenes in the cantaloupes: Introduction: • There could have been low level sporadic Listeria monocytogenes

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in the field where the cantaloupe were grown, which could have been introduced into the packing facility; and • A truck used to haul culled cantaloupe to a cattle operation was parked adjacent to the packing facility and could have introduced contamination into the facility.

Spread: • The packing facility’s design allowed water to pool on the floor near equipment and employee walkways;

• The packing facility floor was constructed in a manner that made it difficult to clean; and • The packing equipment was not easily cleaned and sanitized; washing and drying equipment used for cantaloupe packing was previously used for postharvest handling of another raw agricultural commodity.

Growth: • There was no precooling step to remove field heat from the cantaloupes before cold

storage. As the cantaloupes cooled there may have been condensation that promoted the growth of Listeria monocytogenes.

FDA’s findings regarding this particular outbreak highlight the importance for firms to employ good agricultural and management practices in their packing facilities as well as in growing fields. FDA recommends that firms employ good agricultural and management practices recommended

for the growing, harvesting, washing, sorting, packing, storage and transporting of fruits and vegetables sold to consumers in an unprocessed or minimally processed raw form.

FDA has issued a warning letter to Jensen Farms based on environmental and cantaloupe samples collected during the inspection. FDA’s investigation at Jensen Farms is still considered an open investigation.

MIDWEST

Country Folks New Varieties

SECTION B

Harris Seeds’ 2012 introductions perform from field to table Harris Seeds has a long history of selecting varieties that excel in terms of field performance, market appearance, and eating quality.

This tradition continues

with 2012's vegetable introductions, which range from crowd-pleasing small pumpkins to truly mouthwatering sweet corn and melon varieties.

Little Giant F1 Pumpkin is small in size and big on kid-friendly appeal. Its rich, dark-orange color and smooth sides make it great for painting, but its light

ribbing and strong, dark green handle give it the look of a miniature jacko-lantern. This beautiful little pie pumpkin is the

Harris Seeds B4

Mirai 315 BC F1 Sweet Corn

Little Giant F1 Pumpkin

Month 2009 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Section B - Page 1

Rupp offering more than 30 new products As we enter our 66th year in the seed business we continue towards our mission of helping farm families feed their friends and neighbors at home and around the world. We are continually evaluating vegetable varieties

as we strive to bring growers the best available products for their market opportunities.

Xanthi, Belcanto and Oranos peppers.

Ka Ching

Cuppa Joe

Allure

Page 2 - Section B • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Month 2009

Obession II

For the 2012 season we have added over 30 products to our commercial vegetable seed catalog including beans, broccoli, corn, peppers, pumpkins, squash,

tomatoes and watermelon. Several sweet corn

Majus

Passion II

varieties have been added including the new Performance Series™ from Seminis.

Ka-Ching, a 78 day, synergistic bi-color from Crookham is everything

a grower desires in quality, ear size and yield. The plant has great health and architecture which translates into yield potential. It is

Tirreno

WeeeeeOne

Rupp B3

Rupp from B2 rugged and adaptable with a large ear for its season. The uniformity of the ears in size, placement and maturity, lends itself to machine harvesting. It also displays a nice package for the consumer in its tip fill, husk protection and eating quality.

Give your early corn market a boost by planting Cuppa Joe to

follow Espresso. Cuppa Joe, from Seneca Vegetable Research, is a 73 day synergistic bi-color that provides an 8 to 8 1/2 inch ear. It offers excellent eating quality for an early corn along with the cold soil vigor and a clean sturdy plant you look for in an early time slot.

Allure is a 75 day synergistic bi-color

from Seneca Vegetable Research with excellent eating quality. Allure produces a very refined 8-by-1.75 inch ear with strong tip fill, good husk cover and great flag leaves. This is the perfect variety for growers whose consumers demand quality.

We are excited to be able to offer growers the new Performance Se-

ries™ sweet corn hybrids from Seminis.

These hybrids are the only fresh market sweet corn hybrids proven to have: outstanding yield, up to 85 percent less insecticide use, dual mode of action for above-ground insects, below-ground protection, tolerance to Roundup WeatherMAX® and Roundup

PowerMAX® and taste and nutrition value on par with conventional counterparts. The Performance Series hybrids include: Obsession II, Passion II and Temptation II. We are pleased to be able to offer growers three new conical peppers for the 2012 season. Belcanto (red), Oranos (orange) and

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Month 2009 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Section B - Page 3

From the Staff at Country Folks Grower

Xanthi (yellow) from Enza Zaden are high quality peppers having superior flavor when compared to bells of the same color. They produce high yields of mature colored peppers with little yield reduction compared to green.

These 6-7inch peppers would be ideally marketed in multi-colored packs and will be sure to catch the eye of your customers. Your customers can dice them for use in flavorful fresh salsas, larger pieces for stir -frys, serve stuffed fresh or roasted as a new kind of wrap that can be a feature on the plate but not dominate as most bell peppers would.

We’re excited to release a new jack o’ lantern pumpkin.

WeeeeeOne is a new unique miniature pumpkin, with powdery mildew resistance. The 3-by-3 inch fruit have shallow ribs and a full round shape similar to traditional jack o’ lantern pumpkins.

WeeeeeOne can be carved and brings a new look to fall decoration.

2011 was a launch year for Tirreno, a new cantaloupe from Enza Zaden. Growers had great success producing the 4-6 pound fruit. Tirreno has shown tremendous plant health in the field which provides the opportunity for excellent yield potential. Tirreno has absolutely the best eating quality of any variety that we have marketed to date. For 2012 we are offering Majus a big brother to Tirreno. Majus shares many of the characteristics with larger 6-8 pound fruit and coarser netting. This is a must try for your 2012 growing season.

"From Asparagus to Zucchini with everything in between, for Professional Growers of any size" — and with over 1,100 vegetable varieties from all the major vegetable breeders, Rupp Seeds is uniquely able to help farm families feed their friends and neighbors at home and around the world.

To request your copy of our 2012 Commercial Vegetable Seed catalog, visit our website at www.ruppseeds.com or give us a call at 800700-1199.

MSU ag students sought for Marge Karker Farm Bureau scholarships LANSING, MI — The Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB) is accepting applications for the Marge Karker Farm Bureau scholarship program, which aids students enrolled at Michigan State University (MSU) who are pursuing degrees in agriculture through a two-year, four-year or post-graduate program.

Three students will be

selected and each will receive a $1,000 scholarship to apply toward their 2012-13 tuition.

The deadline to apply is Jan. 10, 2012. Scholarship interviews will take place in late January.

The scholarship program is available to students after completing one year at MSU. Applicants must be from a Farm Bureau family or

have their own Farm Bureau membership. In addition, they should have a scholastic average, as indicated by MSU of 2.6 or above on a 4.0 scale.

Candidates should also be prepared to show financial need upon request. Finalists will be interviewed by the MFB Promotion and Education Scholarship Committee.

trasted yellow and white kernels, while 160 Y adds a midseason variety to Harris Seeds' line of full-flavored Mirai yellow corn.

Summer Sweet® SSW 2001 MR F1 Sweet Corn combines exceptional supersweet flavor with advanced seed technology and powerful disease protection. SSW varieties are bred for fuller, less wrinkled seed than other supersweet varieties, which offers more energy to the seedling during germination and allows better seed flow while planting. To make growing as smooth as planting, SSW 2001 MR offers resistance to the new strains of rust (Rp1G, Rp1I) and intermediate resistance to NCLB and SCLB. Solstice F1 Melon is BIG in every respect: size, flavor, and disease protection. With deep sutures, heavy netting, and luscious flavor, these huge 7-9 lb melons have the look and eating quality of traditional “Eastern” type melons. However, they also offer the full disease package of newer hybrids, including re-

sistance to Fusarium wilt (0,1,2) and Powdery Mildew (1,2).

Red Bounty F1 Tomato offers extralarge, delicious, deep red fruit, plus resistance to Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus. While previous tomato varieties offered only intermediate resistance to this devastating disease, Red Bounty offers more protection, for a harvest that lives up to the variety's name.

Harris Seeds' extensive line of untreated and organic seeds includes 265 vegetable varieties this season.

Of special note are Manny F1 Organic Cucumber and Taurus F1 Cucumber, which offer gourmet quality fruit in both greenhouse and field culture.

To request a Harris Seeds Professional Vegetable Growers' Catalog, call 800-544-7938 or visit www.harrisseeds.com.

Harris Seeds from B1

Page 4 - Section B • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Month 2009

latest addition to Harris Seeds' extensive line of pumpkins with intermediate resistance to Powdery Mildew.

Crunchkin F1 Pumpkin is a hard shell version of Harris Seeds' popular Munchkin mini pumpkin and is sure to be a hit for fall decoration.

The flattened, deeply ribbed shape and medium-orange, lightly flecked color give Crunchkin a classic, customer-pleasing appearance. Best of all, the hard shell allows for extended storage and Thanksgiving sales.

Mirai 315 BC F1 and Mirai 160 Y F1 Sweet Corn are the latest in the impressive Mirai supersweet series. Mirai varieties offer truly superb eating quality, with melt-in-your mouth tenderness and exceptional sweetness.

These introductions are both 74 day varieties that produce refined, cylindrical 8-inch ears of delicious kernels on sturdy, clean plants.

Strong tip fill, attractive dark green husks, and long flags make the ears look as classy as they taste. Mirai 315 BC is a bicolor with nicely-con-

The Marge Karker scholarship program is administered by the MFB Promotion and Education Department and honors the memory of

Karker, a pioneering promoter of agricultural health and safety programming.

Application forms are available online. For

more information, contact MFB Promotion and Education Department Manager Deb Schmucker at 800-292-2680, ext.

3213.

Apples with catchy names may boost revenue for farmers A rose by any other name may smell as sweet, but an apple by another name could fetch a much sweeter price for farmers.

Using experimental auctions, researchers at Cornell University’s Charles H. Dyson School

of Applied Economics and Management tested participants’ willingness to pay for five different varieties of apples, including a new, patented variety developed at Cornell, currently named NY1. Participants didn’t know about the apples’

history or the Cornell connection, but they learned about each variety’s attributes, such as sweetness and crispness, and they tasted slices of each.

The researchers’ conclusion?

Consumers were willing to pay more

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for NY1, and they were willing to pay still more when it had an “exciting, sensory” name, said assistant professor Bradley J. Rickard. He presented the research Nov. 8 at the New York Produce Show and Conference in New York City.

Rickard and co-authors Todd Schmit, Miguel Gómez and Hao Lu, all of the Dyson School, wanted to test the influence of branding on patented fruit varieties.

“There are a lot of brands throughout the grocery store. The one exception is fresh produce,” Rickard said.

“But in the case of apples, pears, tomatoes and peaches, that’s the one place in the fresh produce sector where you have a choice. Not really across brands, but across these varietal names.”

And what’s in a name?

Quite a bit, it turns out.

Apple names generally fall into three categories, Rickard said: sincere names based on a breeder or location, such as Cortland or Granny Smith; sophisticated names, which usually

highlight the fruit’s appearance, such as Red or Golden Delicious; and exciting names that evoke the taste or texture of the apple, such as Honeycrisp.

In the experimental auction, the researchers tested the new Cornell apple under three names: sincere “Williams,” sophisticated “Burgundy Beauty” and exciting “Flavor Haven.”

In all cases, the average bid for the new apple was 12 percent higher than the average for four other apples (Empire, Fuji, Honeycrisp, and Piñata). With the Flavor Haven name, the average bid jumped to 27 percent over the other varieties.

Perhaps most interesting, Rickard said, bids on NY1 influenced bids on the other new, patented Washington apple, Piñata, but made no difference in bids on the traditional varieties.

New York grocery shoppers already enjoy a wide selection of apples — including some of the 66 varieties developed at Cornell, such as Cortland, Empire, Macoun and Jonagold — but new, patented varieties

are starting to hit shelves. These varieties often sell for a premium, but they’re also more expensive to grow, as farmers have to buy licenses to grow them.

Historically, public universities developed new apple breeds and released them to the public. But in 1980, the Bayh-Dole Act gave universities the right to retain the intellectual property rights for their research. In May 2010, Cornell forged a partnership with a new industry group, the New York Apple Growers LLC, to establish an exclusive licensing agreement for the new apple varieties, NY1 and NY2. “The license will entail some fairly substantial upfront fee. It could be $1,500 an acre upfront,” Rickard said. “Then once you sell a box of fruit, you also need to pay a royalty.”

Rickard’s primary research interest is determining the best price and setup for that license. In September, he was awarded a two-year, $348,700 USDA grant to study that topic.

TRADE SHOW OPPORTUNITIES • KEYSTONE FARM SHOW •

January 3, 4, 5, 2012 • Tues. 9-4, Wed. 9-4 & Thurs. 9-3 York Fairgrounds • York, PA

• VIRGINIA FARM SHOW • Jan. 19, 20 & 21, 2012 • Thurs. 9-4, Fri. 9-4 & Sat. 9-3 Augusta Expoland • Fishersville, VA

• BIG IRON EXPO • February 8 & 9, 2012 • Wed. 10-7 & Thurs. 9-4 Eastern States Exposition • West Springfield, MA

February 8 & 9, 2012 • Wed. 10-7 & Thurs. 9-4 Eastern States Exposition • West Springfield, MA

• EMPIRE STATE FRUIT & VEG EXPO • Jan. 24, 25 & 26 2012 Oncenter Convention Center • Syracuse, NY

• HARD HAT EXPO • March 7 & 8, 2012 • Wed. 10-7 & Thurs. 9-4 New York State Fairgrounds • Syracuse, NY

• MATERIAL HANDLING & INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT EXPO • March 7 & 8, 2012 • Wed. 10-7 & Thurs. 9-4 New York State Fairgrounds • Syracuse, NY COPE FARM EQUIPMENT 6401 SR 87, Kinsman, OH 44428 330-876-3191 • Fax 330-876-8257 • www.copefarm.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW TO EXHIBIT AT OR ATTEND ANY OF THESE SHOWS

CALL 800-218-5586 www.leetradeshows.com • mwhite@leepub.com

Month 2009 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Section B - Page 5

• MATERIAL HANDLING & INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT EXPO •

All-America selections announces the first AAS winners for 2012 DOWNERS GROVE, IL — All-America Selections (AAS) is pleased to announce the first of the newest group of AAS Winners. Following a trial period where these new, never -before-sold varieties are “Tested Nationally and Proven Locally®” the group of esteemed horticulturists, who volunteer their time as the AAS judges, have submitted their recommendations and scores from this year’s trials. Only those entries with superior garden performance are granted the honor of an AAS Award.

With this announcement, these varieties become available for immediate sale. Commercial growers should inquire with their favorite seed supplier.

AAS Winner tags are available from several tag suppliers. Consumers will find these seeds for sale in the coming months as supply becomes available with catalog companies, in seed packets, from mail order companies and various websites.

AAS Winners will also be available as young plants in lawn and garden retail stores next

spring.

The 2012 AAS Winners are: Bedding Plant Winner: Salvia ‘Summer Jewel Pink’ Sister to earlier AAS Winner Salvia ‘Summer Jewel Red’, this dwarf sized, compact plant has a prolific bloom count throughout the growing season. As a bonus, the blooms appear almost two weeks earlier than the other pink salvias used as comparisons. And of course, the hummingbirds love pink, just as much as they do red!

Commercial growers will appreciate the earliness, excellent pack performance and uniformity. Bred by Takii & Co. Ltd. Flower Winner: Ornamental Pepper ‘Black Olive’ The AAS Judges said this entry was a standout, especially in the southern gardens where heat was a major presence during the 2011 trials. All season long this beauty kept its upright habit with nicely draping leaves and dark purple/black fruit which appeared in small clusters along the stems. As summer pro-

gresses, the fruits mature to red giving a beautiful contrast against the dark purple foliage and bright purple flowers. Retailers and growers can sell this multi-use ornamental as a 20” border plant, a great color splash for containers or as a cut flower in mixed bouquets.

Bred by Seeds By Design.

Vegetable Winners Pepper ‘Cayennetta’ F1 ‘Cayennetta’ is an excellent tasting mildly spicy pepper that is very easy to grow, even for novice gardeners.

This 3 to 4-inch chili pepper yielded bigger fruits from a very well branched upright plant.

It required no staking which would make it a perfect plant for a container or patio garden.

Unique to this variety is that it has good cold tolerance as well as dense foliage cover to protect the fruits from sun scorch and it handled extreme heat very well. This pepper is an all-around good choice no matter where you’re gardening.

Market growers will benefit from the heavy yield and prolific fruit set

from each plant. Everyone will love the excellent pepper flavor that outshone all the comparison varieties. Bred

by Floranova Ltd. Watermelon ‘Faerie F1’ ‘Faerie’ is a non-traditional watermelon in that it has a creamy yellow rind with thin stripes yet still yields sweet pink-red flesh with a high sugar content and crisp texture.

Home gardeners will like growing something unique in their garden, and the fact that the vines are vigorous yet spread only to 11’ means it takes up less space in the garden.

Each 7-8” fruit weighs only four to six pounds making it a perfect family size melon. Professional growers will appreciate the disease and insect tolerance as well as the prolific fruit set that starts early and continues throughout the season.

Bred by Known-You Seed Company.

Complete data sheets are available on the AAS website.

Please e-mail the AAS office for any additional information.

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Christmas Tree Checkoff Program ~ What happened?

by Stephen Wagner Very recently the media reported that the Obama administration had called off its so-called Christmas Tree Tax. The media being the media, there are a few things wrong with that statement. In the first place, there never was a proposed tax on Christmas trees. Secondly, President Obama never had anything to do with it.

The issue in question was a 15-cent assessment on Christmas trees that would be paid by the Christmas tree growers themselves to raise about two million dollars. Those monies were to be used to promote real Christmas trees instead of artificial trees. The following is a brief chronicle of how things got so confused.

About nine or 10 years ago, as Press Secretary

of the Pennsylvania Agriculture Department, I can remember an agency lawyer coming into my office with a fat report, the size of a medium market telephone book, sitting down, and explaining that it was testimony from a formal meeting of Pennsylvania’s Christmas Tree Growers, an association get-together. After nearly a decade, memory is vague on specific details but the main point the lawyer was trying to make is that there was too much disagreement among growers for any cohesive promotion program touting Christmas trees to move forward at the state level. But that was then and this is now. That was also only one state and now Christmas Tree Growers nationwide are finally, of

necessity, on the same page. The tone of the argument has simplified to a war of real Christmas trees versus artificial trees. What could possibly go wrong?

A recent online news report unequivocally stated that “the Obama Department of Agriculture is implementing a ‘Christmas Tree Tax’ [which] has provoked outrage from folks worried about a War on Christmas — and also those worried about taxes. The tax, however, wasn’t the Obama administration’s idea. It was the Christmas tree lobby’s creation. Real Christmas trees have been steadily losing market share to artificial trees, so growers and retailers lobbied the Department of Agriculture to institute a check-off tax and use the funds to promote real trees.”

Much of that last paragraph is not based on fact. Public Relations Manager for the National

Christmas Tree Association, Rick Dungey, says it is not a tax, and attributes the so-called ‘tax’ talk to a misinformed public interest group and a lazy media. “The tax is a complete fabrication by somebody called The Heritage Foundation,” he said. “It’s actually a check-off program that was finally published two days ago” [Nov. 8] in the Federal Register. “Somebody who doesn’t understand check-offs decided to call it the Obama Tax on Christmas Trees. The news media, without checking any facts, decided to start repeating that. It’s been an interesting two days.”

“I’m disappointed particularly with the Heritage Foundation which broke the story,” says Jim Heater, owner of the Silver Mountain Tree Farm in Sublimity, OR, “because they normally get their facts pretty straight. I think that in everybody’s rush to take

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a shot at Obama they tacked this tax thing on him, and it is not a tax! It is a self-help grower program.”

Some think that the Heritage Foundation is not the culprit but rather a fellow grower who started the rumor. But, “I don’t think that any grower out there would have been foolish enough to have cut his foot off by trying to get the thing stopped in the way it was done,” opines Cline Church of the nursery that bears his name in Fleetwood, NC. Nevertheless, it is interesting because the purpose of the Christmas tree Check-off Program was to raise money to promote their industry and apply monies to research. The industry now has to combat a public mentality that sees a Christmas tree tax where there wasn’t any.

The media reported that the White House rescinded the non-existent tax, but people still have it in their minds. It was hoped the program would have collected be-

tween $2 and 2 1/2 million dollars, with that money being used to promote live Christmas trees. And a Christmas tree grower would have to cut at least 500 trees for the 15 cents to kick in.

Cheryl Nickelson of the Wisconsin Christmas Tree Association sees both sides of the story. “I think artificial trees are the threat,” she says, “and yet people tend to go with tradition, things that they’re familiar with from their childhood. I’ve talked to people who look for a Scotch pine because they grew up with a Scotch pine.

That’s what they like.

Another lady said ‘we have an artificial tree because we always had an artificial tree.’ But getting people to buy, and continue to buy, real trees, turns into an environmental debate. Most artificial trees are not made in the United States.

They’re not biodegradable; they’re not recyclable.” She added that if people buy

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Month 2009 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Section B - Page 7

See Us At The Great Lakes Expo

Happy Holidays

USDA announces delay of Checkoff Program Recently, the National Christmas Tree Association reported that the Christmas Tree Promotion, Research and Information Order was published by USDA. However, just two days later, NCTA received word that the checkoff was being delayed, with no timetable set for implementation.

Christmas Trees from B7 artificial trees instead of one from a local tree farm, “they’re sending money overseas,” whereas if the tree is locally inspired, “it’s better for everybody because they’re keeping money in the community.”

Jim Heater agrees with the environmental equation. “Natural trees provide oxygen during their growth and provide habitat for wildlife,” he says.

“Even after Christmas is over, they’re using them as fish habitat in some of the estuaries where the little fish can get inside but the big ones can’t.

Or they’re chipped for mulch. We are definitely the [eco]-friendly tree.”

Heater goes on to say

The delay announcement was published in the Federal Register. According to USDA, the regulations are stayed “in order to provide all interested persons, including the Christmas tree industry and the general public, an opportunity to become more familiar with the program.” In response to the delay, NCTA issued this state-

that about 90 percent of the ‘fake tree’ companies are offshore. “They’re taking big sections of market share, so we’ve got to figure out a way to let people know this is a non-renewable, non-recyclable product. We’ve done some research at the National, and found that a fake tree stays in the home for about six years. Six years in the home and six centuries in a landfill.”

Among the final provisions in the final rule of the check-off program is the fact that ‘there will be a delayed referendum to take place three years after collection of the assessment begins.’ And all assessments for this

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Page 8 - Section B • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Month 2009

there when it comes to commodity check-offs that consumers, and many of our politicians, don’t even understand how they work, or what they can accomplish.”

Church sums it up very succinctly when he says “There are still a lot of trees being pulled out of attics.” Oh well,

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released a statement explaining the facts. Industry leaders and NCTA staff also spoke to media nationwide and responded via social media networks. The NCTA Blog Army also went to work, commenting and correcting erroneous stories when they found them.

Since the original story broke, a number of articles have been published in defense of the industry.

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crop year (August 1, 2011 - July 31, 2012) are due by February 15, 2012. “I feel that is probably why USDA set the program up on a threeyear basis — to give the industry enough time to make the program work,” Church speculated. “I feel there’s so much confusion out

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So, what happened between last Nov. 8 and Nov. 17? Understanding that many of you are busy in the midst of the season, we wanted to take a moment to update you on the events and the industry response.

• Shortly following the publication of the checkoff, David

Addington of The Heritage Foundation published a blog post calling the checkoff program a “tax on Christmas Trees by the Obama Administration.”

• While incorrect, this story was picked up by numerous media outlets, without seeking comment from industry members or USDA. • To help stop the spread of misinformation, NCTA

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New ‘Stokes Tested’ varieties available for 2012 Stokes Seeds prides itself in the number of vegetable trials it puts out each year. Each variety is “Stokes Tested” in many geographic areas in the Northeast, Midwest, and Canada or it does not go in the 2012 Stokes Seeds Commercial Growers Guide. Generally each variety is tested for multiple years in numerous loca-

tions. This strategy was especially beneficial in 2011 with the challenges of varying temperatures and precipitation.

Whether it is green beans or seedless watermelon, you can be certain that you are getting the best new varieties on the market. Growers do ask for “Stokes Tested” varieties.

Following are comments on some of our favorite new “Stokes Tested” varieties.

In green beans, Inspiration and Wyatt had exceptional years in Stokes trials. Inspiration is a classy high quality 5.7inch bean with an upright plant that set well in the heat in 2011 and also holds well in the field. It has demonstrated some

tolerance to season Midwest virus complex and whitefly. Wyatt had a very consistent yield in the spring and fall of 2011, of nice dark green pods, 4sieve in diameter and is 5.7 inches long on an upright plant. It has excellent bacterial disease and virus resistance.

Archimedes pepper was introduced last year

Wyatt

Sugar Cube

Inspiration

Hendrix

and performed very well in both trials and production fields this year.

Archimedes is a 76-day green to red blocky bell pepper. It has resistance to BLS 1,2,3 and intermediate resistance to Phytopthora.

Sugar cube cantaloupe was the preferred variety for taste and yield in 2011. It is for the farm

Archimedes

market that is looking for a smaller high quality personal size 2 LB melon.

It has high sugars (14 percent brix), deep orange flesh, tight interior, amazing taste and excellent disease tolerance.

For those growers that raise onions for storage, Hendrix is the new onion for you. It is a nice 106day long day onion with a medium gold color, long storage, and a nice globe shape. This variety performed very well over a wide geographic area in 2011.

Ask your Stokes Seeds Sales Representative about the newest “Stokes Tested” varieties.

Month 2009 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Section B - Page 9

pies, soup, and gourmet culinary delights. Full vine plant habit. Good Powdery Mildew tolerance. 20-24 lbs.

Limon Limon is a commercial green zucchini with an open bush habit and very low spine count.

Unusual and eye-catching lime-green fruit with lemon-yellow “effervescent” color mixed in for

the gourmet market.

Golden Girl Golden Girl is a Hybrid, Yellow Zucchini Squash. This top yielding hybrid seed brings together an outstanding, true golden yellow color and a strong, open bush

Limon

Napoli

Booty

Orange Sherbet

Porcelain Doll F1

New varieties from NE Seed Porcelain Doll F1 Porcelain Doll is an eye-catching, exotic Pink Pumpkin perfect

for all holiday decorations. Porcelain Doll’s deep-orange, sweet flesh can be used for

Red Rock

Summertime

Tandy

Gardner Pie Company is dedicated to baking and selling only the very best pies. We use only the finest and freshest ingredients and adhere to time-honored, old-fashioned recipes.

Located in Akron, OH. we’ve been family owned and operated since 1945. We provide a wide variety of quality pies to farm markets, in-store bakeries, and the food service industry.

For ordering information call 330-245-2030

Gardner Pie offers more than 50 pie varieties: Traditional Fruit Pies Crumb Topped Pies Topped Fruit Pies Mixed Fruit Pies Harvest Addition Pies

Sou uth of the Border Pies Cream Pies No Sugar Added Pies Colonial Pies Savory Vegetable Pies

Page 10 - Section B • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Month 2009

Visit our Website at: www.gardnerpie.com for specific varieties in each category, as well as completee nutrition information.

habit. An attractive presentation of consistent quality and shape make this yellow zucchini a winner. Tolerant to Powdery Mildew 2.

Booty Booty is a hybrid, determinate, open field tomato characterized by strong yields. Fruit are dark red and firm with good tomato taste. A beautiful tomato that has wonderful flavor and is perfect for East Coast production. Did very well in trials and is still under test for tolerances.

Napoli Napoli is a hybrid, Tuscan type melon that features a high brix, bright orange flesh with a tight cavity and a vigorous vine with a terrific canopy for fruit protection. Tolerant to Powdery Mildew Race 2 and Fusarium Race 1 and 2, Watermelon Mosaic Virus.

Orange Sherbet Orange Sherbet is a hybrid, Tuscan, eastern shipper cantaloupe that exhibits extremely high quality. Combining a high brix with a strong melon flavor, Orange Sherbet is one of the best eating melons available.

A high fiber content gives this melon variety good shipping ability. Orange Sherbet’s appearance makes for an attractive display. Tolerant to Powdery Mildew Race 2 and Fusarium Race 1 and 2, Watermelon Mosaic Virus.

Amarillo Amarillo is a hybrid, golden, indeterminate cherry/cocktail tomato that can be grown in a greenhouse or open field with excellent leaf cover.

Featuring a taste that is outstanding, Amarillo’s fruit changes from yellow to gold with maturity with 20-80 fruit per cluster. This is an early maturing tomato — just 75 days. Tolerant to Tobacco Mosaic Virus, Verticillium Wilt and Fusarium Wilt.

Summertime Summertime is a hybrid, triploid watermelon that is a tremendous variety for any watermelon program. Summertime’s ultra-sweet flesh is testing in the range of 4-5 on the penetrometer and many fields have had brix readings of 11-12.

With excellent shipping

NE Seed B11

Golden Girl

Nourse Farms offering several varieties for 2012 Following are several new varieties that we are offering for 2012. Feel free to visit our website, www.noursefarms.com, for our complete listing of varieties. Our 2012 catalog will be available in December. Contact us for a free copy at 41 River Road, South Deerfield, MA 01373, telephone 413-665-2658, fax 413665-7888, or e-mail info@noursefarms.com.

Mayflower Strawberry (EM-995) (U.S. Plant

Patent Pending) *Exclusive to Nourse Farms We are introducing Mayflower as a new latemidseason variety. Bred

by David Simpson at the EMR East Malling Research Center, U.K., Mayflower exhibits high production and firm, high

quality berries. Mayflower was identified in our test plots in a very wet fruiting season, as the fruit stood up under difficult conditions. In our advanced grower trials, 80 percent of the growers responding to our survey said the variety per-

formed well in their trial and that they would plant it again. We highly recommend Mayflower for trial plantings.

Octavia Red Raspberry (Licensed Variety) *Exclusive to Nourse Farms This is a new late-season floricane raspberry

that we first offered in 2011. It is the latest fruiting summer variety available. Octavia will pick seven to 10 days later than Encore and until the early primocane varieties begin. Octavia is

highly productive with good flavor and firmness.

Consider Octavia for fresh market applications. We are still learning about level of winter hardiness, but recom-

Monterey Strawberry

Natchez Blackberry

Octavia Red Raspberry

Portola Strawberry

Prime Ark®

Nourse B12

Mayflower Strawberry

Daroyal Strawberry

Albion Strawberry

NE Seed from B10

Month 2009 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Section B - Page 11

qualities and an attractive, well-defined flesh/rind margin, Summertime is an exciting new watermelon.

Red Rock Red Rock Seedless Watermelon features a high brix content with excellent shipping capabilities and shelf life. Small seed pips.

Red Head Red Head is a hybrid, open field/greenhouse, saladette type Roma tomato. Red Head features a compact habit and is ideal for the fresh market. Determinate at 70 days to maturity.

Tandy Tandy features a strikingly beautiful off-white color with a strong, medium dark green handle. Tandy is an excellent yielder with a medium vine habit. Ideal as an edible pumpkin or novelty colored pumpkin. For more information on this and many more great varieties, visit us at www.dpseeds.com.

Buy online at www.neseed.com.

Page 12 - Section B • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Month 2009

Nourse from B11 mend trialing it in areas where late season production is desired.

Natchez Blackberry (Plant Patent 20,891) Natchez is a recent release from the University of Arkansas breeding program. This is the earliest ripening thornless variety with very high production potentials. Very large and good tasting berries can be harvested during a three-to-five week season. Due to its semi-erect growth habit, Natchez performs best with a trellis. We highly recommend this variety.

Prime Ark® 45 Blackberry (Plant Patent Applied For) Prime Ark® 45 is a new release from the University of Arkansas breeding program. It is a thorny primocane-bearing blackberry with an erect growing habit. Fruit size is medium-large and trials indicate that Prime-Ark® 45 is much more productive than Prime Jim. Fruit holds up well after picking and is suitable for shipping. The floricane fruiting season is after Prime-Jim and Natchez and before Ouachita.

Early indications are that the primocane crop ripens later than PrimeJim. Ripening may be too late for some northern areas, but will extend the blackberry season for situations where late fruit is desired. We would recommend Prime Ark® 45 as the outstanding primocane-bearing blackberry.

Portola Strawberry (U.S. Plant Patent No. 20,552) This is a strong dayneutral variety from California. Fruit is lighter in color than most everbearers and should be harvested before fully red. It has good flavor with a large crop that is as early as Evie-2. Recommended for beginners, this variety will perform in warmer climates. Recommended for zones 5-7.

Daroyal Strawberry (Licensed Variety) *Exclusive to Nourse Farms Daroyal is our second introduction from the Darbonne-Inotalis breeding program in France.

Daroyal is vigorous with strong rooting capacity.

Berries have an attractive conic shape, darker red color, good internal color and a glossy appearance. Our production fields show high yields during a long season. Daroyal will easily compete with Honeoye due to its excellent flavor.

This berry ripens quickly, we recommend harvesting every other day.

Monterey Strawberry (U.S. Plant Patent No.

19,767) This is a moderate dayneutral cultivar from California. It has great flavor, like Seascape, while more tolerant to high summer temperatures. This plant has good leaf disease resistance, but is susceptible to powdery mildew.

Recommended for beginners and experienced growers. Recommended for zones 5-7.

Albion Strawberry (U.S. Plant Patent No. 16,228) Albion produces very

large fruit that is mostly conical, very firm and red in color. Its flavor is very good for a day-neutral. To get the high yields it is capable of producing, this variety will need a stronger watering and nutrient program than any other everbearer.

Wider plant spacing will deliver the largest berries.

It is resistant to verticillium wilt, phytophthora crown rot and has some resistance to anthracnose crown rot. Recommended for zones 5-7.

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Emerald Coast Growers’ Friel is new PPA president

John Friel PENSACOLA, FL — Emerald Coast Growers’ Marketing Manager, John Friel, has been named president of the Perennial Plant Association (PPA).

The PPA is known as an industry-leading organization hosting National and Regional Symposia with educational seminars, networking, camaraderie and tours to public gardens, private gardens, retail nurseries and wholesale growers.

The Association's most visible program allows members to choose a Perennial Plant of the Year. Growers and gardeners alike eagerly await the announcement of the winner.

PPA's 2012 National Symposium will be held July 3-10, 2012. Join ECG and all the major players in the perennial world in Boston. If you grow, sell or design with hardy plants and grasses, it's the place to be.

Emerald Coast Growers is proud to celebrate 20 years of success in the horticulture business.

Known for its wide variety of perennial starter plants and specialty plants, Emerald Coast Growers maintains the distinction of being one of the industry's largest suppliers of ornamental grass liners to North American growers and retailers. With more than 400,000 sq. ft. of greenhouse space, 55 acres of farmland and growing lo-

cations in both the northeast and southeast, Emerald Coast Growers supplies top quality starter plants to growers throughout North America. ECG starters are available by common carrier, grower truck or customer pickup in Florida or Pennsylvania. For more information, visit www.ecgrowers.com.

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Month 2009 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Section B - Page 13

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Section One

Serving The Professional • Grower • Winemaker • Seller

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Country Folks Grower Classifieds

( 800 ) 836-2888 PO Box 121, 6113 State Hwy. 5 ( ) Fax: 518 673-2381 Palatine Bridge, NY 13428 E-mail: classified@leepub.com Announcements

Announcements

Fencing

Fencing

JANUARY ISSUE

ADVERTISING DEADLINE

Thursday, December 15th For as little as $9.25 - place a classified ad in

Country Folks Grower

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Month 2009 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Section B - Page 15

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Country Folks Grower Classifieds

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Nursery Equipment 3 SECTION (2row) multivator, 30” Ace of Spades, CareTree foilage tying machine, TS60 Vermeer tree spade on 87 F800 Ford. 319-936-2534.

Nursery Liners

Nursery Liners

Calendar of Events E-mail announcements of your regional event(s) to: jkarkwren@leepub.com We must receive your information, plus a contact phone number, prior to the deadline that’s noted under the Announcements heading on the 1st page of these Grower Classifieds. *** DEC 6 Ohio No Till Conference Der Dutchman Restaurant, Plain City, OH. 9 am - 3:30 pm. Call 614-292-6648.

DEC 7 Increasing Producer Profits Through Community Supported Agriculture Ohio State University Extension Agricultural Business Enhancement Center, 639 S.

Dunbridge Rd, Suite 4, Bowling Green, OH. Workshop to help growers evaluate, develop and sustain CSAs. Limited to 30. Registration $25. Call 419-3546916.

DEC 8 Increasing Producer Profits Through Community Supported Agricultur Lorain County office of Ohio State University Extension,

Plants

Plants

Refrigeration

Refrigeration

POTTED LINERS Flowering Shrubs Evergreens Natives Boxwood Grasses Web site: www.appnursery.com Email: liners@appnursery.com Phone: 1-877-743-4733 Fax: (717) 597-9073 Chambersburg, PA 17201

Order Now For Spring Nursery Stock

Trees

LARGE VARIETY of Evergreens, Flowering Trees, Shrubs & Natives in larger sizes. Pre-dug trees available.

700 acres of quality field grown material. 40 years experience. Roger Coffey & Sons Wholesale Nursery P h : 8 2 8 - 3 9 4 - 2 2 5 9 Fa x : 828-758-2240 email: sales@rogercoffeyandsons.com www.rogercoffeyandsons.com

Forest Nursery Co. Inc.

Call 888-596-5329 for Your Subscription

Call 800-836-2888 to place your classified ad.

McMinnville, Tennessee

931-473-4740 OAK LINER SALE Call for Prices & Availability

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AMERICAN WHOLESALE CO.

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Phone: (216) 426-8882 • www.awrco.com

Nursery Stock

Page 16 - Section B • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Month 2009

Scales

Scales

42110 Russia Rd, Elyria, OH. 9 am - noon. Workshop to help growers evaluate, develop and sustain CSAs. Limited to 30. Registration $25. Call 419-354-6916.

DEC 8-9 OSU Income Tax School Campus Center, Ohio University-Zanesville, 1425 Newark Rd, Zanesville, OH. First day 9 am - 5 pm, second day 8:30 am - 4 pm.

Workshop on preparing and filing federal and state tax returns for individuals & small businesses; some experience required. Preregistration $330, late registration $355. Call 614-2926308.

On Internet at incometaxschools.osu.edu JAN 4-6 Northern Green Expo Minneapolis Convention Center. On Internet at www. northerngreenexpo.org JAN 5 The Illiana Vegetable Growers’ School Teibel’s Restaurant in Schererville, IN. This school offers commercial vegetable growers and market farmers opportunities to learn more about pest management, production practices, variety selection and marketing; to visit with vendors and network with other growers.

Contact Liz Maynard, 219531-4200 ext. 4206 or email emaynard@purdue.edu.

JAN 8-9 2012 National Green Centre Overland Park Convention Center,6000 College Blvd, Overland Park, KS. Call 888233-1876 or info@nationalgreencentre.org.

JAN 10-12 Minnesota Apple Growers Association Meeting La Crosse Center, La Crosse, WI. On Internet at www. minnesotaapple.org

5 EASY WAYS TO PLACE A COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER CLASSIFIED AD IT IN - Just give Peggy a call at 1. PHONE1-800-836-2888 IT IN - For you MasterCard,Visa, 2. FAX American Express or Discover customers... Fill out

3.

the form attached completely and fax to Peggy at (518) 673-2381 MAIL IT IN - Fill out the attached form, calculate the cost, enclose your check or credit card information and mail to:

Country Folks Grower Classifieds PO Box 121, Palatine Bridge, NY 13428

4. classified@leepub.com www.cfgrower.com 5.andON-LINEfollow- GothetoPlace a Classified E-MAIL IT IN - E-mail your ad to

Ad button to place your ad 24/7!

FOR BEST RESULTS, RUN YOUR AD FOR TWO ISSUES!

Nursery Stock Available - Fruit, Shade, Ornamental Trees - Flowering Shrubs, Small Fruits, Roses, Vines - Rhubarb, Asparagus, Horseradish And More!

VISIT US AT WWW.KELLYWSN.COM

Bareroot - Containerized - Packaged Small Minimum Orders/Free Color Picture Tags

Box 66 Phelps NY 14532 • 877-268-2151 • Fax 315-548-8004 USE CODE # SB1211 FOR $10 OFF YOUR INITIAL ORDER.

Cost for each Issue per Zone: $9.25 for the first 14 words, 30¢ each additional word.

(Phone #’s count as one word) # of issues to run______ Total Cost $________ Zone(s) to run in: East Midwest West

Trucks 1998 INTERNATIONAL TOWMASTER on 4700 air ride chassis with DT466, 275hp engine, 6 spd. Allison auto. trans., good paint w/perfect interior & air seats. Nearly new Michelin tires & brakes, 25,000 lb. 5th wheel hitch.

Ready to take you on your next trip. 518-993-2618 Fort Plain,NY

JAN 11-13 Illinois Specialty Crops, Agritourism and Organic Conference Crowne Plaza Hotel Convention Center, Springfield, IL. Contact Diane Handley, 309557-2107 or dhandley@ ilfb.org.

NOV 11-14 National No Tillage Conference St. Louis, MO. Registration is $279/person, with a special $252 rate for additional farm or family members. On Internet at www.NoTillConference.com.

JAN 18-19 Certified Crop Adviser Exam Training Session Shelby County office of Ohio State University Extension, 810 Fair Rd., Sidney. Registration deadline Jan. 10. $225. Call 937-484-1526 or e-mail watters.35@cfaes. osu.edu.

JAN 20-21 Iowa Christmas Tree Growers Winter Meeting Best Western Motel, Marshalltown, Iowa. Contact Jan Pacovsky, 641-394-4534 or 641-330-3237.

JAN 22 16th Annual P.L.A.N.T. Seminar - Perennials & Design - A Perfect Combination Greater Columbus Convention Center. $75 per person.

Call 614-771-8431.

On Internet at www.perenn ialplant.org.

JAN 25-28 ANLA Management Clinic Galt House Hotel & Suites, Louisville, KY. Contact ANLA, 202-789-2900 or email meetings@anlaorg. On Internet at www.anla.org.

JAN 27-28 Mid-States Horticultural Expo Kentucky international Convention Center, Louisville, KY. For advertising contact Betsie A. Taylor, 502-6950106 or

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Name: (Print)_____________________________________________________________ Address:________________________________________________________________ City:________________________________________St.:_________Zip:_____________ Phone:_________________________________Fax:______________________________ Cell:___________________________E-mail:____________________________________ I have enclosed a Check/Money Order Please charge my credit card: American Express Discover Visa MasterCard Acct#:_________________________________________________Exp. Date:_________ (MM/YY) Signature:_______________________________________________Date:____________ Required w/Credit Card Payment Only

If you have used equipment for sale, ask about our group of weekly farm newspapers that cover from Maine to North Carolina.

Are You Involved In More Than One Industry?

We Are Here to Help You. FREE E SUBSCRIPTIONS S BY Y REQUEST * Please check off the publications you would like to receive and answer the questions below each.

Regional Heavy Construction (bi-weekly) Regional/National Solid Waste Recycling (monthly) YES - Send me Hard Hat News!

YES - Send me Waste Handling Hard Hat News focuses on heavy equipment Equipment News!

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construction including excavating, construction/demolition, paving, bridge building, and utility construction in the northeastern third of the United States.

TITLE 1 Ì President/CEO 2 Ì Manager/Supervisor 3 Ì Other FULL TIME EMPLOYEES 1 Ì 1-5 2 Ì 6-25 3 Ì >25 NUMBER YOUR PRIMARY BUSINESS #1, SECONDARY #2, ETC. 1 Asphalt Paving _____________________ 2 Concrete Paving ___________________ 3 Oil & Stone Paving__________________ 4 Bridge Construction _________________ 5 Excavating ________________________ 6 Utility/Underground _________________ 7 Construction Demolition______________ 8 Landscaping ______________________ 9 Land Clearing _____________________ 10 Logging _________________________ 11 Other ___________________________

HOW MANY OF THE FOLLOWING TYPES OF EQUIPMENT DO YOU OWN OR LEASE? 1 Excavators ________________________ 2 Dozers ___________________________ 3 Track/Wheel Loaders ________________ 4 Trucks____________________________ 5 Backhoes, TLB’s ___________________ 6 Other Heavy Equipment _____________

National Aggregate

(monthly)

Do you perform contract snow removal? Ì Yes Ì No If so, how many pieces of equipment do you use for snow removal? ______________________ Do you have plans for your company’s expansion? Ì 1-2 Years Ì 3-5 Years Ì No plans at this time Ì Other

Recycling professionals involved in the wood waste, C&D, scrap metal, asphalt & concrete, and compost recycling industries will find Waste Handling Equipment News a valuable source of new products, product innovation and site adaption.

Two regional editions cover the United States.

TITLE J Operations Manager J Other TYPE OF BUSINESS (Check all that apply) Construction Demolition Recycling J Scrap Metals Recycling Construction Demolition Landfill J Ferrous J Non-Ferrous Woodwaste Recycling/Land Clearing J Equipment Manufacturer Composting J Equipment Dealer Asphalt/Concrete Recycling

J Owner/President/VP J J J J J

Regional Horticulture

Country Folks Grower is the regional newspaper for all segments of commercial horticulture since 1991. Each monthly issue is filled with important news, information, and advertising for the Greenhouse, Nursery, Garden center, Landscaper, Fruit, Vegetable Grower and Marketers.

North American Quarry News covers quarries, sand and gravel pits, HMA and ready mix concrete operations in the United States. NAQN provides a combination of strong editorial and advertising for industry professionals.

Your company produces these products or services: (Check All That Apply) Ì Ì Ì Ì Ì Ì Ì Ì

Crushed stone and sand & gravel Crushed stone Sand and gravel Recycled materials, concrete/asphalt Cement Lime Industrial minerals Concrete

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Our premier weekly agricultural newspaper has four editions covering agriculture from Maine through North Carolina. Every issue is loaded with national, regional and local agricultural news, equipment, service advertising and auctions. *This publication costs $45 for one year. *This publication costs $75 for two years.

*This publication costs $22 for one year. *This publication costs $38 for two years.

(Check All That Apply)

K Small Fruit K Christmas K Garden Center K Supplier

K Farmers Market K Direct Market K Vegetable

LEE PUBLICATIONS PO Box 121, 6113 State Hwy., Palatine Bridge, NY 13428 800-218-5586 • FAX 518-673-2381

SUBSCRIPTIONS 888-596-5329 email: subscriptions@leepub.com Name _______________________________________________ Farm/Business Name ___________________________________ Address______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

Business Type: K Dairy K Horse K Alfalfa

K Beef K Goat K Corn

(Check All That Apply)

K Poultry K Sheep K Soybeans

City ________________________ State _____ Zip __________ County ____________________Email _____________________ Phone (

) _______________Fax (

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Date ___________Signature______________________________

Month 2009 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Section B - Page 17

Regional Agriculture

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

monthly

Folks Ì YES - Send me CountryGROWER!

- Send me North Ì YES American Quarry News!

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Dr. Lou Berninger Selected for the 2012 WGIF Hall of Fame

WGIF 2012 Hall of Fame recipient, Dr. Louis Berninger The Wisconsin Green Industry Federation Hall of Fame committee is please to announce Dr. Louis M. Berninger, Emeritus Professor of

Horticulture and University Extension, as the WGIF Hall of Fame selection for 2012.

A professor of horticulture for 30 years at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and an extension floricultural specialist, Dr. Berninger received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in horticulture from Michigan State University, and then earned a doctorate in horticulture and marketing from UW-Madison.

In 1964, he developed the “Garden Almanac,” a weekly television series broadcast throughout the Midwest. He or-

ganized one of the first Educational Teleconference Network programs held in the state. Dr. Berninger wrote many marketing articles for the national press examining industry issues such as uniform grades and standards for floral products, a subject of his research.

Through the UW Cooperative Extension Service, he organized programs for growers and home gardeners throughout the state. He developed a statewide Future Farmers of America (FFA) floriculture judging contest that

produced a national winner in 1974, and was the national president of the ornamental and floriculture honorary society, Pi Alpha Xi. He guided the development of the Madison and Milwaukee horticultural research gardens, including obtaining seed or cuttings from national companies, advancing awareness and interest in horticultural crops.

While he was at the University, all of the educational meetings for greenhouse, garden cen-

ter and nursery personnel were planned and organized by Dr. Berninger. He fostered personal relationships through his frequent visits, to greenhouses and garden centers all over the state to help them with growing and marketing, to assess horticultural plant problems before the UW disease and insect diagnostic centers were created, and with national figures in the Horticulture field.

Currently a resident

of Florida, Dr. Berninger maintains his link with UW as President of the Sarasota-Manatee Chapter of the Wisconsin Alumni Association.

Dr. Berninger was honored at the Fall Greenhouse Conference of the Commercial Flower Growers of Wisconsin (CFGW), held at Floral Plant Growers Greenhouse in Denmark, WI, Oct. 12.

For more details, contact CFGW Executive Secretary John Esser at 608-244-3088.

The Ladder Most Preferred by Growers & Workers • Strong top section • Rigid steel hinges

• Dimpled resettable tread provides slip resistance in all directions.

Tallman’s superior design assures ease of handling and longevity.

Kurt Zuhlke & Assoc. Inc.

PO Box 609, Bangor, PA 18013-0609

email: sales@producepackaging.com

Over 55 Years In The Industry

Page 18 - Section B • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Month 2009

For over 55 years, Kurt Zuhlke & Assoc., Inc. has been a part of the many innovative packaging concepts utilized by the produce industry.

High Quality Products And Services Our packaging is designed to protect produce, provide excellent visibility to the consumer, reduce shrinkage and enhance the product.

We also offer professional labeling design and application.

Earth Friendly Packaging Made of Recycled PETE

KEEPING IT GREEN Our Clamshells are Recyclable!

Whether you are ordering a case or a truck load, you can rest assured that we have the ability and capacity to service your orders quickly.

www.producepackaging.com

SERVING THE FRUIT INDUSTRY SINCE 1954 1460 Tucker Rd., Hood River, OR 97031 (541) 386-2733 (800) 354-2733 tallman@gorge.net www.tallmanladders.com

Outstanding new varieties from Outstanding Seed Company LLC Summit Summit Pumpkin is fast becoming the standard of comparison for large fruited pumpkins.

Fruit average 30 to 40 lbs., are dark orange and nicely ribbed. Handles standout for size, durability and black color. Plant is semibush. Maturity is 95 days. Summit has homozygous resistant to Powdery Mildew.

Apogee Apogee Pumpkin is possibly the largest

fruited Powdery Mildew resistant pumpkin on the market today. Fruit average 40 to 50 lbs., are dark orange with good ribbing and extralarge handles. Plants have large vines. Maturity is 105 days.

Rascal PMRR Pumpkin Rascal PMRR Pumpkin has homozygous resistance to Powdery Mildew and heterozygous resistance to WMV and Phytophthora. Pink

Summit

Apogee

Progress

Prudence

fruit are large, flat, deeply furrowed, thickwalled and semi-hard shelled. Fruit average 30 to 40 lbs. Maturity is 100 days.

Prudence Prudence Pumpkin is a smaller version of Summit. Fruit average 20 to 25 lbs, are dark orange and well ribbed with a large, thick handle. Plant is semi-bush.

Maturity is 90 days.

Prudence has homozygous resistant to Powdery Mildew.

Progress Progress Pumpkin is perfect for markets desiring a smaller carving pumpkin. Fruit average 7 to 10 lbs., are very dark orange, very well

ribbed and have a long twisting handle. Plant is semi-bush. Maturity

is 100 days. Progress has homozygous resistant to Powdery Mildew.

For more information visit www.pumpkinvegetableorganicseeds.com.

Rascal

Month 2009 â&#x20AC;˘ COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST â&#x20AC;˘ Section B - Page 19

Page 20 - Section B • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Month 2009

Learn Market Magic at 2012 Iowa Farmers Market Workshop DES MOINES, IOWA — Mercedes Taylor Puckett will be the key presenter at the 14th annual Iowa Farmers Market Workshop. The Workshop is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 11, 2012. It will run from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m, at First Christian Church, 2500 University Ave., Des Moines, IA. The workshop registration fee is $30 and includes lunch. Advance registration is recommended; walk-ins can register at 8:30 a.m. for a fee of $40.

The presentation, “Making Market Magic” will cover creating and promoting a thriving market.

“With a wave of the market manager’s wand — POOF! — a farmers market materializes,” Taylor-Puckett said. “To the public, this is what appears to happen. But market folk know the reality behind the illusion: much work goes into the creation of a vibrant atmosphere that’s conducive to robust vendor sales. Market magic takes solid research, innovative collaboration, strong planning, and first-rate implementation.

“We’re in an exciting time for farmers markets,” she added. “The number of markets across the nation has exploded. Consumers are recognizing the value of great food raised in their own communities. More young people are interested in becoming farmers.

But, farmers markets are about more than fresh fruit and vegetables. At their core, markets are about relationships.”

Taylor-Puckett is the Local Food and Farmers Market Coordinator for Kansas Rural Center’s Farmers Market Project, which supports more than 75 markets in Kansas through conferences, workshops and the www.ksfarmersmarkets.org website.

Her current projects include expanding SNAP access at farmers markets, as well as

launching the local food branding program, Our Local Food, for the state of Kansas. In addition to serving as the Kansas co-lead for the National Farm to School Network, Mercedes is involved with farm food safety and the Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) Program. She contributes

“With a wave of the market manager’s wand — POOF! to the Great Plains Growers Conference as a member of the planning committee, develops manager and board training, and organizes

the annual Kansas Farmers Market Conference. Mercedes is also the administrator of www.ksfarmersmarkets.org.

Prior to joining KRC, she was the coordinator of the Downtown Lawrence Farmers Market and served as the local food forager for the 2008 National SARE Conference in Kansas City.

The workshop, sponsored by the Iowa Farmers’ Market Asso-

ciation (IFMA), provides training and information for farmers market managers and vendors.

For more information visit www.iafarmersmarkets.org or contact Ginny Gieseke, IFMA p r e s i d e n t , vrgieseke@q.com or 515-277-6951.