Grower East 7.12

July 2012

Eastern Edition n

Section One of Two

GROWER

Volume e 21 Number r 7

$2.50

Serving All Aspects of Commercial Horticulture

Greenhouse • Nursery • Garden Center • Fruit & Vegetable • Farm Markets • Landscapers • Christmas

Using existing greenhouse ebb and flow benching for hydroponic raft lettuce production Disastrouss weather r w York’ss decimatess New 2012 2 Fruitt Crop p ~ B10 0

Today’ss Marketing g A5 Christmas Classifieds Falll Harvest

B1 B16 B12

Summerr Shows

A15

Inserts (in some areas) Country y Folkss Grower Marketplace m Market Greenstarr Farm

~ Page A2

July 2012 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER • Section A - Page 2

Using existing greenhouse ebb and flow benching for hydroponic raft lettuce production

by George Crosby, Ph. D., Department of Plant Science, State University of New York at Cobleskill Making good use of expensive greenhouse space by diversifying crop production and keeping greenhouses full are key considerations for growers in today's competitive market. This may be a good time to consider some alternative production systems that may readily utilize existing greenhouse equipment.

Consumers currently have healthy appetites for locally grown produce, and the demand for high-quality leafy green vegetables is strong. Fieldgrown lettuces can be highly perishable and represent one of the more difficult crops to handle during the heat of summer at local retail farm stands and farmer's markets.

Hydroponically - grown greenhouse lettuces harvested with roots on may provide a good opportunity for local greenhouse growers to establish a new crop while using existing greenhouse equipment.

Hydroponic production continues to attract interest among growers as a method of producing high-end greenhouse-grown vegetables.

Contemporary hydroponic culture often uses highly sophisticated technology to produce crops of extremely high quality in relatively short periods of time. Hydroponic systems often are a part of “CEA”, or controlled environmental agriculture facilities. CEA greenhouses are generally designed as crop-specific operations frequently dedicated to a particular type of hydroponic production.

Short-term hydroponic crops - particularly leafy greens like lettuce may be grown successfully using existing ebb and flow benching. This is particularly attractive for growers who desire to fill gaps in their production schedules periodically during times of the year when their green-

houses may be partially empty. Using existing growing facilities provides a grower an opportunity to try an alternative cropping system without committing to infrastructure dedicated specifically to hydroponics.

Raft culture is a common method for growing hydroponic crops where plants are floated on “ponds”, which are either constructed of concrete or are polyethylene lined, and typically measure about 1-foot deep. This depth is necessary to minimize damage to roots as they are dragged along the bottom of the ponds and the possibility of subsequent infection as rafts are pushed through their crop cycle, usually starting at one side of a greenhouse at planting and ending up at the other side at harvest. An alternative to custom-built ponds for raft production uses existing ebb and flow benching, common to many greenhouse ranges. The shallow depths typical of ebb and flow benching may be overcome by keeping plants in one location throughout the growing period. Hydroponic lettuce crops have been grown successfully using this technique for the past several years in the Plant Science Department at the State University of New York at Cobleskill.

Ebb and flow benching is lined with polyethylene to ensure there are no leaks in the raft system. While benching may be relatively leak-free and sufficient for bottom watering potted crops, it is critical that the benches be made 100 percent leakfree to ensure no loss of nutrient solution from the hydroponic system.

Lettuce plants are spaced 8-inches on center on StyrofoamTM (1-inch “Blue Board”) boards, and planted in batches so plants remain in the same location for the entire growing period.

This strategy eliminates the concern of roots dragging along the bottom of the pond.

Dissolved oxygen levels must be

“Two Star” green leaf lettuce being grown hydroponically in the SUNY Cobleskill greenhouses.

Samuel Nolan lives on a commercial lettuce farm in East Patchogue, NY, and is a SUNY Cobleskill Bachelor of Technology degree student majoring in Plant Science.

Samuel is shown with some of his hydroponically grown bibb lettuce in the SUNY Cobleskill greenhouses.

maintained at a minimum of 4 parts per million (ppm) for proper root respiration, and is easily accomplished by using a regenerative blower and air stones. An appropriate nutrient solution would consist of 8 ounces of 5-11-26 Hydrosol, 8 ounces of calci-

um nitrate, 5 ounces of magnesium sulfate, and 20 g of chelated iron per 100 gallons of water. A 40-foot long, 4-foot wide ebb and flow bench filled to a depth of about 2-inches will hold

SUNY Cobleskill students packaging hydroponic lettuce.

See Benching A4

by Sanne Kure-Jensen Most farmers focus on production and don’t spend nearly enough effort on marketing. As with any business, this effort is critical to our success.

Sherry Simpson of Cranberry Hill Farm shared her marketing experience at the Beginning Women Farmer Conference earlier this year. Her three-step approach was simple, inexpensive and successful: Tell your story, Create a logo and Accessorize.

Simpson’s consumer-focused marketing strategies help her run a successful, profitable farm in Ashford, CT.

Marketing Everything the consumer experiences, from the way your phone is answered, your business card, displays, website, to a newspaper story, is part of your business marketing. Make sure the message says what you want it to say.

Customers today want an “experience” rather than a “product.” If you aren’t interested in working directly with customers, Simpson suggests you hire someone who is more outgoing or sell wholesale.

Today’s trendy restaurants promote menus with “local” produce, greens and meats. Customers recognize the health benefits of eating fresh, local produce and pastured or free-range meats. Buyers support local farmers directly at Farmers’ Markets and Farm Stands, or indirectly where local farms’ products are featured in restaurants and grocery stores.

Tell your story “You are Local!” said Simpson. Be sure you remind customers and sell your farm and farm family. Tell what you grow and how; explain why you are a farmer and when you started farming. Is it a multigenerational effort? Brag to your customers if you use best management practices, organics or Integrated Pest Management practices. Explain why you chose or didn’t choose heirloom varieties or breeds. Was it for disease resistance, flavor, consistency of the crop, etc? Assume that your customers are not home gardeners and will need details.

centers and other relevant sites.

Place your business hours in the free calendar listings in your local newspaper, and online calendars. Check with your local or state Visitors’ Bureau, tourism office or Chamber of Commerce to investigate their listing options.

Web: Establish a presence on the internet. Take advantage of all the free listings you can: your State’s Department of Agriculture and any member associations you belong. Keep a list and be sure to update all these listings if you change your hours or want to promote a special event.

You can get national/international exposure with a free web page at www.LocalHarvest.org or Facebook.com. For southern New England exposure, request a listing at www.FarmFreshRI.org.

Your page should include a farm description, images, contact information, where you sell, business hours, directions or map, a farm story and special farming practices. Add your farm and business associations, partners, product list, dates products available and customer reviews. You may also choose to invest in your own website.

Search or Google your farm name frequently and see what is out there. You may wish to link to a favorable story from your site. If there is an error posted, get it corrected right away.

Displays: Use a simple, long, one-color tablecloth over your display table. Let your products be the colorful focus. Use multilevel displays between waist height and eye level. Always make bountiful displays. Refill the baskets or bins from backups in coolers under the tables, switch to smaller baskets or add something when you run low. Customers seldom buy the last of anything. Include something yellow for its eye-catching appeal.

Label everything! Print up 4 by 6 cards with your farm logo and your various product names and laminate them. You can use a wax pencil or marker to write in your prices. Make another set of cards with two or three brief, interesting facts about each item such as: especially sweet, long keeper, heirloom

variety, organically grown, Italian seed, and include a cooking or recipe suggestion. Put these near the products. Consider offering recipe cards (with your logo, website and contact information) for customers to take with them.

Be profitable Be sure you evaluate your real production costs.

Your time is valuable. Set your prices to make a reasonable profit. Educate your customers that you deserve a living wage just as they do. Do not look around at other Farmers’ Market vendors and undercut their prices. This approach makes everyone lose money on their efforts and products. You will do better to offer a quality product, display it in an attractive manner and act courteously.

Get the word out; get the visitors on the farm Simpson urged farmers to stay in touch with your State’s Department of Agriculture, Tourism Office and Visitors Bureau to learn about regional and local events. Participate in every relevant event you can for exposure to customers and to get your name out. Some states have a state-wide farm weekend; if your site and insurance can support it, participate in that tour. Encourage farm visitors (on specific days and times) through your mailings rack cards and website.

Get media coverage whenever you can. Invite local and regional reporters to join your e-mail and postcard mailing list. Include television, print and online contacts. Contact them directly when you have a photo op or write and send press releases yourself.

To learn more about Cranberry Hill Farm, see www.localharvest.org/cranberry-hill-farm-M20409 or visit the farm’s Facebook page. If you have questions on marketing, contact Sherry Simpson via e-mail at cranberryhillfarm@att.net, or call 860-429-3923.

Branding/logo Design a logo and use it on everything. Make it simple and clear. It could just be as basic as your farm name with an oval around it.

Have this logo printed or sewn on shirts, coats, hats or aprons to wear at Farmers’ Markets, Farm Stands, CSA pickups or during deliveries.

To improve your credibility, use appropriate partner logos on your brochures, fliers, website and Facebook page (e.g. your state department of agriculture logo or Harvest New England logo). If you are a member of NOFA, a Chamber of Commerce or other associations, include their logo as well. Be sure to request permission from the organization and have them send you a high resolution image rather than just pulling it from their websites.

Accessorize Print: Create business cards, product signs, trifold brochures, rack cards and signs. Each spring, or for special events, print and mail post cards.

Simpson creates her promotional materials on her home computer. Be sure your rack cards have your farm logo, contact information, website, directions and something unique about you. ALWAYS carry business cards and rack cards. Bring rack cards to your local library, your town hall, local stores, Chamber of Commerce, Visitors’ Bureau, garden

Sherry Simpson & Art Talmadge of Cranberry Hill Farm in Ashford, CT with their booth at the Old Saybrook CT Farmers Market.

Photo courtesy of Sherry Simpson

Page 3 - Section A • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER • July 2012

Market your farm products effectively

July 2012 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER • Section A - Page 4

Kathy La Scala joins Lee Publications manager at Vance Publishing. She brings extensive experience in sales, strategic positioning, marketing and project development to the team.

PALATINE BRIDGE, NY — Lee Publications announces the addition of Kathy LaScala to its sales and marketing team.

In her role as Digital Media Manager, Kathy will focus on digital product development for the family of Country Folks publications, which serve a variety of agriculture markets. In addition, Kathy will be a part of the sales team, providing agriculture focused companies a platform of regional and national opportunities to extend multi-channel communication and marketing efforts.

Prior to joining Lee Publications, Kathy was a national accounts

A native New Yorker, Kathy earned her bachelor’s degree in animal science, with a focus on dairy, from Cornell University.

Benching

Kathy LaScala joins Lee Publications.

Cover photo by Dr. George Crosby Student Samuel Nolan shows the roots of his hydronponic bibb lettuce in the SUNY Cobleskill greenhouses.

Country Folks The Monthly Newspaper for Greenhouses, Nurseries, Fruit & Vegetable Growers (518) 673-3237 • Fax # (518) 673-2381 (ISSN # 1065-1756) U.S.P.S. 008885 Country Folks Grower is published monthly by Lee Publications, P.O. Box 121, 6113 St. Hwy. 5, Palatine Bridge, NY 13428.

Periodical postage paid at Palatine Bridge, NY 13428.

Subscription Price: $22. per year. Canada $55 per year.

POSTMASTER: Send address change to Country Folks Grower, P.O. Box 121, Subscription Dept., Palatine Bridge, NY 13428-0121.

Publisher, President..................................Frederick W. Lee V.P., General Manager ....................Bruce Button, 518-673-0104 ....................bbutton@leepub.com V.P., Production ................................Mark W. Lee, 518-673-0132 .........................mlee@leepub.com Comptroller .....................................Robert Moyer, 518-673-0148 ....................bmoyer@leepub.com Production Coordinator ................Jessica Mackay, 518-673-0137 ..................jmackay@leepub.com Editor ...........................................Joan Kark-Wren, 518-673-0141 ...............jkarkwren@leepub.com Page Composition .........................Allison Swartz, 518-673-0139 ....................aswartz@leepub.com Classified Ad Manager ...................Peggy Patrei, 518-673-0111 ...................classified@leepub.com Shop Foreman ..........................................Harry DeLong

Please join Lee Publications in welcoming Kathy to the Country Folks team!

Lee Publications produces Country Folks, Country Folks Grower, Country Folks Mane Stream, Wine & Grape Grower and Small Farm Quarterly, along with a line of publications reaching the construction and quarry market.

Continued from A2

approximately 200 gallons of nutrient solution, with a fertilizer cost of just a few dollars. A pH of 5.8 is maintained in the nutrient solution by adding phosphoric acid. Since lettuce is a cool season crop, temperatures - and therefore heating costs - may remain lower than those required for warm season vegetables. On the other hand, growers who wish to attempt growing hydroponic lettuce during the summer in greenhouses must have structures with good cooling systems.

Lettuce is seeded in 1-inch diameter rockwool or Oasis® cubes and grown for 10-14 days before being placed in the raft system. Lettuce seed germination and seedling growth is favored by relatively high light levels during this period and 24-hour light increases seedling growth tremendously. An additional 3-4 weeks is required in the hydroponic system. Red and green leaf lettuce, Romaine and bibb-style lettuces may all be grown successfully using this system. Plants are generally harvested with roots on which greatly increases shelf life. Bibb-style lettuce is often packaged in individual clamshell containers, while leaf lettuce is generally bagged or sleeved.

A 25' X 50' greenhouse with four, 4feet-by-4 feet 40-feet ebb and flood tables each holding 300 plants can

produce 1200 plants per batch per crop cycle. This method of lettuce production may be particularly attractive to diversified farm-stand operations having the opportunity to sell highquality lettuce at retail prices.

Assuming a 95% pack out rate and $3.00 per head pricing, harvesting one bench weekly - 300 plants - would gross around $850 per bench or $3400 for all four benches. Leafy green vegetables may also be grown hydroponically in unheated high-tunnel structures. Lettuce has been harvested as late as early December from high tunnel hydroponic systems here in Cobleskill.

Specialized facilities can greatly improve hydroponic crop production, but high-quality leafy green vegetables like lettuce may be produced using existing greenhouse facilities.

While growing hydroponic lettuce may not be for everyone, it may provide some growers with an opportunity to establish a niche market and increase the use of their greenhouse space.

George Crosby is a faculty member in the Department of Plant Science at the State University of New York at Cobleskill where he teaches courses in Hydroponics, Greenhouse Management, and Vegetable Production.

Palatine Bridge, Front desk ................................ ....................................518-673-0160 Accounting/Billing Office ...............518-673-0149 .....................amoyer@leepub.com Subscriptions ..................................888-596-5329 ..........subscriptions@leepub.com Web Site:................................................................ .............................www.leepub.com Send all correspondence to: PO Box 121, Palatine Bridge, NY 13428 Fax (518) 673-2699 Editorial email: jkarkwren@leepub.com Advertising email: jmackay@leepub.com

AD SALES REPRESENTATIVES Bruce Button, Ad Sales Mgr . . . . . . . bbutton@leepub.com . . . . . . . . . . .800-218-5586, ext. 104 Dan Wren, Grower Sales Mgr . . . . . . . .dwren@leepub.com . . . . . . . . . . . 800-218-5586, ext. 117 Jan Andrews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jandrews@leepub.com . . . . . . . . . . . 800-218-5586, ext. 110 Dave Dornburgh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ddornburgh@leepub.com. . . . . . . . . . 800-218-5586, ext. 109 Laura Clary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . lclary@leepub.com . . . . . . . . . . . . .800-218-5586, ext. 118 Steve Heiser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . sheiser@leepub.com . . . . . . . . . . . 800-218-5586, ext. 107 Tina Krieger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . tkrieger@leepub.com . . . . . . . . . . . 800-218-5586, ext. 108 Ian Hitchener . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ihitchener@leepub.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 802-222-5726 Kegley Baumgardner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . kegleyb@va.net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 540-255-9112 Kathy LaScala . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .katelascala@gmail.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 913-486-7184 Wanda Luck / North Carolina . . . . . . . . . .luck@triad.rr.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336-416-6198 (cell) Mark Sheldon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . marksh500@yahoo.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 814-587-2519 Sue Thomas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .suethomas@nycap.rr.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 949-305-7447

Lee Publications 6113 State Hwy. 5, PO Box 121, Palatine Bridge, NY 13428 We cannot GUARANTEE the return of photographs. Publisher not responsible for typographical errors. Size, style of type and locations of advertisements are left to the discretion of the publisher. The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. We will not knowingly accept or publish advertising which is fraudulent or misleading in nature. The publisher reserves the sole right to edit, revise or reject any and all advertising with or without cause being assigned which in his judgement is unwholesome or contrary to the interest of this publication. We assume no financial responsibility for typographical errors in advertisement, but if at fault, will reprint that portion of the ad in which the error appears.

“Two Star” green leaf lettuce roots pictured in a hydroponic raft lettuce system. The ebb and flood greenhouse bench is lined with polyethylene film.

By: Melissa Piper Nelson Farm News Service News and views on agricultural marketing techniques.

Targeted seasonal marketing Marketing strategies change throughout the seasons, but in summer a unique target audience dynamic emerges. You may see your customer base shift heavily to family and senior adult participation with different buying habits and amounts of disposable income. Adjusting your seasonal marketing plans to attract and establish these new customers should be an im-

portant phase of your overall marketing plan for the year.

In the summer, families are seeking new and interesting places to visit and activities that engage both children and adults. How you plan your marketing depends on where and how you sell your product. If you sell at your own farm, this may be the time you arrange for farm tours and other activities that offer families and senior buy-

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information including recipe ideas, samples, and small give-away items they can take home with them. Farmers’ market surveys have shown that buyers who get an idea of how to cook something will buy more of it, or try a different product than they have in the past. Samples give buyers a taste test of what they can expect and allow people to decide on the spot if they want the same product or something different. This lessens “buyer’s remorse” and the potential loss of customers. If you do plan to offer samples though, follow your local and state health and inspection guidelines for food safety.

Senior adult buyers will generally buy more of a variety of summer farm products, but less of each variety. They may be cooking for one or two people and not require a full bundle of goods.

Marketing A6

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Page 5 - Section A • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER • July 2012

Today’s Marketing Objectives

ers an interesting outing time during the day. Combining activities with education is important, too. Offering healthy cooking demonstrations, children’s healthy eating activities, and information about farming and the local economy, turns the visit into a teaching moment.

If you are a farmers’ market vendor, ask your market association to include kid’s activities into the market day and provide information booths that address family and senior resources. Local hospitals, health care groups, service agencies and public service providers welcome the opportunity to reach out to these target groups. And, families and seniors appreciate the opportunity to visit with local farmers as well as make connections with community resource providers.

Summer buyers appreciate “how to”

July 2012 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER • Section A - Page 6

Cornell’s Floriculture Field Day scheduled for July 24 ITHACA, NY — Cornell University’s 10th annual Floriculture Field Day will be held Tuesday, July 24, at the Cornell campus in Ithaca, NY. The morning program will center on a theme of diversification and responding to changing consumer values to maintain operation profitability. Debbie Hamrick, director of Specialty Crops for the North Carolina Farm Bureau Federation, will present the keynote address “America’s Horticultural Renaissance: Increasing sales in light of changing consumer values.”

There will then be a question and answer panel from three greenhouse operators who have made their own diversification efforts. Deborah Sweeton

of Techni-Growers Greenhouses will detail the benefits of getting her community involved in American in Bloom.

The morning program will conclude with disease and pest updates.

Lunch and the afternoon program will take place outdoors at the Blue Grass Lane annual and perennial trials facility. Participants can attend guided tours of the trials or view the flower beds at their leisure. The afternoon will conclude with an ice cream social and announcement of the container design contest winners.

The Kathy Pufahl Container Design competition will be held in conjunction with the Field Day. The $25 entry fee is a direct donation to IBD research at

Mt. Sinai Hospital. During the past eight years, the contest has raised nearly $10,000.

Visitors to Ithaca may also be interested in attending the IPM In-Depth hands on workshop to be held on Monday July 23 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. We will begin with a diagnostic session to evaluate your disease, insect, weed and nutritional issues. This will be followed by hands-on sessions that will explore root rots, including newer treatments and traditional fungicides, common beneficial insects and mites that can be used to control greenhouse pests and media myth-busters.

More information and online registration are available at www.greenhouse.cornell.edu.

Marketing from A5 Think about how you present your product for sale and how this fits into the summer buyers you meet. Making seasonal adjustments to meet customer needs helps you target and retain specific customers.

The summer season is the perfect time to use your abundant produce, flowers or other goods to create attractive displays. Buyers appreciate and are drawn to farm stands that display a variety of colors, textures and abundance.

Vendors may think this type of display marketing has little to do with actual sales, especially when they have an established customer base, however just as in supermarkets, displays attract atten-

tion and create interest.

If you hire extra help during the summer, or have additional family members in the mix, ask them to help you plan ways to attract new buyers. Take advantage of more people on the ground to create displays and activities that require more help than you might have during other times of the year.

Also think about inventory and what buyers are seeking in the summer.

Customers like to bundle products with whatever else goes along with them. If you sell berries, do you also sell shortcake or cream to complete a dessert? Packaging dry soup components in a jar to sell with fresh vegetables completes a

dinner idea, as does a small package of vegetables with a cut of meat for a slow cooker stew.

Small giveaway products allow customers to take home more than just a product. A refrigerator magnet with your farm name and number invites families and others to return or contact you again. Active incentives are even better — a

coupon for a return visit brings customers back throughout the season.

Special events throughout the summer also offer an activity as well as the opportunity to shop.

Targeted marketing changes throughout the seasons, and if you adapt and respond to the mix of established and new customers, you will position your business to

prosper even with a changing audience. A little creativity, some extra hands, and a willingness to change things up a bit will make summer more than a brief interlude of

seasonal sales.

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

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by Beth K. Gugino Late blight has now been confirmed in Blair, Franklin, Mifflin, Lancaster and Schuylkill Counties in Pennsylvania.

Additional reports of late blight are continuing to roll in. The latest confirmations since June 13th include three commercial potato fields in Schuylkill Co. as well as another commercial field in Mifflin Co. planted with both tomatoes and potatoes. Unconfirmed reports have also been made on tomato and/or potato in Chester, Huntington and Indiana Co. If you have not already done so, it is very important that protectant fungicides should be applied all tomatoes and potato crops in Pennsylvania. If you are located in a county where late blight has been re-

ported including late blight specific fungicides in your fungicide program is also highly recommended. So far there have been no confirmed reports from home gardens although several suspect samples have been examined.

The first late blight reports made on June 4th from a commercial tomato field in Blair Co. and on potato and tomatoes from a commercial farm in Franklin Co. have been genotyped as US23. This was the most common genotype associated with late blight outbreaks in 2011. US23 is characterized as an A1 mating type that can infect both tomatoes and potatoes and is sensitive to mefenoxam (Ridomil). In fields where this genotype has been identified, mefenoxam will help to ef-

fectively manage late blight. For resistance management, rotate mefenoxam with another a late blight specific product from another FRAC code tank mixed with a protectant. These include but are not limited to Previcur Flex (FRAC 28), Ranman (FRAC 21), Tanos (FRAC 11+27), Curzate (FRAC 27), etc.

Keep in mind that the PHIs for mefenoxam on tomato and potato are 5 and 14 days, respectively.

All confirmed outbreaks thus far have been in production fields however, keep in mind that crops grown under high tunnels and other protected structures are not immune from getting late blight. The pathogen does not necessarily require leaf wetness that results from precipitation to cause disease. Extended dew periods that occur with evening cooling and even very high relative humidity can also create conditions that are favorable to infection and disease development. For greenhouse tomatoes both Heritage and Catamaran are registered for suppression of late blight. In fields where late blight has been confirmed, rogueing or burning down the most severely infected plants or portion of the field will reduce the build-up of inoculum and the potential for spread within the field, between fields and between farms. Incorporating the use of late blight specific fungicides will further reduce the development of new lesions and spread of the disease. Products like Tanos (famoxadone + cymoxanil) and Curzate (cymoxanil) have a slight amount of “kick-back” activity and are

effective at managing every early stages in the infection process (all of which are invisible to the naked eye).

Copper still remains the most effective tool for organic production. It is important to apply it preventatively before symptoms are observed and since it is a protectant, thorough coverage is also very important. Thorough coverage is important for any type of protectant fungicide. These are only effective where the active ingredient comes in contact with the plant surface.

Please continue to scout your fields and communicate with your local extension office or me if you suspect late blight. I have received numerous phone calls and emails from people with concerns about late blight and I want to continue to encourage that level of communication. If you suspect late blight on your farm, please contact your local county Penn State Extension Office or let me know via email at bkgugino@psu.edu or by phone at 814-865-7328.

Additional images of late blight on tomatoes and potatoes can be found at the Penn State Extension Vegetable and Small Fruit website under the Vegetable Disease Images link on the homepage at http://extension. psu.edu/vegetable-fruit. Also for the information regarding where the latest confirmed outbreaks have been reported and to receive email or text alerts about when late blight has been confirmed with a personally defined radius from your location visit http://usablight.org.

Page 7 - Section A • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER • July 2012

Additional late blight outbreaks continue to be confirmed in PA

July 2012 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER • Section A - Page 8

FOCUS ON AGRICULTURE American Farm Bureau Federation

What went right on youth farm labor proposal

by Lynne Finnerty You know the saying, “…and the crowd goes wild!” often uttered after someone shoots a basketball straight into the net? When the Labor Department announced recently that it was withdrawing its proposal to limit the types of farm work that minors could do and whose farms they could work on, the response from farm country was instantaneous.

Farm families had scored the winning basket. The crowd went wild! The sense of relief was palpable.

“This is great news!” someone commented on the American Farm Bureau Federation’s page on Facebook. “Many farms, including our own, are family run and it should be the decision of the parents of the children working on the farm whether they are old enough to work.

We are thankful for this decision as I’m sure many are!”

“Grassroots efforts work!” said another.

The Labor Department’s proposal would have barred anyone under 16 years old from using power-driven equipment, in addition to other restrictions, and limited the parental exemption to farms that are wholly owned by a parent. After Farm Bureau and others pointed out that the proposed rule could make it illegal for young people to use even a battery-powered screwdriver and did not take into account the

way that many farms are organized nowadays, with ownership shared by several family members, the Obama administration withdrew it.

DOL said the decision was made in response to thousands of comments expressing concerns about the effect of the proposal on small, family-owned farms.

It’s tempting to just sit back and relish this victory. But it’s important to look at what really worked, just as a winning team will review video of the game.

The first thing that worked was that all of agriculture used the same playbook. The administration didn’t get conflicting messages from different farm groups or agricultural sectors. Everyone came together behind one rallying cry: the child labor rule had to go!

Second, farmers and ranchers never gave up.

Even after submitting more than 10,000 comments on the proposed rule and after the comment period ended, farmers and ranchers kept expressing their opposition on social media websites, in newspaper

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and magazine articles and even on Capitol Hill.

The din from farm country was relentless, much like the noise one might hear at a basketball game when the fans are letting their team know that they’re behind them all the way.

Finally, farmers told their personal stories about how the proposal would affect their farms and their families. Some harked back to when they were young and learned important life lessons by doing farm work — lessons that helped them become better farmers and responsible adults, lessons that they want to impart to their own children. Even if someone didn’t grow up on a farm, he could probably relate to that. Farmers talked about shared values and made a connection with the public.

So, what should we set our sights on next, and how can farmers and ranchers apply the lessons learned to win more victories? Game on!

Lynne Finnerty is the editor of FBNews, the American Farm Bureau Federation’s newspaper.

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Beat the heat this summer

by Anna Meyerhoff, Farm Safety Educator, The New York Center for Agricultural Medicine & Health NYCAMH When summer heats up and farmworkers are exposed to long days of working at high temperatures, it’s very easy to become dehydrated.

When our bodies lose too much water, we are no longer able to cool down by sweating, and our bodies get overheated.

Dehydrated workers can become disoriented, weak or dizzy, and may suffer a heat-related illness if they do not get help quickly.

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Symptoms of heat illness may include: • Headache and dizziness • Profuse sweating • Intense thirst • Nausea, vomiting or fatigue • Muscle cramps • Loss of consciousness In case of heat stress, the victim should immediately be moved to a cool place and fanned.

Applying cool water, wet blankets or ice packs can help lower the victim’s body temperature, and drinks of cool water or a sports drink are also recommended. If the victim does not start to feel better quickly, seek medical attention.

These tips can help you beat the heat this summer!

1. Drink lots of water. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty! It is bet-

ter to drink small amounts of water frequently — before, during and after work — rather than drinking large amounts less often. Field workers need to drink plenty of water when they are working hard, more if it is hot and muggy.

Sports drinks help replace salt and electrolytes lost from sweating.

2. Wear the right clothing. Wear light-colored, cotton clothing to help keep you cool. Avoid darker colors and heavier fabrics that absorb the sun’s rays and trap heat. A wide-brimmed hat and Z87 safety sunglasses can also help you stay cool.

3. Take breaks in the shade. When it’s hot out, you need to rest more often to avoid getting sick

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from the heat. Take short breaks in a cool, shaded area and drink some water.

4. Work smart. Don’t overdo it during the hottest time of the day.

Instead, schedule heavier tasks for early morning or late afternoon when it’s cooler.

5. Avoid alcohol, caffeine and sugary drinks. They can dehydrate you more.

Remember, taking care of yourself, getting enough sleep, staying hydrated, and eating well can keep your body

in good shape and help you stay healthy and strong while working.

Take care and stay safe this summer!

For more information, or to set up a free onfarm CPR, first aid or safety training session, please contact me at 800-343-7527, ext 291 or e-mail me at ameyerhoff@nycamh.com. NYCAMH, a program of Bassett Healthcare Network, is enhancing agricultural and rural health by preventing and treating occupational injury.

SEEDWAY introduces new eCommerce website HALL, NY — SEEDWAY has launched the new eCommerce area of its website. The recently live area features enhancements for the online purchase of commercial, untreated and organic vegetable seed. User-friendly improvements include enhanced product listings, sorting options, page views, shopping cart and checkout process. The upgrades focus on making the online shopping experience simpler and faster.

The enriched eCommerce format and new functions finalize an overall redesign, upgrading the website and streamlining the online vegetable seed shopping experience. SEEDWAY has offered vegetable

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Page 9 - Section A • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER • July 2012

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July 2012 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER • Section A - Page 10

Blackmore offers new 2-51 Orphan Strip Tray The latest addition to the Blackmore Orphan Tray lineup is the 2-51 Orphan strip tray (stk# 8893).

The unique orphan design of the 251 keeps six “spare” cuttings attached to the “mother” strip tray in an “orphan” strip that is easily broken off at

time of shipment. No more looking for orphans to replace cuttings that didn’t root in the mother tray. The 1-inch deep tray is vented and designed for 25 mm Ellepots™. Contact Blackmore at 800-874-8660 or trayinfo@blackmoreco.com or www.blackmoreco.com.

Senate Committee Farm Bill good for young farmers Ben LaCross, a young fruit grower and Farm Bureau member from Michigan, recently urged Congress to pass the Senate Agriculture Committee-passed farm bill this year. Speaking at a press event on Capitol Hill on behalf of the American Farm Bureau Federation, LaCross said without the bill, crop losses could be catastrophic, especially for beginning and young farmers.

LaCross said that due to various weather conditions impacting farms this year, his state has lost an estimated 90 percent of its apple crop, 85 percent of its grapes, 95 percent of its peaches and 85 percent of its cherries.

“If the committee’s farm bill were in existence today, I would have the opportunity to cover more of my crops under crop insurance, using new programs that

would provide better coverage at a lower cost,” said LaCross. “It would also provide the ability to use more realistic production numbers by increasing the ‘yield plug’ in years like this one, when my production is going to be almost zero.

Importantly, the bill also increases crop insurance assistance to beginning farmers.

“In a normal year, my farm would produce 4 million pounds of cherries. This year, we will be

lucky to harvest 40,000 pounds — only 1 percent of my normal production,” continued LaCross. “Crop insurance helps keep families like mine in business.”

The Senate farm bill also continues the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program, which offers education, training, outreach and mentoring programs to ensure the success of the next generation of farmers.

Further, it increases

Blackmore 2-51 Orphan Strip Tray 25mm Ellepot™ No. 8893. access to capital and prioritizes the needs of beginning farmers to ensure they have access to programs like the Environmental Quality Incentives Program — a program that is critical to farmers and ranchers striving to be good stewards of the land and trying to meet tough envi-

ronmental mandates.

Lastly, the bill encourages older farmers to help beginning farmers get started in the business by providing two extra years of Conservation Reserve Program participation to retiring farmers who transition their expiring CRP land to beginning farmers.

“The Senate Agriculture Committee’s 2012 farm bill legislation would be very helpful to me personally and other fruit and vegetable producers in Michigan,” said LaCross. “But, more importantly, it is a good bill for young and beginning farmers and ranchers.”

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that organic products certified in the United States or European Union may now be sold as organic in either market, as trade opened up on June 1, under a new U.S.-EU equivalency partnership. Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan signed formal letters creating the partnership in February, along with Dacian Ciolo, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, and Ambassador Isi Siddiqui, U.S. Trade Representative Chief Agricultural Negotiator.

“This partnership will open new markets for American farmers and ranchers, create more opportunities for

small businesses, and result in good jobs for Americans who grow, package, ship, and market organic products,” said Merrigan. “In the months ahead, USDA will continue to work hard to expand opportunities for all U.S. products, including organics. Equivalency arrangements such as this are critical to growing the U.S. organics industry — they require careful negotiation to ensure that we maintain existing U.S. trade policies while ensuring that U.S. agricultural products will compete on a level playing field in world markets.”

The United States signed a similar partnership with Canada in July 2009, and additional equivalency arrangement conversations have begun with

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South Korea, Taiwan and Japan.

Previously, producers and companies wanting to trade products on both sides of the Atlantic had to obtain separate certifications to two standards, which resulted in a double set of fees, inspections, and paperwork. The partnership existing now eliminates these significant barriers, which is especially helpful for small and medium-sized organic farmers. During negotiations, both parties conducted thorough onsite audits to ensure that their programs’ regulations, quality control measures, certification requirements, and labeling practices were compatible.

“This agreement provides economic opportunities for certified organic farmers as well as additional incentives for prospective farmers,” said Miles McEvoy, National Organic Program Deputy Administrator. “We look forward to working with our European Union counterparts to support organic agriculture.”

Although there are slight differences between the United States and European Union organic standards, both parties individually determined that their programs were equivalent, thereby allowing the agreement that opened up trade today. The exception has to

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do with prohibition on the use of antibiotics. USDA organic regulations prohibit the use of antibiotics except to control invasive bacterial infections (fire blight) in organic apple and pear orchards. The European Union organic regulations allow antibiotics only to treat infected animals. For all products traded under this partnership, certifying agents must verify that antibiotics are not used for any reason.

The United States and the European Union will continue to have regular discussions and review each other’s programs periodically to verify that the terms of the partnership are being met. Later this year, representatives from both markets will compare the USDA organic wine standards to the recently published European Union wine standards and determine how wine can fit into the trade partnership.

In the interim, traded wine must meet the production and labeling requirements of the destination market.

The arrangement covers products exported from and certified in the United States or the European Union only.

All products traded under the partnership must be shipped with an organic

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Page 11 - Section A • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER • July 2012

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July 2012 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER • Section A - Page 12

Agriculture Secretary Vilsack makes statement on newest forecast for U.S. farm exports WASHINGTON, D.C. — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack made the following statement regarding USDA’s third-quarter forecast released May 31 showing U.S. farm exports reaching the second-highest level on record at $134.5 billion in fiscal year 2012: “With the release of today’s most recent export forecast, we can expect American agriculture to remain a bright spot in our nation’s economy in the months to come, supporting more than 1 million American jobs in communities across our country. Since 2009, our farmers and ranchers are set to deliver three of the four highest levels of U.S. agricultural exports in our nation’s history. In fiscal year 2012, the latest forecast sees $134.5 billion in U.S. farm exports, the second highest

level ever and $3.5 billion greater than the previous forecast. The reason for this success is the productivity of our farmers and ranchers, as much as President Obama’s leadership on trade.

Since 2009, USDA has aggressively worked to expand export opportunities and reduce barriers to trade, helping to push agricultural exports to historic levels year after year. Last year, the President insisted that we get the agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama done right, forging better deals for America’s workers and businesses that led to strong bipartisan support in both houses of Congress. Today, the agreements with South Korea and Colombia are in effect, delivering greater returns for U.S. businesses. In 2010, the President

committed to double U.S. exports in five years and, two years later, we are on pace to meet that goal.

In the latest forecast, the overall pace of exports is surging, led by a 5.1-million-tons increase in the volume of bulk exports over the February forecast.

Consumer-oriented products in particular are soaring through the first six months of the fiscal year, up 15 percent over the first 6 months of 2011. While wheat and soybeans are expected to perform well, it is American-grown high-value products that are performing the best, with the forecast increasing again for horticultural products (particularly tree nuts) and livestock products. Moreover, exports to Canada and Mexico are both forecast up this quarter to new records, respectively,

while exports to China are up $1.5 billion due to demand for cotton, pork, dairy, poultry, and tree nuts.

“These figures indicate how demand for the American brand of agriculture continues to soar worldwide, supporting good jobs for Americans across a variety of industries such as transportation, renewable energy, manufacturing, food services, and on-farm employment. And as American agriculture continues to achieve a nearly unparalleled level of productivity, this success story will continue, helping to strengthen an American economy that’s built to last.”

The latest export forecast data is available at www.fas.usda.gov under the Quarterly Agricultural Export Forecast link.

ment and the USDA National Organic Program — which oversees all U.S. organic products — will take on key oversight roles.

Estimates show the market for U.S. organics sales to the EU could grow substantially within the first few years of this arrangement. Today, more than two-thirds of U.S. consumers buy organic products at least occasionally, and 28 percent buy organic products weekly.

U.S. agriculture is currently experiencing one of its best periods in history thanks to the productivity and re-

sourcefulness of our producers. Overall, American agriculture supports 1 in 12 jobs in the United States and provides American consumers with 83 percent of the food we consume, while maintaining affordability and choice.

Strong agricultural exports contribute to a positive U.S. trade balance, create jobs, boost economic growth and support President Obama’s National Export Initiative goal of doubling all U.S. exports by the end of 2014.

For additional details on the trade partnership, please visit www.ams.usda. gov/NOPTradeEuropeanUnion or contact the National Organic Program at 202-720-3252. The National Organic Program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture facilitates trade and ensures integrity of organic agricultural products by consistently implementing the organic standards and enforcing compliance with the regulations.

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In addition to certifying that the terms of the partnership were met, the certificates also allow traded products to be tracked. Both parties are committed to ensuring that products traded under the agreement retain their organic integrity from farm to market. The European Commission’s Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Develop-

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Spring frost damaged over 3 million acres of farmland WASHINGTON D.C. — At the urging of U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued federal agriculture disaster

declarations for New York Counties that experienced crop damage as a result of a spring freeze. Senator Gillibrand recently called on USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack to issue disaster declarations so that farmers across New York

State can access federal funds to help them recover losses and stay afloat this season.

“Farmers across New York who were still recovering from last year’s natural disasters risk losing an entire season worth of crops again,”

Senator Gillibrand said.

“These disaster declarations are a good first step to open up access to federal resources so these farmers can get back to business and keep New York’s agricultural industry on the move.”

After a winter of record

high temperatures, many crops on New York farms blossomed earlier than usual. Many of these crops were then exposed to early spring freezing temperatures, and were destroyed as a result. Across the state, more than 3 million

acres of farmland have experienced a 30 percent loss or greater, while many farms suffered 100 percent losses, including farms that were still struggling to recover from the damage of Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. Federal agriculture disaster recovery programs provide a variety of tools to assist farmers in overcoming the challenges they can face as they work to recover from production and physical losses on their farms and rebuild their business, including financial assistance to compensate for farm losses, low interest emergency loans, and assistance in rehabilitating farm land.

Below is a list of New York counties that received disaster declaration and counties that are eligible for benefits: Disaster #1: Frost and freezes that occurred during the period of March 1, 2012, and continuing.

Disaster declaration for the primary counties of Albany, Broome, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Columbia, Dutchess, Erie, Fulton, Greene, Madison, Monroe, Montgomery, Niagara, Onondaga, Ontario, Orange, Orleans, Oswego, Rensselaer, Rockland, Saratoga, Schoharie, Schuyler, Seneca, Ulster, Washington and Yates.

Benefits are also available for the contiguous counties of Allegany, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Essex, Genesee, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Livingston, Oneida, Otsego, Putnam, Schenectady, Steuben, Sullivan, Tioga, Tompkins, Warren, Wayne and Wyoming Disaster #2: Frost and freezes or unseasonably warm temperatures, and excessive heat that occurred during the period of March 1, 2012 through April 30, 2012.

Disaster declaration for the primary counties of Allegany, Wayne and Wyoming.

Benefits are also available for the contiguous counties of Cattaraugus,

Disasters A14

Page 13 - Section A • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER • July 2012

Agriculture disasters declared in many New York counties

July 2012 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER • Section A - Page 14

Beginning farmers, value added processors, micro-loan programs deserve mandatory funding SHELBURNE FALLS, MA — The Legislative Committee of the New England Farmers Union asked New England Farmers Union members in all six states to contact their senators to support two amendments to support beginning farmers, value added food processors and micro-loan programs.

“Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) has offered an amendment that provides $50 million in mandatory funding for both the Value Added Producer Grant Program and the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program,” said Annette Higby, policy director for NEFU. “New England farmers are working hard to meet increasing demand for processed foods for institutional sales and other markets. The Value Added Producer Grant Program has benefited many projects in our region.

“Also, everyone is concerned about beginning farmer training, support and development,” she added. “We don’t want to lose funding for this important group of farmers.”

Senators Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Robert Casey (D-PA) have offered an amendment that authorizes USDA’s Farm Service Agency to make small loans of up to $35,000 tailored to meet

Disasters from A13 Cayuga, Erie, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Seneca and Steuben.

Disaster #3: Frost, freezes, high winds, and hail that occurred during the period of March 26 through April 8, 2012.

Disaster declaration for the primary counties of Orange and Rockland.

Benefits are also available for the contiguous counties of Dutchess, Putnam, Sullivan and Ulster.

Designation # 4: Excessive snow and freezes that occurred during the period of April 1, through April 30, 2012.

Disaster declaration for the primary county of Tompkins.

Benefits are also available for the contiguous counties of Cayuga, Chemung, Cortland, Schulyer, Seneca and Tioga.

the needs of small, young, beginning and veteran farmers and ranchers.

“This amendment would also give FSA discretionary authority to establish a new pilot program to support microcredit programs admin-

istered by non-governmental or communitybased organizations,” Higby said.

Learn more about the farm bill by reading NEFU’s Priorities for the 2012 Farm Bill at www.newenglandfarmer-

sunion.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/N EFU_FarmBillPlatform12B2.pdf and A Northeast Farm Bill Agenda: Priorities for the 2012 Farm Bill at https://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/50207/images/A%20North-

east%20Farm%20Bill%20 Agenda-%20Priorities %20for%20the%202012% 20Farm%20Bill%207.pdf.

New England Farmers Union, a member-driven organization, is committed to enhancing the quality of life for family

farmers, fishermen, nurserymen, and their customers through educational opportunities, cooperative endeavors and civic engagement.

For more information, see www.newenglandfarmersunion.org.

PORTLAND, OR — Officials from the 2012 Farwest Show have announced the docket of professional seminars for this year’s event, according to Farwest Show Director Allan Niemi.

“Farwest seminars are designed to provide some of the most valuable professional development in the nursery, landscape and garden center businesses,” Niemi said. “And this year’s lineup is one of our best in a decade.”

Among the 45 speakers conducting 29 seminars throughout all three days of the show, highlights include award-

winning e-mail marketer and humorist Michael Katz, who will speak on “ENewsletters that Work;” nursery industry experts Mark Krautmann, Keith Warren and Nancy Buley fill out a panel on “The Wide World of Maples;” customer-retention pro Anne Obarski will present “New Xpectations of Customer Service in 2012;” garden center business consultant Sid Raisch will speak on “Inventory and Price Strategies for Healthy Margins — The Merchant Advantage;” horticulture professors Dr. Raymond Cloyd will conduct a seminar

S H O W S on “Pesticides and Biological Control: Are These Two Strategies Compatible?” and Dr. Charlie Hall will talk on “Cost Accounting — How to Make the Most Out of Your Bottom Line.”

For the full schedule of 2012 Farwest seminars visit www.farwestshow.com/ seminarschedule.shtml.

The 2012 Farwest Show will take place Aug. 23-25 at the Oregon Convention Center, in Portland, OR. The Farwest Show is produced by the Oregon Association of Nurseries (OAN), a trade organization that represents and serves the interests of the ornamental horticulture industry. Any revenue realized by the OAN is reinvested into the industry through education, research, marketing support and government relations. For registration and more information about the 2012 Farwest Show seminar schedule, nursery tours, show hours and other features, visit www.farwestshow.com or call 503-682-5089.

The Oregon Association of Nurseries, based in Wilsonville, represents more

than 1,100 wholesale growers, retailers, landscapers and suppliers. Oregon’s ornamental horticulture industry is among the state’s largest agricultural commodities, with annual sales of $676 million. Oregon’s nursery industry is a traded sector; nearly 75 percent of the nursery plants grown in Oregon are shipped out of state. For information, visit www.oan.org or call 503-682-5089.

Page 15 - Section A • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER • July 2012

Farwest Show announces seminar lineup for 2012

July 2012 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER • Section A - Page 16

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The 2012 OFA Short Course, the largest horticulture event in the U.S., is set for July 14-17 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio. As is tradition, show organizers have gathered a lineup of experienced and respected speakers for the event’s four days of horticulture sessions, tours and workshops.

Coming from academia, allied trade businesses, consulting firms, as well as directly from the greenhouse, these experts will share their knowledge of production, disease and nutrition management, media, crops and variety selection — all in order to help greenhouse growers prepare and succeed in the coming seasons.

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owners, managers and growers. From the latest disease outbreak to gaining insight into the industry’s current and future drivers of change, attendees will leave Short Course with the knowhow to address their specific operational and production concerns.

More than 35 education sessions and workshops will be available for those in the greenhousegrowing segment of the horticulture industry. A sampling of sessions and speakers includes: • Impatiens Downy Mildew: What’s a Grower/Landscaper to Do in 2013? Presented by Dr. Allen Hammer (Dümmen USA), Ken Harr (Syngenta Flowers Inc.,) and Dr. Mike Klopmeyer (Ball Horticultural), 10:30 a.m., Saturday, July 14; • Mealybug & Scale Management. Presented

by Dr. Raymond Cloyd (Kansas State University), 1 p.m., Saturday, July 14; • Tough Perennials for Tough Landscape Settings. Presented by Rita Randolph (Randolph’s Greenhouses), 4 p.m., Saturday, July 14; • Plants a Savvy Grower Can Position & Make a Lot of Money. Presented by Terri Cantwell (Bates Sons & Daughters), Garry Grueber (Cultivaris Europe), Nathan Smith (Golden State Bulb Growers), and Lloyd Traven (Peace Tree Farm), 1 p.m., Sunday, July 15; • Greenhouse Applications of Light-Emitting Diodes. Presented by Dr. John Burr (Purdue University), Dr. Roberto Lopez (Purdue University), Dr. Cary Mitchell (Purdue University), and Dr. Erik Runkle (Michigan State University), 2:30 p.m., Sunday, July

15; and • Biocontrol Hits & Misses. Presented by Suzanne WainwrightEvans (Buglady Consulting) and Rich Densel (Van Vugt Greenhouses), 9:15 a.m., Tuesday, July 17.

In addition, there are a number of opportunities for incisive discussions on the greater challenges facing the horticulture industry. This year’s Summit topic, Value, Relevancy & Authenticity of the Horticulture Product, aims to present the industry’s current drivers with discussions to follow on how to then implement a strategic plan. The annual Town Meeting subject matter will focus on Putting the Steak Back in the Sizzle, in which the audience will try to figure out how to put some meat back on the bones of horticulture. These hard-hitting, focused discussions are one of the trademarks of Short Course.

Catch the Keynotes Two keynote presentations will get the greenhouse trade thinking about how they can address the future. On Sunday, July 15, Joe Lamp’l (aka joe gardener®) will speak about ways to find and influence the ever elusive consumer in today’s market. You can see and hear Lamp’l on “Fresh from the Garden” on DIY Network, GardenSMART on PBS, and his latest series, Growing a Greener World, also on national public television.

Lamp’l also shares his know-how on NBC’s Today show and ABC’s Good Morning America.

His key question: Are our products, services, and marketing messages relevant and even reaching our target markets?

OFA A18

Page 17 - Section A • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER • July 2012

OxiDate 2.0 is now labeled for fire blight in apples

July 2012 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER • Section A - Page 18

OFA from A17 Catch Joe’s insights Sunday, July 15, at 8 a.m.

On Monday, July 16, Sam Kass, White House assistant chef and senior policy advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives, will bring his passion for gardening and grow-your-own edibles to Short Course attendees in the second keynote presentation. His message speaks directly to those in the horticulture industry who make fresh fruits and vegetables possible. Kass will bring an enthusiastic message about gardening and planting home-grown fruits, herbs and vegetables. This spring, several OFA member companies, including breeders and garden centers, launched new or expanded offerings in the edible plant category to meet the increasing demand by consumers. This is good news for the industry and supports an effort to improve the health and well being of kids and adults.

Kass said, there is a “… national conversation that has been started about the need for all of us to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables and ensuring that everyone has access to fresh produce in their neighborhoods — key components of the First Lady’s Let’s Move! initiative which is an effort to tackle the problem of childhood obesity in this country.” Gardening is an integral part of the program.

Both events are open to all.

OFA Short Course expanded trade show sells out Even with increasing the square footage of exhibition space in the Columbus Convention Center, the OFA Short Course trade show is sold out and a waiting list has been established. More than 550 companies will occupy nearly 1,500 exhibit spaces in the 7-acre trade show. With so much to see, show organizers have arranged “Trade Show Interactive” sessions that will lead attendees through the floor

and to vendors dealing with Pest Management Resources, Lighting, Growing Media, and other specific topics.

“The trade show brings buyers and sellers together in an affordable location to make business connections, to share ideas, and to work together for mutual success. We expanded the trade show floor because more companies wanted to exhibit, or current exhibitors needed to expand,” said Michael V. Geary, CAE, OFA’s chief executive officer. “We see this as a sign of increasing confidence in the economy and the health of our industry. Furthermore, Short Course is the first event of the year that will showcase new plant varieties, and products and services. People want to attend because it’s a premier trade show that has everything you need for your business in one place; and it’s a great place to exhibit because this is where the industry comes to do business.”

The 2012 OFA Short Course offers more than just the trade show. The four-day event includes 140 educational sessions, keynote presentations, several networking opportunities and tours. Attendees will come from the United States and nearly 25 other countries.

Grower Tour A full-day grower tour on Saturday, July 14, allows visitors to talk shop, quite literally, in three nearby growing operations. Covering a range of mostly grower to mostly retailer, these operations can shed some light on what business and growing tactics are being used by grower peers. In addition, bus conversations provide a great method for critiquing what works — and what doesn’t. Tour stops include deMonye’s Greenhouse, Meadow View Growers, and Darby Creek Growers.

Register for the 2012 OFA Short Course at ofa.org/shortcourse.

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The keynote speaker at the 2012 Northeast Greenhouse Conference & Expo, slated for Nov. 7 and 8 at the DCU Center in Worcester, MA, will be

Katy Moss Warner.

The theme for her presentation is “Why Color?” An all green landscape is like black and white TV. It’s like news-

papers without color photos. Yes, “The Artist” won the academy award in 2012. But, in general, there is an expectation of color in our lives. Warner will share her experience bringing color to the forefront in the gardens of Walt Disney World in Florida. Where did it start? How did it happen? What is the outcome? She will offer insight on the importance of color in municipal landscapes from her travels judging cities with America in Bloom. Can we really enhance the quality of life in our communities with colorful beautiful landscapes? Why are hanging baskets now so beloved in many of our towns and cities? She will challenge us that the green industry will do well to think and grow in “Technicolor.”

Warner is president emeritus of the American Horticultural Society, a national, non-profit, member-based organization with a bold vision of “mak-

ing America a nation of gardeners, a land of gardens.” From 1976 to 2000, she was director of Disney’s Horticulture and Environmental Initiatives at the Walt Disney World Resort. With a team of nearly 700, she was responsible for the landscapes of four theme parks, 15 resort properties and over 70 miles of roads on the 30,000-acre property, ensuring that Disney’s horticultural traditions of beautiful gardens and environmental responsibility were sustained.

The Northeast Greenhouse Conference & Expo is sponsored by the Cooperative Extension programs of the six New England state universities, New York state and New England Floriculture Inc. For more information on the Northeast Greenhouse Conference and Expo, visit the web site www.negreenhouse.org.

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Page 19 - Section A • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER • July 2012

Katy Moss Warner to be keynote speaker at Northeast Greenhouse Conference

July 2012 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER • Section A - Page 20

Report finds U.S. crop insurance, credit programs harm fruit and vegetable growers; encourage commodities for unhealthy food Congress should open up programs in next farm bill, says UCS The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is urging Americans to eat substantially more fruits and vegetables, but its crop insurance and credit programs handicap produce growers and instead promote commodity crops that are disproportionately used in heavily processed junk food, according to a report released on April 24 during a conference call held by the Union of Concerned Scientists.

The report, “Ensuring the Harvest: Crop Insurance and Credit for a Healthy Farm and Food Future,” recommends a number of commonsense policies that would help American farmers grow more healthy food for our communities.

“If Americans need to eat more fruits and vegetables, why do U.S. farm policies make it harder for farmers who grow them to earn a living?” asked report author Jeffrey O’Hara, an agricultural economist with UCS’s Food and Environment Program. “Even though those farmers pose a lower insurance risk, the USDA won’t give them the same protection it gives to large commodity farming operations.”

Weather makes farm-

ing a risky business, so the USDA offers crop insurance, making it easier for farmers to obtain bank loans or credit early in the year to cover the cost of seeds, fertilizer and equipment for spring planting. In the event of extreme weather — from spring frosts to summer flooding — that insurance gives farmers a safety net if their crops are destroyed or their price declines. For many farmers, insurance and credit is the difference between profiting and bankruptcy.

The USDA offers this crop insurance and credit to large farms growing corn, soy and other commodity crops, and to some large fruit and vegetable farms, such as tomatoes in California, but the agency shuts out “healthy-food” farms — small- to medium-size farms growing fruits and vegetables or raising livestock sustainably.

Many healthy-food farms, which sell their products locally at farmers markets, restaurants and schools, have become a market force in recent years. Currently, their local-food sales total $5 billion annually.

But if fruit and vegetable consumption increased

to meet the USDA’s MyPlate dietary guidelines, driving demand for healthy, sustainable produce, local food sales could increase to as much as $14.5 billion a year and generate as many as 189,000 new jobs, according to the UCS report.

Jack Hedin, owner of the 160-acre organic Featherstone Farm in Rushford, MN, is one of those healthy-food farmers who cannot get crop insurance. In 2007, chronic rains brought crop disease and disrupted planting cycles. Combined with acute flash flooding, 60 percent of his farm was wiped out.

Fortunately his farm rebounded and today it is thriving, but he still lives in fear of what might happen due to an extreme weather event.

“Without crop insurance, I worry every day

about the safety of the farm, my family and our 30 employees,” said Hedin, who participated in today’s UCS telephone press conference. “The lack of access to crop insurance is one of the greatest impediments that I, and other small local farmers, face in keeping healthy-food farms safe and prosperous.”

In the House, Representative Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), a member of the House Agriculture Committee, is the lead sponsor of the Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act, which would expand farmers markets and provide support for regional farm and food systems.

“Instead of putting up roadblocks to farmers growing a diverse range of crops and livestock, we need to encourage these farmers and make it easier for them to provide the kind of healthy foods

that are good for consumers and good for local economies,” said Pingree, who also was featured on UCS’s call today. “The Senate Agriculture Committee is marking up its version of the Farm Bill tomorrow, providing a timely opportunity to level the playing field for these farmers.”

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Amidst election year politics and a packed Congressional agenda, the Society of American Florists (SAF) has met personally with several members of Congress and their staffs to make a case for more access to credit for micro-busi-

ness owners — thanks to the efforts of several retailers, wholesalers and growers.

More than 100 SAF members wrote their representatives and senators in April and May, asking them to co-sponsor the Restore Main

Street Credit’s Act, H.R. 4293, which would remove restrictions on lending to Main Street businesses for credit union commercial lending. Once those letters hit, the “doors started opening,” said SAF Senior Director of Govern-

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ment Relations Corey Connors, who was able to meet with the offices of reps. Dan Benishek (R-MI), Jim Costa (DCA), Billy Long (R-MO), Steve Israel (D-NY) and senior staff for Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee’s ranking member Olympia Snowe (R-ME).

“When (members of Congress) hear from constituents, they start paying attention,” said Connors. “They know there’s a lot more riding on an issue when they hear from the people who voted them into office.”

Connors said overall reception to H.R. 4293, which would open up loans for Main Street businesses without costing the taxpayer anything, was positive. But he said it will take many more letters and many more meetings to keep the issue top-of-mind with legislators. “We need to keep telling lawmakers how critical access to credit is to your survival,” he said. “They need to hear those very personal stories of struggles and stymied growth that happen when you can’t get a line of credit or a loan,” he said.

Other industries representing small businesses support the bill through the National Main Street Business Coalition, started by SAF in January to push improved access to capital and tax reform. The Main Street coalition has the backing of more than 150,000 businesses in five industries in addition to floriculture: convenience stores, retail appliance dealers, bakers, newspapers and toy retailers.

Connors acknowledged it’s a “tough” Congress with election year politics slowing legislative movement, but “we just have to continue to work at it so it stays on their radar.” He urges SAF members to help “open more doors” for a discussion of H.R. 4293, by sending a message to your member of Congress asking them to support it.

“Every letter written gets us closer to improving access to affordable loans,” Connors said.

Page 21 - Section A • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER • July 2012

SAF outreach to Congress opens doors

July 2012 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER • Section A - Page 22

Anticipation: Tomato genome becomes fully sequenced – paving the way for healthier fruits and vegetables Boyce Thompson Institute, located at Cornell University, leads U.S. arm of international consortium ITHACA, NY — For the first time, the genome of the tomato, Solanum lycopersicum, has been decoded. It becomes an important step toward improving yield, nutrition, disease resistance, taste and color of the tomato and other crops. The full genome sequence, as well as the sequence of a wild relative, is jointly published in the latest issue of the journal Nature (May 31, 2012).

Specifically, the genome was sequenced from the “Heinz 1706” tomato.

The publication caps years of work by members of the Tomato Genomics Consortium, an international collaboration between Argentina, Belgium, China, France, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, United Kingdom, United States and others.

James Giovannoni, a scientist at the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research (located on the campus of Cornell) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, leads the U.S. tomato sequencing team, which includes researchers at several institutions. The wild tomato (Solanum pimpinellifolium) genome sequence was developed at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.

Consortium researchers report that tomatoes possess some 35,000 genes arranged on 12 chromosomes.

“For any characteristic of the tomato, whether it’s taste, natural pest resistance or nutritional content, we’ve captured virtually all those genes,” said Giovannoni.

The sequences of these genes and their arrangement on the chromosomes are described in the Nature article, “The tomato genome sequence provides insights into fleshy fruit evolution,” which is information that allows researchers to move at a quicker pace and plant breeders to produce new varieties with specific desired characteristics.

“Tomato genetics underlies the potential for improved taste every home gardener knows and every supermarket

shopper desires and the genome sequence will help solve this and many other issues in tomato production and quality,” said Giovannoni.

Now that the genome sequence of one variety of tomato is known, it will also be easier and much less expensive for seed companies and plant breeders to sequence other varieties for research and development, he added.

Whereas the first tomato genome sequence came at a cost of millions of dollars, subsequent ones might only cost $10,000 or less, by building on these initial findings. To

provide access to the gene sequences of the tomato and related species, Boyce Thompson Institute scientist Lukas Mueller and his team have created an interactive website (www.solgenomics.net).

In the United States, Boyce Thompson Institute scientists Zhangjun Fei and Joyce Van Eck contributed to the sequence and its analysis.

Other U.S. institutions involved: Cornell University, Colorado State, University of Florida, University of Oklahoma, University of Georgia, University of Arizona, University of Delaware,

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Montana State, University of Tennessee, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and the USDA. The sequencing of the tomato genome has implications for other plant species. Strawberries, apples, melons, bananas and many other fleshy fruits, share some characteristics with tomatoes, so information about the genes and pathways involved in fruit ripening can potentially be applied to them, helping to improve food quality, food security and reduce costs.

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ology, disease resistance, root development and nutritional qualities,” Giovannoni says.

Tomatoes represent a $2 billion market in the United States alone. The USDA estimates that Americans consume, on average, more than 72 pounds of tomato products annually.

The sequencing would not have been possible without the work of Cornell’s Steven Tanksley and Boyce Thompson’s Greg Martin in the 1990s.

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mechanisms of disease resistance, and those tools ultimately paved the way for the consortium’s sequencing efforts.

Tomato genome and sequencing research in the United States was supported by the National Science Foundation and the USDA. The Boyce Thompson Institute is located on the Cornell campus, and it was founded by William Boyce Thompson in 1924. It is a private, nonprofit institution that explores fundamental aspects of plant biology to positively impact society.

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North American Farmers’ Direct Marketing Association (NAFDMA) will bring its seventh annual Advanced Learning Retreat (ALR) to Tanners Orchard in Speer, IL, Aug. 17-20. The ALR is an exclusive event designed to give attendees an opportunity to advance their own farm direct marketing business by brainstorming and learning with like-minded peers in facilitated small group settings.

Tanners Orchard is an 80-acre retail

and agritainment farm. The market and bakery are among the most successful on the continent. It is known for homespun traditional appearances up front, with progressive and up-todate management operations behind the scenes. The farm is also adding to its agritainment activities.

A hard freeze in April damaged the apple crop, changing the entire outlook for 2012. However, the ALR is designed for the marketing side of business, so

attendees will see firsthand what can be done in an adverse production year.

Jennifer Beaver, a key member of the ownership at Tanners Orchard, is excited about hosting the ALR event. "I am sure everyone who attends will take a few ideas home and I hope they leave one here for us. The folks who will attend are some of the best in the country at what they do so it will be a learning experience for all of us. We open in late July so by Aug. 17 we will

be ready and raring to go."

Among the education session topics are management, marketing, displays, food service, and bakery operations.

There will also be sessions focused on the agritainment business, including on how Tanners Orchard handles over 77,000 people on Saturdays and Sundays in September and October. Complete details can be found at www.nafdma.com/ALR2012.

MD Agriculture Secretary releases statement on signing of estate tax reform bill ANNAPOLIS, MD — Maryland Agriculture Secretary Buddy Hance released the following statement May 22 on the signing of estate tax reform legislation that would protect the generational

transfer of farmland.

The legislation (SB294/HB444) Family Farm Preservation Act of 2012, better known as the “estate tax” bill, was proposed by Gov. Martin O’Malley and Sen. Presi-

dent Thomas V. Mike Miller. It allows farms valued under $5 million to be passed down from generation to generation without incurring estate taxes, provided that the land stays in agricultural

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“This new law, long sought after by the agriculture community, will make it easier for farmers to pass down farmland through generations by decreasing the estate tax burden on the owner’s death. No Marylander should be forced to sell a farm that has been in their family for generations because they cannot afford the tax bill. We thank Gov. O’Malley, Senate Presi-

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Assemblyman Magee works to expand local produce program New York State Assemblyman Bill Magee (D-Nelson) announced that two bills he recently sponsored to expand the Pride of New York program moved out of the Assembly Agriculture Committee (A.9877 and A.9868).

“In rural communities like ours, I know how important it is to promote locally made goods,” Assemblyman Magee said.

“It’s good for our farmers, our business owners and our local economy.”

These bills would provide designations for “Dine: Pride of New York” for restaurants and “Shop: Pride of New York” for retailers and wholesalers. It would create logos for businesses that buy local foods and help get more local goods on the shelves.

“More and more, we hear people wanting to eat, buy and support local farms and businesses,”

Assemblyman Magee said. “This measure would make it easier for us to proudly support and easily identify local products, while simultaneously encouraging more businesses to buy local.”

This legislation would be an extension from this year’s budget, which saw the first increase in support for farm friendly programs in over four years. Funding from the budget will go to a variety of different programs for — among other things — development, research and outreach in the farming community.

All qualifying businesses would be given advertising and promotion materials free of charge and would be further promoted by having their business name on the Pride of New York website, Assemblyman Magee noted.

Page 23 - Section A • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER • July 2012

Advanced Learning Retreat offers inside look at successful retail farm

July 2012 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER • Section A - Page 24

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Friday, July 27

MILLER’S AUCTION Argyle, NY 518-638-8580 PIRRUNG AUCTIONEERS Wayland, NY 585-728-2528 ROY TEITSWORTH, INC., AUCTIONEERS Geneseo, NY 585-243-1563 www.teitsworth.com WILLIAM KENT, INC. Stafford, NY 585-343-5449 or 585-548-7738 WOLGEMUTH AUCTION Leola, PA www.wolgemuthauction.com wolgemuthauc@juno.com WRIGHT’S AUCTION SERVICE 48 Community Dr. Derby, VT 14541 802-334-6115 www.wrightsauctions.com

Retirement Auction for Walters Farms

Fri., July 13th @ 10:30 AM Zimmerman Rd and Fly Rd (Mud Street), Beamsville, Ont. (farm is sold, owners retiring from farming) Sale to consist of Winery Equipment, Tractors, Vineyard Harvesting Equipment, Late Model 20 ton excavator, float and flat bed trailer, mini excavator/trencher.

Collector vehicles plus some household and antique items.

• 10 AM: Haverling Central High School, Bath, NY. Steuben County Tax Title Auc-

Directions: From QEW exit Ontario St. Beamsville south to King St. E. to Mountain St. south (first lights east of Ontario St.), than south to Fly Road (Mud Street first stop), take Fly Road west to first road on right (Zimmerman Rd.) right to sale site. Watch for signs.

tion. Thomas P. Wamp/Pirrung Auctioneers, Inc., 585-728-2520 www.pirrunginc.com Saturday, July 28 • 9:30 AM: Martins Country Market. 3rd Annual Large Summer Equipment Auction.

Hilltop Auction Company, Jay Martin 315521-3123, Elmer Zeiset 315-729-8030

Partial List to Include: Case CX 210 Excavator, 2004 model Q.A. 4 ft bucket 6500 hrs. one owner machine in good condition, Case D-H4 trencher/mini excavator with new engine, 20 ton goose neck float, 2-40 foot flat bed trailers (Fruehauf, Brantford) certified in good condition.

Lakes Produce Auction Finger 3691 Rte. 14A • Penn Yan, New York

PRODUCE AUCTIONS MON. - 10 AM

WED. & FRI. - 9 AM HAY AUCTION FRIDAYS - 11:15 AM

(315) 531-8446

ORDER BUYING SERVICE AVAILABLE

Tractors and Vineyard Equipment: Ford 2600 gas 700 hours orig one owner, Ford 5600 dsl with front hydraulic remotes, Ford Super Dexta dsl. 1971 Chisolm Ryder 4 W.D. harvester (with many parts). Chisolm Ryder Sickle Bar Hedger Conversion, 2-hydraulic Tote Lift dump wagons (narrow) 38” and 28” tires, A.C. 4000 lb propane forklift/ 3 stage mast, Lansing Bagnall elec dual wheel tow motor with rotary head and side shift.

Tufline vineyard disc, I-H vineyard disc, I-H 7ft 12 run grain drill with grass seed and fert. and press wheels (good shape) Ford 6 ft. finishing mower, 6 ft Bush Hog mower, Bush Hog 6’ to 9’ hydraulic adjust flail mower, Cosmag flail mower with hydraulic width adjust., Wifo double tooth 3 pth subsoiler, Massan mole subsoiler, Ford 6’ blade, 7’ 3 pth blade, Danhuser post hole auger with 9” auger, Thomas 3 pth rotary grape hoe, Clements rotary grape hoe, 3pth vine/tree planter, Ferguson 3 pth one way discs, Vicon 1400 kg 3 pth fert spreader, Slawson and Mead hedger, Ellis front mount brush rake, 2 row canopy vineyard sprayer, Triumph 5’ sickle bar mower, 5’ arena vator with rolling basket, 10 ft and 5 ft spring tooth cult., Ford 2 bottom plows.

Large quantity steel “T” posts and press, treated grape posts, plastic yellow grape boxes. 14-4 ton steel grape bins with plastic lids, 10 plastic Macro 34 fruit bins, 8 1 ton steel bins. 5’ Land pride box scraper. New Trane 5XE 1000 5 ton A/C unit, 1965 Groh Mahogany 16 ft lapstrake boat with V4 OMC I/O motor sells with trailer.

KNIGHT 12030 Spreader with narrow wheel base (ex condition). Agro Trend 6’x4’ tandem dump trailer (atv size). 8 ft front mount snow blade. Front mount hyd post pounder, Laurin tractor cab with A/C (fits Ford 5600) Winery equipment: 5 ton Vaslin grape press, High capacity destemmer with 15 hp elec motor, Titanus continuous twin screw press, Rossi 8’ elevator/dejuicer, Velo 15 plate juice filter, Pasteurizer 60 ft (15x4) 3” s.s., 2-3000 gal S.S. tanks, 14-1, 500 gal (US) plastic upright tanks, 8750 gal (US) plastic upright tanks, 500 agl transfer tanks, 300 gal transfer tanks, 4-1000 ltr totes etc. Note all tanks clean and used for grape juice only. Quantity of unused 12”x4” clay drainage tile.

Classic vehicles: 1949 GMC 3 ton stake orig. running, 1965 T Bird/390, 1979 T Bird/302 1979 Fairmont, 1968 Ford Bronco chassis with new fiberglass body. 16 ft flat bed float trailer, 10 ft utility trailer, 20 ft heavy duty hyd cylinder rebuild table, unused 8’x7’ door, 3” Rupp pump with 1.5 hp (220 vl) with hose, 200 gal slip in fuel tank, 200 gal fuel tank with elec pump. Good selection modern and older household items, glassware, china etc.

Terms: Payment in full prior to removal of merchandise. All taxes apply.

Cash Visa Mastercard or Debit.

Washrooms and lunch booth on premises.

Auctioneers: Nello Romagnoli and Jim McCartney For info and pictures www.nelloromagnoliauction.com

NELLO ROMAGNOLI AUCTION SALES, SMITHVILLE, ONT 905-957-7283

chine sheds. Thomas P. Wamp/Pirrung Auctioneers, Inc., 585-728-2520 www.pirrunginc.com

Saturday, August 25 • 9 AM: Penn Yan, NY. Finger Lakes Produce Auction Farm Machinery Consignment Auction. Pirrung Auctioneers, Inc., 585-728-2520 www.pirrunginc.com

Saturday, September 8 • North Country Storage Barns. 2nd Annual Shed and Shrubbery Auction. Benuel Fisher Auctions, 518568-2257 Saturday, August 4 • 10 AM: 1507 Pre-Emption Rd., Penn Yan, NY (Yates Co.). Real Estate Absolute Auction. 103 acre DeWick farm w/100 acres

Saturday, August 4 • 10 AM: 1507 Pre-Emption Rd., Penn Yan, NY (Yates Co.). Real Estate Absolute Auction. 103 acre DeWick farm w/100 acres tillable, farmhouse, shop 2 ma-

tillable, farmhouse, shop 2 machine sheds. Thomas P. Wamp/Pirrung Auctioneers, Inc., 585-728-2520 www.pirrunginc.com Wednesday, August 8 • 2:00 PM: Gehan Rd., off Rts. 5-20, 5 mi. E. of Canandaigua, NY. NY Steam Engine Assoc. 4th Annual Consignment Auction. 1st day of pageant of Steam Show Aug. 8-11.

Dann Auctioneers, Delos Dann, 585-396-1676 www.cnyauctions.com/dannauctioneers.htm Thursday, August 9 • 1:00 PM: Route 414, Seneca Falls, NY. Farm & Equipment Auction. Next to Empire Farm Days Show.

Farm Equipment, Tractors, Antique Equipment, Con-

struction Equipment. Roy Teitsworth, Inc., Professional Auctioneers, 585243-1563 www.teitsworth.com Thursday, September 6 • 1:00 PM: 10400 Gillette Rd., Alexander, NY. WNY Gas & Steam Engine Assoc. 2nd. Annual Consignment. 1st day of show Sept. 6-9. Dann Auctioneers, Delos Dann, 585396-1676 www.cnyauctions.com/dannauctioneers.htm Saturday, September 8 • North Country Storage Barns. 2nd Annual Shed and Shrubbery Auction.

Benuel Fisher Auctions, 518-568-2257

Do you sell wholesale?

Do you sell to commercial horticulture?

Do you want free advertising?

The 2012 Country Folks Grower Buyers Guide will reach businesses active in these industries: Greenhouse Garden Center

Vegetable Grower Landscaper

Country Folks

Nursery Farm Market

Fruit Grower Christmas

2012 Buyers Guide

The October 2012 issue of Country Folks Grower will feature a buyer’s guide section. This form must be completed and returned by 8/31/12. Questions? Call Dan Wren at 800-218-5586, ext 117. Fill out form and fax back to 518-673-2381.

DETAILED LISTING ($30/YEAR)

FREE BASIC LISTING

Includes Basic Listing plus: Contact Person (Sales Manager?)

Complete Address Telephone, Fax, Email & Website Description (40 words or less) All Appropriate Category Listings Online E-mail & Website Links are Live!!!

Includes: Company Name City, State, Zip Phone Number (2) Categories Maximum

Company Name:

ENHANCED DETAILED LISTING ($95/YEAR) Includes Detailed Listing plus: Logo appears with your listings in Black & White (print) and color (online) 1, 2 or 3 ONE P Zone, Your logo can be E-mailed RICE! to dwren@leepub.com.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Contact Person: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Address: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ City:

__________________________________________________________State: ______________________ Zip: __________________

Telephone: ______________________________________________ Fax: ____________________________________________________ Website:

________________________________________________ E-mail:__________________________________________________

Description (40 words or less):

______________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

V Manufacturer

V Distributor

V Grower

V Other

Run your ad for added emphasis on your equipment and service! Display ads can run in black & white, spot color or 4-color process.

Call your Sales Rep or Dan Wren at 800-218-5586 ext 117, or e-mail dwren@leepub.com. Ad deadline is 9/13/12.

V Agtourism-Agritainment V Alternative Energy V Apparel/Promotional Items V Associations V Auctions V Barns and buildings V Berries V Carts and wagons V Christmas items, other V Christmas trees V Education V Employment/Human Resources V Equipment-fruit & vegetable

V Equipment-greenhouse V Equipment-nursery & landscape V Farm market items V Fencing and trellising V Fertilizer V Fruit trees V Generators V Greenhouse plants-finished V Greenhouse plants-young plants V Greenhouses and supplies V Ground Covers V Heating V Hydroponics

V Hydroseeding V Insurance V Irrigation V Landscape products V Leasing V Mulch plastic V Mulch-landscape V Native plants V Nursery young plants V Nursery stock-finished V Nursery supplies V Orchard supplies V Organics V Packaging V Peat moss and growing mixes

Which editions would you like to appear in

V Perennials V Pest control V Plows and cultivators V Pots - containers V Produce V Pruning V Pumpkins and Halloween V Refrigeration V Seed-flower V Seed-vegetable V Skid steer V Snow plows V Software V Soil and compost V Soil Mixers and baggers

Ì East

V Specialty foods V Sprayers V Stakes V Tags, Labels & Signs V Technology V Tractors V Trade Shows V Trailers V Transportation V Trucks V Vineyard Equipment & supplies V Weed control

Ì West

Ì Mid West

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION NOT FOR PRINT NAME

PHONE

E-mail

Product Managers: ________________________________________________________________________________ Sales Managers: __________________________________________________________________________________ PR Contact:______________________________________________________________________________________

Ì

If this is not something that interests your company, check here and fax back to 518-673-2381 Company Name: ________________________________________________________ Fax# ______________________________________________ Published by Lee Publications P.O. Box 121, Palatine Bridge, NY 13428 • 518-673-3237 • Fax 518-673-3245

• 9 AM: Town of Lansing Highway Dept., Rts. 34 & 34B, Lansing, NY. Municipal Surplus & Contractor Equipment Auction. Roy Teitsworth, Inc., Professional Auctioneers, 585243-1563 www.teitsworth.com Saturday, September 15 • 8:00 AM: Teitsworth Auction Yard, 6502 Barber Hill Rd., Geneseo, NY. Special Fall Consignment Auction.

Farm & Construction Equipment. Heavy & Light Trucks. Consignments welcome. Roy Teitsworth, Inc., Professional Auctioneers, 585-243-1563 Saturday, September 22 • 9:00 AM: Routes 39 & 219, Springville, NY. Lamb & Webster Used Equipment Auction. Farm Tractors & Machinery. Roy Teitsworth, Inc., Professional Auctioneers, 585243-1563 www.teitsworth.com • 10:00 AM: Finger Lakes Livestock, 3 mi. E. of Canandaigua, NY on Rt. 5 & 20.

Feeder Sale. Finger Lakes Livestock, 585-394-1515 www.fingerlakes livestockex.com

Saturday, September 29 • Twister Valley, Fort Plain, NY. Power Sports Consignment Auction. Benuel Fisher Auctions, 518-568-2257 Saturday, October 6 • 9:00 AM: 145 Paul Rd., Exit 17, Rt. 390, Rochester, NY. Monroe County Municipal Equipment Auction. Heavy Construction Equipment, Cars & Trucks. Roy Teitsworth, Inc., Professional Auctioneers, 585-243-1563 www.teitsworth.com Saturday, October 27 • 9:00 AM: Syracuse, NY (NYS Fairgrounds). Onondaga Co. area Municipal Equipment Auction. Municipal & Contractor Equipment. Roy Teitsworth, Inc., Professional Auctioneers, 585-243-1563 www.teitsworth.com www.cattlexchange.com Saturday, December 1 • 9:00 AM: Teitsworth Auction Yard, 6502 Barber Hill Rd., Geneseo, NY. Special Winter Consignment Auction. Farm & Construction Equipment, Heavy & Light Trucks, Liquidations & Consignments. Roy Teitsworth, Inc., Professional Auctioneers, 585-243-1563 www.teitsworth.com

Shippensburg Auction Center 1120 Ritner Hwy, Shippensburg, PA

Produce and Flower Auction every Tuesday & Thursday at 9:00 AM, Shrubbery Sale at 10:30 AM on Thursdays Starting in Late July - Fri. Afternoon Sales.

Call For Details Good Selection of Flower Baskets, Flower Pots, Flowers & Produce as it comes in season.

Come to

Shippensburg Auction Center for all your produce, flower or shrubbery needs.

Our 27th year of friendly, reliable courteous service.

717-532-5511 Auction 717-532-3642 David Leinbach 717-532-7288 Norman Zimmerman

Page 25 - Section A • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER • July 2012

Sunday, July 29 • 10:00 AM: Washington Co. Fairgrounds, Rt. 29 & 392 Old Schuylerville Rd., Greenwich, NY. Tri-State Antique Tractor Club Inc. antique Wheels and Iron Showw. 1st time consignment auction. Selling antique & modern farm, construction, gas engine, signs, toys, literature and related items. Show: SatSun July 28-29. Dann Auctioneers, Delos Dann, 585396-1676 www.cnyauctions.com/dannauctioneers.htm

July 2012 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER • Section A - Page 26

new hive or purchases materials or supplies to construct a new hive after Jan. 1 may apply for a grant. Grants will be awarded at $200 per new hive up to $2,400 per person per year of the two-year grant period.

Registration procedures and the general requirements to qualify for the grant will be published later in the

year and will be distributed to interested stakeholders, including the various local beekeeper associations. Interested beekeepers may add their name to the notification list now by e-mailingVABees@vdacs.virginia.gov to be included in all future mailings.

Beekeepers will find information on VDACS’ apiary inspections, the Vir-

ginia Pollinator program and more at vdacs.virginia.gov/plant&pest/apiary.shtml. For additional information, contact Keith Tignor at the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, 804-786-3515 or keith.tignor@vdacs.virginia.gov.

www.cfgrower.com

Grants from the Beehive Grant Fund, which will be administered by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS), will be available after Jan. 1, 2013.

The fund will provide up to $125,000 in grants for Fiscal Year 2012-2013 and another $125,000 for FY 20132014. Any individual who purchases a

Page 27 - Section A • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER • July 2012

Beekeeper grants to be available after first of the year

July 2012 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER • Section A - Page 28

FOR MORE INFORMATION, SEE ONE OF THESE KUBOTA DEALERS NEW YORK

NEW YORK (cont)

ATLANTA, NY 14808

MOOERS, NY 12958

EMPIRE TRACTOR

DRAGOON’S FARM EQUIP., INC.

Route 371 • 585-534-5935 CLAVERACK, NY 12513

COLUMBIA TRACTOR, INC. 841 Rt. 9H • 518-828-1781 www.columbiatractor.com CORTLAND, NY 13045

EMPIRE TRACTOR 3665 US Route 11 • 607-753-9656

2507 Route 11 • 518-236-7110 www.dragoonsfarmequipment.com

NEW YORK (cont)

MAINE

SYRACUSE, NY 13205

EAST DIXFIELD, ME 04227

ELIZABETHTOWN, PA 17022

EMPIRE TRACTOR

R.S. OSGOOD & SONS

MESSICK’S FARM EQUIPMENT, INC.

2700 Erie Blvd. East • 315-446-5656

1101 US Rt. 2 West • 207-645-4934 or 800-287-4934 www.rsosgood.com

Rt. 283, Rheems Exit 717-367-1319 • 800-222-3373 www.messicks.com

NORTH JAVA, NY 14113

TROY, NY 12180

LAMB & WEBSTER, INC.

SHARON SPRINGS GARAGE FARM & HOME CENTER

4120 Rt. 98 • 585-535-7671 • 800-724-0139 NORWICH, NY 13815

NORWICH IMPLEMENT, INC. 5621 ST HWY 12 • 607-336-6816 www.norwichimplement.com

1175 Hoosick St. • 518-279-9709 • 800-888-3403 WATERLOO, NY 13165

EMPIRE TRACTOR 1437 Route 318 • 315-539-7000

MASSACHUSETTS

PENNSYLVANIA (cont)

AYER, MA 01432

HONESDALE, PA 18431

TOREKU TRACTOR & EQUIPMENT, INC.

MARSHALL MACHINERY INC.

4 Littleton Rd., Rt. 2A/110 • 978-772-6619 www.toreku.com WILLIAMSBURG, MA 01096

BACON’S EQUIPMENT

Rt. 652, 348 Bethel School Rd. • 570-729-7117 www.marshall-machinery.com NEW BERLINVILLE, PA 19545

ERB & HENRY EQUIP., INC.

FULTONVILLE, NY 12072

SALEM, NY 12865

RANDALL IMPLEMENTS

SALEM FARM SUPPLY

WATERTOWN, NY 13601

2991 ST HWY 5S • 518-853-4500 www.randallimpls.com

5109 State Rt. 22 • 518-854-7424 or 800-999-3276 www.salemfarmsupply.com

WALLDROFF FARM EQUIPMENT, INC.

GREENVILLE, NY 12083

SHARON SPRINGS, NY 13459

22537 Murrock Circle • 315-788-1115

GREENVILLE SAW SERVICE, INC.

SHARON SPRINGS GARAGE FARM & HOME CENTER

WHITE’S FARM SUPPLY, INC.

7481 Lincoln Hwy. East/Rt. 30 717-367-1319 • 800-222-3373 www.messicks.com BLOOMSBURG, PA 17815

STUARTS DRAFT, VA 24477

TPC POWER CENTER

BEVERAGE TRACTOR

2605 Columbia Blvd. • 570-784-0250 tpcpowercenter.com

2085 Stuarts Draft Highway • 540-337-1090

29 Goshen Rd. (Rte. 9) • 413-268-3620

5040 Rt. 81 West • 518-966-4346 www.greenvillesaw.com

1375 Rte. 20 • 518-284-2346 • 800-887-1872

JOHNSON CITY, NY 13790-1093

SPRINGVILLE, NY 12110

CANASTOTA, NY • 315-697-2214 WATERVILLE • 315-841-4181 LOWVILLE • 315-376-0300

GOODRICH IMPLEMENT, INC.

LAMB & WEBSTER, INC.

745 Harry L Drive • 607-729-6161

Rt. 219 & 39 • 716-592-4923

www.whitesfarmsupply.com

PENNSYLVANIA ABBOTTSTOWN, PA 17301

MESSICK’S FARM EQUIPMENT, INC.

22-26 Henry Ave. • 610-367-2169 www.erbhenry.com

VIRGINIA LEXINGTON, VA 24450

ROCKBRIDGE FARMERS COOPERATIVE 645 Waddell Ave. • 540-463-7381 • 800-868-7336

GROWER

Section B

C H R I S TMA S S E CTI O N Buck Hill Tree Farm Great Quality at Affordable Prices!

Wholesale Fraser Fir Trees All Sizes Available

Wreaths Roping

Linville, NC

www.buckhilltreefarm.com 828-387-0366

Christmas tree marketing 101 in 2012

by Sally Colby As Christmas tree growers are scouting, spraying and planning the upcoming season, some are wondering whether there will be a glut of trees that will make this year’s marketing more challenging.

Rick Dungy, public relations manager for the National Christmas Tree Association (NCTA), says there’s no way to track how many trees are in the

field. “Trees are not an annual yield crop,” said Dungy. “You can’t go out in the field and know that ‘x’ number of trees are ready for harvest, and you don’t know what buyers will want. Once year they might want 6’7’ trees, and the next year they may want more 5’-6’ trees. That changes your inventory and how you count it.” One factor that makes tracking even more difficult is that trees

are harvested at a wide range of heights. “I’ve had growers tell me that the most popular tree they’re harvesting now is a 3’ to 4’ table top tree.”

Dungy mentioned the USDA ag census as the closest measure of trees in the country, but that census is only conducted every 5 years. “The last census was done after the 2007 harvest and came out in spring of 2008,” said Dungy. “Pre-

vious to that, the census was after the 2002 harvest season, so we’re only looking at a picture of time every five years.”

Dungy says the 2002 census revealed that there were just over 21,000 farms growing Christmas trees for the cut tree market, and the 2007 census showed just under 17,000 farms. He noted that this change could be due to the fact that many smaller, diversified farms weren’t counted.

Information about the number of consumers purchasing live or cut trees vs. artificial tree can be found on the NCTA website. Data is compiled from consumer polls, which Dungy says are completely different from the numbers in the USDA ag census. Dungy noted another factor that makes it difficult to estimate the number of trees is the variety of terms used in surveys to determine trees grown on farms: dug tree, potted tree, B&B, rootball tree, living tree, replant tree.

“It’s hard to put all of that nomenclature in a question where everybody knows what we’re talking about,” said Dungy.

Although weather events can impact a geographical segment of the nation, weather probably isn’t a major factor in overall tree numbers.

Dungy cited the 2006 late spring frost in western North Carolina. “New growth had already come out, and all of that wilted back,” he said. “Trees that had frost damage had to be sheared back and weren’t sold that year. But they recovered and were sold the following season.”

Dungy says that within the past three to four years, he has seen a noticeable increase in consumers saying they want more choices and

Christmas B2

Page 1 - Section B • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER • July 2012

Country Folks

July 2012 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER • Section B - Page 2

Christmas from B1

Consumers are asking for more choices in height, shape and needle size when they shop for Christmas trees.

Photo by Sally Colby options. “Not just in trees,” said Dungy, “but in the way trees look, how they’re sheared, whether the tree is fat or skinny, the taper, open or dense, needle type and options as to how to get the tree home and experience it.

Some Christmas tree farms are recognizing that there is a group of customers they could get if they offer a new way of buying a tree. These services aren’t new, but seem to surge in popularity every few years. That includes delivery services, buying online and pretagging. Instead of having to go pick up a tree and put it on their car, the customer is willing to pay to have the farm bring it to them.” Dungy added that although such services won’t be popular in everywhere, in certain areas, people are wiling to pay extra for it. “Farms that have figured out what their market is, what their niche is, and how to meet that niche will do well. You have to know who your market is, and what kind of demands they have.”

Social media marketing is becoming more important, whether it’s a website, smart phone app or Facebook. “Businesses that have websites can draw attention, but a website alone cannot ensure more customers,” said Dungy. “Smart businesses are figuring out what that is, whether it’s a website with a good story, or describing what they offer. It comes down to understanding your market - who they are and what kind of buying experience they want; from the customer initially learning about the farm to handing money to you. It’s all about build-

ing relationships with customers. That’s how you build brand loyalty.”

Dungy says a lot of farms are finding success with Facebook. “Facebook is especially useful for farms that tell their story year round rather than trying to cram everything in a short time right after Thanksgiving,” said Dungy. “They have photos of people putting seedlings in the ground, they’re telling the story about planting trees, and showing how crews are out shearing trees. Facebook is an opportunity to tell your story in little snippets all year round.”

Dungy added that Facebook is particularly useful for farms that have multiseason operation such as orchards, farm stands or PYO operations.

Growers should remember that ‘one-sizefits-all’ doesn’t apply to

Christmas trees. “Do some market research, and know who your customer is and what they

want,” said Dungy. “Market research must be ongoing, because what is true one year won’t necessarily be true the next.

It’s a consumers’ market, and they’re driving the demand for more variety and more choices. If you try to tell consumers what they should or shouldn’t like, you’re in the wrong business. You have to do the research, listen to your consumers and meet their demands.

Growers and retailers who are listening are the ones who are starting to capture new markets and potential customers.”

Visit the National Christmas Tree Association online at www.christmastree.org.

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Balsam & Fraser Fir • Wreaths • Kissing Balls • Grave Blankets

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44 Years of Satisfied Customers

Premium Quality

Specials on Big Douglas and Fraser Fir! Premium Douglas Fir & Fraser Fir Christmas Trees Blue Ribbon Winners in State and National Competitions • “Table Tops” to 12’ Sizes Available • Consistent quality, consistent supply • Plantation visits welcomed • Write or call us for price list

Also ask about mulch, peat or soil to fill your load.

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Quaker State Plantations

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Mark Zelazny 490 Grovania Dr. • Bloomsburg, PA 17815 www.QUAKERSTATEPLANTATIONS.com

MCTA celebrating 50th with two-day event The Maine Christmas Tree Association (MCTA) is celebration the 50th Anniversary of its incorporation this year.

To mark this milestone, the association will join the New England Christmas Tree Alliance in celebrating with a

two day event beginning Saturday Sept. 8 at Piper Mountain Christmas Trees in Newburgh, ME. The focus of the day will be on marketing, with featured speaker, Catherine Wright Howard, publisher of Christmas Trees Magazine. After lunch, Dr. Rajasekaran R. Lada and Dr. Mason MacDonald from the Canadian Christmas Tree Research Centre will clue us in on their needle retention study. The pesticide credit is already approved in all the New England states and the association is working on approval for its Canadian friends.

The Saturday night dinner will feature well established Christmas Tree Farmers speaking at an informal grower’s forum after the meal. Sunday, attendees will gather at Finestkind Tree Farms in Dover-Foxcroft, ME. In the morning, Bill Urbanowicz from Spectrum Analytic Inc. will demonstrate how to take soil and foliar samples.

Immediately following Urbanowicz’s outdoor presentation, the LaCasce

family is planning a guided tour of their farm, which promises to be informative and educational.

With nine awesome speakers and three great auxiliary presentations lined up, the weekend promises to be well worth the trip to central Maine.

To preregister, visit www.mainechristmastree.com/index.cfm

SALOMAA CHRISTMAS TREES

Vermont Green Mountain Grown FRASER

BALSAM

2000 ft. elevation

* Trees tagged for species, size and grade * * Special farm holding area to assure freshness * * Visits welcome * 90 acres of trees at this location * What you see is what you will get*

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BIG SPRINGS NURSERY and TREE FARMS Specialist in Fraser Fir Christmas Trees • Quality Wreaths • Garland (Roping)

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484 RIVER STREET • TROY, NEW YORK 12180

• Fraser Fir • Bough Material by the Pound WE WELCOME YOUR INQUIRY PLEASE CALL OR WRITE WITH YOUR NEEDS Richard Calhoun rkcdoc@skybest.com

PO Box 878 Jefferson, NC 28640

Phone/Farm (336) 384-8733 Fax (336) 384-8734 Cell (336) 877-0386

Page 3 - Section B • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER • July 2012

CHRISTMAS SECTION

July 2012 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER • Section B - Page 4

Schedule for Maine Christmas Tree Association’s 50th Anniversary and New England Christmas Tree Alliance Summer/Fall Meeting The Maine Christmas Tree Association (MCTA) is celebrating the 50th Anniversary of its incorporation this year. To mark this milestone, the association will join the New England Christmas Tree Alliance in celebrating with a two day event.

The schedule for the event is: Friday, Sept. 7, Piper Moutain Christmas Trees, 27 Trundy Road, Newburgh, Maine 04444 — Jim and Norma Corliss.

6 p.m. Informal Social and Light Refreshments (BYOB).

Saturday, Sept. 8, Piper Moutain Christmas Trees, Newburgh, Maine (Camping sites available).

8:30 a.m. Registration opens. Preregistration recommended. Drinks and snacks.

9 a.m. MCTA president’s welcome — Jim Corliss.

9:05 a.m. Host’s Welcome and Farm History — Jim and Norma Corliss.

9:15 a.m. Introduction of Vendors and Public Affairs USDA Natural Resources Conservation Services.

9:30 a.m. “Discovering Your Marketing Niche” — Catherine Wright Howard, publisher and editor, Christmas Tree Magazine. In this seminar, Howard will provide basic marketing information and then lead the participants in a handson marketing workshop to discover attendees key selling ideas.

9:30 a.m. Auxiliary Program: Managing a Gift shop — Anne Corliss and Marcie Gauvin.

11:30 a.m. Lunch and visit vendors.

1 p.m. Piper Mountain Christmas Tree’s Secrets to Marketing — Jim Corliss.

1 p.m. Auxiliary Program: Tole Painting Christmas Tree Ornaments — Shirley Groody.

1:45 p.m. Facebook and Christmas Trees — Hunter Smith.

2:30 p.m. Promises to Possibilities — The CRC story — Dr. Rajasekaran R. Lada and Dr. Mason MacDonald, Canadian Needle retention study, future clone development.

Post harvest handling, fire-retardant options.

How CRC evolved as a global centre for balsam fir research. Nova Scotia

Ag College and Universite Laval, Christmas Tree Research Center.

3:30 p.m. Christmas Tree Pests (outdoors, rain/shine) 1 pesticide Credit — Charlene Donahue, Forest Entomologist, Insect and Disease Laboratory Augusta, Maine.

4:30 p.m.

State/ Provincial Association Meetings or Farm Tour Piper Mountain Christ-

mas Trees.

5:30 p.m. Social.

6:00 p.m. Anniversary Dinner, Dress Casual Growers Forum, 50th Anniversary cake, Speakers TBA. Sunday Sept.

9, Finestkind Tree Farms, 112 Ames Road, DoverFoxcroft, Maine 04426 — Jim, Jeanene, Duane and Joy LaCasce.

8:30 a.m. Registration opens. Preregistration rec-

ommended. Drinks and snacks. Visit vendors.

9 a.m. President’s welcome — Jim Corliss.

9:05 a.m. Host’s Welcome and Farm History — Jim LaCasce.

9:15 a.m. Christmas tree soil testing and needle analysis — Bill Urbanowicz, Spectrum Analytic Inc, Washington, OH. A basic agronomy training session, needle analysis and how to take a good sample. Handout: Fertilizing Christmas Trees 9:15 a.m. Auxiliary Program: Wreath Decorating Demo.

10:15 a.m. Outdoor Demonstration, Taking Soil and Plant Tissue Samples — Bill Urbanowicz.

After the demo: Begin tour of Finestkind Tree

Farms.

11:30 p.m. Lunch Ham, Beans, Salad, Roll and Dessert. Visit vendors.

12:45 p.m. Continue Farm Tour Finestkind Tree Farms — Duane

and Joy LaCasce.

12:45 a.m. Auxiliary Program: Centerpiece Decorating Demo.

4 p.m. Meeting ends.

4 p.m. MCTA Director’s meeting.

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by Karl H. Kazaks GLADE CREEK, NC — Phenomenal growth. Fantastic success. That’s how the recent history of Bottomley Evergreens & Farms can be described — a history still being written, with future milestones of growth and accomplishment yet to be obtained.

The numbers speak for themselves.

“I didn’t even sell Christmas trees six years ago,” Mitchell Bottomley said.

The first year he dipped his toes into the Christmas tree business he shipped 2,000 Fraser firs. His involvement in the industry quickly accelerated, as he grew his business by some 100,000 trees per year. Last year, Bottomley sold about 550,000 Fraser firs.

This year he planted 750,000 Fraser fir seedlings and expects to ship over 600,000 trees. His ultimate goal is to harvest and ship 1 million Fraser firs per year.

Mitchell Bottomley got into the evergreen business 20 years ago. He was 18 years old, had just graduated from high school, and started making pine roping. For many years roping was his main business, and much of his work was contract. About 10 years ago, he decided to branch out — to start marketing his products himself and to increase the amount of products he had for sale.

“I wasn’t doing wreaths 10 years ago,” Bottomley recalled. Yet last year he sold 2.2 million wreaths — and 2 million garlands, some 500,000 centerpieces, along with other ornamentation like bouquets, swag and mantelpieces.

Bottomley Evergreens & Farms has shipped Fraser firs to all lower 48 states plus Canada and the Virgin Islands. Its primary customers are some of the nation’s biggest chain and grocery stores — Costco, Wegman’s, WalMart, Home Depot, Sam’s and Lowe’s.

Much of their business is in the Midwest and Northeast.

“We service most of the chains from Maine to Miami,” said office manager Mack Osborne, who is also Mitchell’s brother-in-law. They also sell a good bit of Christmas greenery in Texas and northward. “This year we’ll have 2,500 or 2,800 stores to monitor,” Osborne said.

“Our biggest customer for Christmas trees is Home Depot,” added Mitchell Bottomley.

Mitchell Bottomley has been an innovator in several aspects of the Christmas tree industry, including using pallets to ship trees and using cold storage for holding Christmas trees.

The cold storage spaces are outfitted with misters and humidity control.

Those devices keep the trees fresh and allow Bottomley to attack the onset of the Christmas tree season quickly by having a supply already on hand.

Without using humidity control, Bottomley said, “If you cut a 50 pound Christmas tree, three weeks later it’ll weigh 45 pounds.” With his system, Bottomley can keep his trees at 50 pounds right up until shipment.

Bottomley grows and sells only Fraser firs as Christmas trees, and currently has over 6 million Frasers in the ground. He also grows boxwood and

white pine, but they are tipped for the greenery decoration Bottomley makes.

He is also partners in a property near Gresham, OR, which produces cedar and noble fir.

“We’ll ship Fraser firs westward and haul back the cedar and noble fir cuttings to use in our garlands and centerpieces,” Osborne said.

The company has a three-pallet minimum, and ships trees up to 14 feet tall. Most of the hauling is done contract, but Mitchell Bottomley also recently started a trucking business when a local hauling company folded.

It has grown from six tractors three years ago to 32 this year. Bottomley’s goal is to have about 70 tractors.

Though the trucking business is not focused on serving the evergreen business, it is a helpful insurance to have on hand when one of the contract haulers runs behind schedule.

The year-round staff at Bottomley’s business (including the trucking operation) numbers about 170, with about 70 of them dedicated to Christmas tree work. In the holiday season the staff grows to about 1,200. Many of the seasonal workers are locals, but Bottomley also employs hundreds of H-2A and H-2B workers. This year he will have good quality housing for 800 such workers.

This year, Bottomley is adding over 100,000 square feet of cold storage, bringing his total cold storage space to some 300,000 square feet. The new space is in a large, vacated factory that Bottomley recently took over and renovated. It will be the new distribution center for his Christmas tree processing and shipping (though the existing cold storage in other locations will continue to be used).

In addition to Christmas greenery, Bottomley also grows several hundred acres of cabbage, sweet corn, and pumpkins. Sweet corn they sell mainly to Kroger, whereas Harris Teeter and WalMart are big buyers of his pumpkins.

“We’re the largest growers of pumpkins in the United States,” Mitchell said.

They grow about 1,100 acres of pumpkins themselves and contract out another 700 or so. Overall, they grow about 60 different varieties of pumpkins, squash, and gourds, including white pumpkins, pie pumpkins and heirloom varieties.

“People are always going to celebrate two holidays,” Osborne said, explaining the company’s decision to focus on Christmas greenery and pumpkins.

“Halloween and Christmas. Last year we shipped 1,800 trailer loads of pumpkins.”

“We were doing 100 trailer loads of pumpkins a day,” Bottomley added.

With business growing in, as Osborne said, “leaps and bounds,” he has signed the company up for new, custom-built inventory control software which is about to go live. Soon thereafter, the company will be hiring a team of at least five or six sales executives to help handle the business. That means rearranging the office space to accommodate new bodies, just one symptom of a growing business.

“We should hit a home run this

Mitchell Bottomley’s wife Deanna helps run the trucking business Mitchell operates in addition to his growing operations. Their dog Dozer is a good companion.

In the past six years, Mitchell Bottomley has gone from shipping just 2,000 to more than 500,000 Fraser firs a year.

Photos by Karl H. Kazaks year,” Osborne said.

And how is it Bottomley Evergreens & Farms has hit a home run in so many consecutive years?

“Quality is the main thing that’s driven his business,” Osborne said, referring to his brother-in-law. “As long as you’ve got quality and good logistics you’ve got the business. He sells a premium product to everybody.”

Bottomley echoes that analysis. “If you’ve got good quality and good service price will take care of itself.” What’s more, Bottomley makes sure his name is affixed

to all of the products he sells. That’s how much of his business came about — by buyers seeing his labels on the quality products at someone else’s store.

In addition to the tags and stickers, Bottomley uses for his Christmas greenery, he also has custom artwork on the sides of the pumpkin bins he ships.

“I’m proud to put my name on it,” Bottomley said. “People will see we’re quality-driven.”

Driven too, to write the next chapters in this hugely successful business enterprise.

Page 5 - Section B • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER • July 2012

Business is booming at Bottemley Evergreens & Farms

July 2012 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER • Section B - Page 6

by Krishna Ramanujan Bees and other insects that pollinate plants in the United States have suffered in recent decades from mites, pesticides, pathogens, land development and habitat fragmentation. Nevertheless, production of insect-pollinated crops has mostly increased this century. Now, new research shows that insect pollinators’ value to farmers may be hard to replace.

According to a Cornell study published in the May 22 issue of the journal Public Library of Science ONE, crops pollinated by honeybees and other insects contributed $29 billion to farm income in 2010.

The study analyzed the economic value of honeybees and other insect pollinators for 58 crops, including species that are directly dependent on insects for pollination, such as apples, almonds, blueberries, cherries, oranges and squash, and species that are indirectly dependent on insects, such as alfalfa, sugar beets, aspara-

gus, broccoli, carrots and onions. Directly dependent crops require pollinators to produce a fruit, while indirectly dependent crops require pollinators to create seeds, but not the crop itself.

The findings show that in 2010, the value of directly pollinated crops was $16.35 billion, while the value of indirectly dependent crops was $12.65 billion.

More specifically, honeybees pollinated $12.4 billion worth of directly dependent crops and $6.8 billion worth of indirectly dependent crops in 2010.

Other insects, including alfalfa leaf cutter bees, bumblebees, horn-faced bees and orchard bees, added $4 billion and $5.9 billion in directly and indirectly dependent crops, respectively.

“This lets people for the first time look at a peer-reviewed paper that says here are the revenues derived from these crops, and if we want to keep producing [these crops], we have to recognize the importance of insect pol-

linators,” said Nicholas Calderone, associate professor of entomology and the paper’s author.

The paper also analyzed trends in various metrics from 1992 to 2009 for crops that depend on pollinators. For directly dependent crops, production, cultivated area and revenues increased steadily over the course of the study period, with some slowing over the past few years. Recently, growth in the U.S. population has outpaced the production of these crops, suggesting a growing dependence on imported food, but also, a possible opportunity for U.S. growers.

Over this same period, the number of managed honeybee colonies in the United States has gradually declined, reaching a low in 2008 with 2.3 million colonies, with increases of roughly 200,000 new colonies each year in 2009 and 2010.

The trends show that any shortfall in managed or wild pollinators could seriously threaten production levels of di-

rectly and indirectly pollinated crops, according to the paper.

In the mid-1980s, parasitic mites that had infected eastern honeybees in Southeast Asia began infecting western honeybees in the United States. In 2006-07, beekeepers experienced heavy losses to their colonies. While mites appear to be the cause of roughly 70 percent of the losses, the remaining losses (referred to as colony collapse disorder) are not fully understood, with possible explanations including pesticide use, beekeeper management practices, climate change and other pathogens, reports the paper.

As a hedge, U.S. growers are working to increase the number of non-honeybee pollinators, including horn-faced bees and orchard bees, Calderone said.

Crop, insect pollinator and economic data were provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, whose website is run through Cornell’s Mann Library.

The study was funded in part by a grant from the National Honey Board.

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Page 7 - Section B • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER • July 2012

Insect pollinators contribute $29 billion to U.S. farm income

July 2012 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER • Section B - Page 8

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Page 9 - Section B • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER • July 2012

July 2012 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER • Section B - Page 10

Disastrous weather decimates New York’s 2012 Fruit Crop

by Jennifer Wagester On April 5, the National Weather Service in Buffalo, NY, issued a freeze warning in effect from 2 a.m. to 9 a.m. on April 6 for Genesee, Livingston, and Ontario Counties. The warning

came after unseasonably warm temperatures had brought fruiting plants and trees out of dormancy ahead of schedule.

Growers able to cover their crops weathered the late winter storm.

But those with trees in

From left to right - Daniel Chunglo from Rural Community Insurance Services (RCIS), along with Dave Stull and Jack Singer from Rain and Hail Agricultural Insurance, gave an overview of the crop insurance claims process at the Orleans County CCE meeting.

Photos by Jennifer Wagester

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full bloom watched their prospective harvest wither as buds froze and turned brown, and then dropped to the earth.

During the last days of April, this scenario was repeated in the Wayne County area.

Late freezing temperatures were widespread and impacted fruit production in Michigan; Ontario, Canada; and New York State. New York farmers were hit especially hard and efforts are underway to declare 34 counties a federal disaster area. Across the state, more than 3 million acres of farmland have experienced production losses of 30 percent or more, while many farms suffered 100 percent losses. This loss comes while farms in the eastern part of New York are still struggling to recover from the damage caused by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee in 2011.

Federal agriculture disaster recovery programs can provide financial assistance to compensate for farm losses, low interest emergency loans, and assistance in rehabilitating farm land. These programs help farmers recover from production and physical losses on their farms and to rebuild their businesses.

However, farmers do not

Alison DeMarree, a CCE Fruit Team member, provides record keeping strategies to NY fruit producers.

anticipate this assistance to be immediately available.

In 2011, many farmers did not receive assistance until January of 2012 for the 2011 season and a similar schedule is anticipated for this year’s crop losses.

While that total impact of the freeze will not be known until harvest time, farmers are gearing up for a dismal season.

The New York cherry

crop was decimated and no sweet or tart cherries are expected.

Some peaches will be available as will about 20-50 percent of the apple crop, depending on the variety. Apple varieties that did not weather the freeze well include Red Delicious, Empire, Crispin, McIntosh, and Jonagold. Varieties like Macoun, Gala, and

Weather B11

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Weather from B10 Sweet Tango were not as adversely affected. Many growers were able to cover their strawberries, so a typical crop of strawberries is expected. Blueberries and raspberries are also anticipated to have normal yields.

New York farmers have not experienced a growing season like this since 1945, when a similar warm up and late freeze damaged fruiting plants.

With the 2012 growing season just underway, more weather-related challenges could be in store. A May 29 hail storm south of Rochester, NY, added to the damage for Finger Lakes growers.

In South Bristol, NY, Tom Brahm estimates the storm took about 50 percent or more of his family vineyard’s grape crop. The golf-ball sized hail stripped the leaves right off the vine.

The Cornell Cooperate Extension (CCE) Fruit Team is working with New York growers to help them make the best of this challenging year. On May 30 and 31, CCE hosted meetings in Wayne County and Orleans County to

discuss the crop insurance and other program options available to address 2012 fruit losses.

Growers anticipating a loss are encouraged to begin the claim process immediately and maintain communication with their insurance agent and adjuster. In many cases, the adjuster must review fruit on plants or trees that were cared for as they would be in a typical growing year.

Neglecting to care for the plants or destroying or harvesting the fruit before an adjuster reviews the damaged could void the claim.

Depending upon the extent of the damage, farmers may be able to work with their adjuster to identify a sample area within a field to care for instead of caring for the entire crop. Maintaining plants that probably will not bear fruit is expensive. Selecting a sampling allows growers to conserve resources while meeting the insurance company’s policies and procedures.

Record keeping is critical for the

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Sarah Johnson (center), from the NY Department of Agriculture & Markets Crop Insurance Education Program, was at the recent CCE meetings to reach out to NY fruit growers.

claims process, especially for farmers projecting large claims. In previous years, actual production history (APH) reviews were conducted for claims over $100,000. However, this threshold was recently increased to $200,000. Given the anticipated losses, the number of claims requiring APH reviews is expected to be high and audits will start earlier than usual. Farms claiming losses over $500,000 may be visited by a USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA) auditor in addition to their insurance company auditor.

Farmers with a fresh price option must verify that, in the last four years, 50 percent or more of production was sold for fresh consumption. For instance, apple growers need to verify

that fresh sliced fruit was eaten instead of processed into pies. Per USDA bulletin Number MGR-11-015, this verification may be done on an overall basis instead of by unit.

When talking with farmers, Alison DeMarree, a CCE Fruit Team member based in Wayne County, encouraged them to take care of themselves and to be mindful of their neighbors. Staggering losses can produce stress and depression that negatively impact health.

NY FarmNet Services are available to growers free of charge to assist with problem solving when professional help is needed. Reassuring words from family, friends, and neighbors can also help farmers endure and look forward to next year.

July 2012 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER • Section B - Page 12

FAL L HARVE ST

Good agricultural practices improve food safety

by Sanne Kure-Jensen What is GAP training and why does it matter?

The Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) program helps farmers decrease the risk of contamination and spread of food-borne disease to consumers. As health awareness increases, Americans are increasing their fruit and

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According to the Centers of Disease Control (CDC) in 2010, there were 48 million cases of foodborne illness with 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths.

Sadly, a large percentage of food-borne disease can be traced to fresh vegetables like leafy

greens, tomatoes, melons/cantaloupes, herbs and green onions. The most common pathogens are Salmonella, E. coli 0157:H7, Shigella and Campylobacter. Many of the pathogens can survive for extended periods in dry or refrigerated

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produce so prevention is the best strategy to reduce contamination risk.

Farms can become GAP certified after attending training and passing a farm audit. Annual audits ensure continued GAP compliance and recertification.

The passage of the new 2010 Food Safety Modernization Act will result in the FDA introducing new regulations that focus on insuring the safety of produce.

While the GAP program is voluntary and the new act has an exemption for farms grossing under $500,00 annually, many farmers are beginning to see the need for the on-farm food safety program. Wholesale and retail buyers are starting to require GAP certification. Institutional and grocery store buyers are increasingly cautious as

Page 13 - Section B • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER • July 2012

Safety from B12 more food safety issues are identified.

Restaurants, institutional chefs and retailers are concerned with the safety of their patrons and customers as well as their potential legal liability.

GAP program guidelines A GAP certified grower uses common sense, food safety practices for food production and processing.

Growing Irrigation, drinking and wash water sources like ponds and wells must be protected from potential fecal matter contamination by farm animals, wild animals or birds and have their quality verified by annual tests, before harvesting. Faucets must have backflow prevention devices and/or air gaps.

Reasonable efforts are made to exclude

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Fields workers should be trained in and practice good personal hygiene. Wearing clean clothing and shoes/boots, not smoking or eating in the work area, washing hands and limiting bare hand contact with fresh produce and wearing single-use gloves are some of the good agricultural practices they should follow.

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July 2012 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER • Section B - Page 14

Safety from B13 wildlife's access to streams and ponds used for irrigation.

Storage and treatment of Manure should be as far as practical from growing and handling areas (preferably downhill and downwind) and should have a physical barrier to prevent leakage, run-off or wind spread. Manure should be incorporated into the soil immediately after application. Minimize recontamination of composted manure. Fresh manure should be kept away from edible plant parts during the growing season. Equipment that contacts manure should be cleaned prior to and during harvest.

Fields workers and supervisors should be trained in and practice good personal hygiene by wearing clean clothing and shoes/boots, not smoking or eating in the work area, always keeping their hair covered, washing hands and limiting bare hand contact with fresh produce, covering open wounds with a clean bandage and wearing single-use gloves. Sick employees should be reassigned away from direct produce contact.

Field workers must have easy access to porta-john or toilet and hand washing stations which must be regularly cleaned and serviced

FAL L HARVE S T (soap, water, single use paper towels). Portable toilets must be maintained and transported to prevent wastewater contaminating of fields.

Multilingual signs reminding workers of hygienic practices should be posted as needed.

Harvest Harvest storage containers must be cleaned and sanitized prior to use. Clean containers should be kept covered until used in the field.

Harvesting equipment should be clean and in good working order. Pick when produce is dry and cool. Prevent harvested produce from contact with manure or biosolids, non-potable water, workers with poor hygiene and/or dirty boots and clothing, dirty packaging or storage containers. Prevent farm livestock, poultry and pets from access to crop fields or orchards during the growing or harvest season.

Birds should not be allowed in storage areas and any nests should be removed promptly.

Packaging/Processing Most State and local regulatory authorities have licensing or regulations on Packing and Processing Facilities; check for local regulations.

In general, there needs to be a worker food safety training program in place similar to that for

field workers. Workers should practice good personal hygiene. Restrooms must be accessible, cleaned regularly and always supplied with warm water, soap and paper towels.

Approved sanitizers must be used to sanitize the whole processing area, equipment and all food contact surfaces at least once a day. Unused and new packing containers should be protected from contamination during storage.

There must be a pest control system in place; and this CANNOT be a pet cat! Produce waste should be removed from the processing facility

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daily and stored far enough away or composted to reduce rodent and pest risk. The site and grounds should also be well maintained.

Refrigeration storage units must be maintained at the correct tem-

perature. Keep a log with the temperature each morning and at mid-day.

Do not overload refrigeration units. Ice used for cooling must be made on site with potable water.

Storage areas must be clean and free of debris

and contamination. Storage areas should be exclusively used for food crops and their containers. Produce must be stored at least six inches off the floor.

Safety B15

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COVINGTON, KY (AP) — Homegrown grapes and small wineries are returning to Kentucky and bringing back a tradition that made the Bluegrass State the country’s third largest grape- and wine-producing state before Prohibition.

In 1998, there were only 40 acres of wine grapes in commercial vineyards in Kentucky, but The Kentucky Enquirer reports (http://bit.ly/Iax8N8) that today more than 113 grape producers are growing 583 acres of grapes. There are also 60 small farm wineries in the commonwealth.

Vineyards cover part of the hillside above Mark Schmidt’s 19th-century stone home in Covington, where vines grew between 1877 and 1922. Late this year, he hopes to be making wines from the nearly two acres of red dornfelder grapes, which produce inky red

Safety from B14 During washing, the sanitizer level should be monitored and the wash water changed when dirty or every few hours.

Maintain a temperature no more than 10 degrees cooler than the produce, especially for tomatoes, apples, potatoes and peppers. Packing lines, conveyer belts and all other food contact surfaces should be washed, rinsed and sanitized at the end of each day.

All lighting fixtures must

wines popular in Germany.

These modern-day wineries are dealing with all the same agricultural issues as other farmers in Kentucky including pests and weather.

Schmidt would have started producing wine two years ago, but birds started eating all the grapes. He installed a bird netting last year, but then faced another critter.

“The entire crop is gone,” he said.

“And I had over 2,000 pounds of grapes.

I mean, I had a really nice crop.”

A fellow winemaker, Julie Clinkenbeard of Atwood Hill Winery, located about three miles south of Independence, helped solve his mystery missing fruit.

“She said, ‘Raccoons. They got you,’” Schmidt recalled, laughing. “Two-thousand pounds of grapes, in 10 days.”

Dennis Walter, president of the

there and everybody looks at it, and that’s it,” he said. “It really has no lasting effect.”

The early spring brought more customers to local wineries looking for outdoor activities and views of the vineyards.

Walter, whose StoneBrook Winery makes a popular vidal blanc wine, said he’s bought more grapes locally than ever before because they are growing in sales.

“It’s our first grape we’ve ever planted, our first wine we ever made, and it’s been well received,” he said.

FAL L HARVE S T have shatterproof covers or be covered in mesh.

Transportation: Farm to Market Workers loading and transporting produce must practice good personal hygiene. Harvested produce should be loaded and stored to minimize physical damage, reduce risk of contamination and allow for air circulation. Vehicles must be clean and well maintained. If the vehicle is refrigerated, it

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Northern Kentucky Vintners and Grape Growers Association, said raccoons are a common problem for the new vineyards in Kentucky. “They like grapes,” Walter confirmed.

But he said local growers are doing well at re-establishing grapes in the state.

“I think they’re all holding their own,” he said. “I mean, you don’t do something where you lose a lot of money very long.”

Walter, who also is chairman of the Kentucky Grape and Wine Council, said Kentucky’s wines have been winning medals and praise at wine shows, but he’d also like to see the Kentucky State Fair become a showcase for the commonwealth’s wines and market them to visitors.

“The state fair, it treats wine kind of like it does a prize watermelon. Yeah, you win a blue ribbon and it sits out

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must be kept at the proper temperature. Vehicles for produce cannot also be used to transport animals or animal products, chemicals, fertilizer or trash unless thoroughly cleaned and sanitized between uses.

Traceback System It is critical that farmers maintain detailed records for all produce sold by lot numbers (wholesale, farm stands, farmers markets, CSAs,

etc.) GAP certified producers must be able to trace one step forward and one step back: who bought the products and where the product came from. Written lot tracking records should include date of harvest, field number, box number, names of pickers, packing date, shipping date, date of sale and to whom, etc. An effective system can protect you from false association with an outbreak, mini-

mize consumer anxiety, bad publicity and give you a competitive edge.

Ask your Extension agents or GAP certifiers for referrals to farms with effective systems.

Pick-Your-Own and Farm Tour Operators Pets and farm livestock, including poultry must never be allowed in "pick your own" areas.

Toilet facilities and hand-washing stations must be provided and kept clean (with soap, water and single-use paper towels) and available for customer use. Post signs encouraging customers to wash hand before picking. Clean containers must be available for customer purchase and use. Produce picked by customers cannot be sold to others. Facilities must be available for customers to wash their hands after contact with farm animals or a petting zoo prior to entering "pick your own" area.

Retail Operations The facility must be clean, well maintained and free of litter. A farm stand's walls, ceilings and floors should be free of cracks and crevices.

Refrigeration units temperatures should be monitored twice daily and logs maintained.

Only food grade containers can be used for produce. There can be no standing water in and around the facility. Out-

side garbage receptacles or dumpsters should be closed and kept away from the retail operation entrances. Pets are not allowed in the retail area. For produce displayed in water, the water should be clean and changed often. All sliced produce must be wrapped and displayed on ice or in a refrigerated display case. There must be a documented pest control program in place Farmer Markets Produce should be at least 6” off the ground.

On warm days, produce should be shaded and misted with a spray bottle of cool potable water for evaporative cooling.

Display produce on clean ice. Store extra produce in coolers and maintain temperatures below 45oF. If possible have one person handling money and another handling produce to reduce contamination risk.

Food Defense/ Biosecurity Growers and workers should be aware of the FDA's Food Defense System. To protect yourself and costumers, secure your ingredients, supplies and products to prevent tampering. Be alert to suspicious sights or behaviors and know where to make appropriate reports. For more information, see www.fda.gov/Food/Food Defense.

Page 15 - Section B • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER • July 2012

Kentucky grapes and wineries building momentum

July 2012 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER • Section B - Page 16

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

AUGUST ISSUE

ADVERTISING DEADLINE th

Thursday, July 12

For as little as $9.25 - place a classified ad in

Country Folks Grower

Call Peg at

1-800-836-2888

or 518-673-0111

or email classified@leepub.com Announcements

Antiques

# # # # #

CAT PULL TYPE GRADER, SN#18485, complete, good shape. 506-325-2701 www.foxbrand.ca

ADVERTISERS Get the best response from your advertisements by including the condition, age, price and best calling hours.

Also we always recommend insertion for at least 2 times for maximum benefits. Call Peg at 1-800-836-2888 CHECK YOUR AD - ADVERTISERS should check their ads. Lee Publications, Inc. shall not be liable for typographical, or errors in publication except to the extent of the cost of the first months insertion of the ad, and shall also not be liable for damages due to failure to publish an ad.

Adjustment for errors is limited to the cost of that portion of the ad wherein the error occurred. Report any errors to Peg Patrei at 518-6733237 ext. 111 or 800-8362888.

NEED BUSINESS CARDS? Full color glossy, heavy stock.

250 ($45.00); 500 ($60.00); 1,000 ($75.00). Call your sales representative or Lee Publications 518-673-0101 Beth bsnyder@leepub.com

Business Opportunities SUCCESSFUL GREENHOUSE BUSINESS for sale in beautiful upstate N.Y. Great location, possible owner finance, go to Otsdawagreenhouse.com for more info and photos, or email cvengen@stny.rr.com

Christmas Trees

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1.800.508.5099 www.treeman2.com

HARTIKKA TREE FARMS

Farm Equipment

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Pixall Green Bean Harvestors 1- 120" Head Custom Built Green Bean Trailers 3- Steel 40' Flat Beds 1- Aluminum 42" Bed Call

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Fruits & Berries

Affordable USA MADE Items.

Full line of heavy duty items, poles - hooks - trellis items, arbors - fences - indoor items.

Free 400 plus Items Catalog.

Custom Display Racks. Also accepting custom orders.

Serving customers since 1999. A&L Iron Works, LLC, 624 Buchland Rd., Narvon, PA 17555. 717-768-0705, Fax 717-768-0245

H A L L OW E E N D E C O R A TIONS: Scarecrows, Ghosts, Witches and lots more on poles, hanging, standing and tabletop. Direct importer, wholesale only. Call 800-4259777 for catalog or see on line WORTH IMPORTS INC. www.worthimports.com

Greenhouse Supplies

2 BAY DeCLOET 24x204, eve roof vent, vertical side vent, midwest flood benches. True Leaf heating system, Decker 1m MTU boiler. 717-733-0503

USED NURSERY POTS FOR SALE

G R E E N H O U S E G OT H I C 28x96, complete, winter trusses, must dismantle, lots of extras, $8,000 value, sell for $3,000. Stony Creek,NY 518696-2829

Fruits & Berries

YARD SIGNS: 16x24 full color with stakes, double sided.

Stakes included. Only $15.00 each. Call your sales representative or Beth at Lee Publications 518-673-0101. Please allow 7 to 10 business days when ordering.

1250 gallon SS 50’ floater w/foam marker no charge for chassis, $10,000; w/Raven controller, $11,500. 610-2611261

Business Opportunities

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Do You Grow Grapes?

Do You Make Wine?

CHECK OUT www.wineandgrapegrower.com Or Call For a Sample Copy

800-218-5586

LIVE GAME FISH Oldest Fish Hatchery Estab. 1900

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Specializing in Edible Landscaping.

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Grapevines Blueberries Jostaberries Gooseberries

Red Raspberries Purple Raspberries Yellow Raspberries Black Raspberries

Black Currants Red Currants White Currants Asparagus

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RED DRAGON 12 row propane flamer for organic weeding, used one year, excellent condition, $15,000.

Call Doug 585-721-4728(NY)

Farm Market Items

Greenhouse Equipment

Help Wanted

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In our 3rd decade of performing confidential key employee searches for the nursery, greenhouse, and horticulture industries and allied trades worldwide. Retained basis only.

Candidate contact welcome, confidential, and always free.

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Fish

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845-832-6086

Greenhouse Equipment

Greenhouse Equipment

3 Harnois Ovaltech 40 Freestanding Polyethylene Hoop Houses Ideal for nurseries or producers of bedding plants, flowers, or tomatoes. Two of these houses are five years old, one is just 2 years old.

These 40' x 198' fully functional houses have performed very well for us, and are in excellent condition. The houses will be available, dismantled, the first week of August. Each house includes both a boiler heating system with heat pipe, and an evaporative cooling system with exhaust fans. Price: $35,000 each

For more information contact: adan@longwindfarm.com direct phone: 917-572-0416

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

Help Wanted

FAF Growers in Northfield, Massachusetts has two grower positions available.

One in plug production, one in Perennials.

Applicants should have two years greenhouse experience, horticultural degree helpful.

Salary based upon experience. Experience with Excel and computer growing software preferred.

Please send resume to FAF Growers 108 Hinsdale Road, Northfield, MA 01360 108 Hinsdale Road - Route 63 Northfield, MA 01360 Tel. 1-800-221-2049 Fax 1-413-498-2051 www.FAFGrowers.com Lumber & Wood Products LOCUST 4x4’s, fence posts, split rails, lumber. Natural, chemical free non poisonous alternative to pressure treated that has strength and lasts a lifetime. 518-883-8284

Native Plants NATIVE GRASSES, sedges, rushes, wildflowers, and herbaceous plants for use in wetland mitigation, restoration, and landscape design.

Contract growing available.

Signature Horticultural Services, Freeland, MD. Call 410329-6466 or fax 410-3292156.

Nurseries

Nursery Stock

Plants

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 - 7 5 9 - 7 1 5 7 Fa x : 828-758-9285 email: sales@rogercoffeyandsons.com www.rogercoffeyandsons.com

PLUG PLANTS FOR SALE Cauliflower • Broccoli • Cabbage Chinese Cabbage • Kale • Collards • Brussel Sprouts

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CENTRAL NEW JERSEY GREENHOUSES 1 Hour from NYC & Philadelphia 100,000 sq. ft. of gutter connected greenhouses on 19+ acres, 40x80 metal building, 72x48 packing house, 28x60 store, 5 acres of irrigated outdoor production, 60kw automatic transfer generator.

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PLUG PLANTS E & R Greenhouse

51 Esbenshade Rd., Ronks, PA

Nursery Stock

717-687-7969

1 GALLON: Blue Spruce, Norway Spruce, White Pine, Canadian Hemlock, Burning Bush, Forsythia, 16” to 24”, $3.00 each. 570-673-8178, ask for Charles, Canton,PA

20 bu.apple bins for sale, approx. 200 $30.00/bin f.f. $25.00/bin ju. 315-536-0480

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PLUG PLANTS • • • • • • •

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

VISIT US AT WWW.KELLYWSN.COM

Broccoli Cauliflower Cabbage Celery Brussels Sprouts Collards Kale Large Quantities Available

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717-529-5561

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Real Estate For Sale

32x96’ GROW-IT Greenhouse Includes: Fans, Furnace, Drip System & More. $8,000. Call 585-943-8858

22 Acre Tree Farm with breathtaking views of 4 states! Includes two houses, 1 totally renovated, 1 built in 1989, established Christmas tree farm/landscaping business, 30x60 Morton building, all equipment, inventory and client base.

Owner business assistance offered! Over 22,000 trees. A spectacular property and investment located in Boonsboro, MD - $1,900,000.

Lynnettee Potterr - RE/MAX X Achievers 301-739-4800 0 • 301-573-8470 0 (cell) lpotter07@aol.com m www.lynn netteatremax.com

Real Estate For Sale CHRISTMAS TREE FARM and split level house. Unique entrepreneurial opportunity, earn a second income, fourth bedroom off family room and office, large closets and pristine floors, open kitchen atmosphere, 2½ baths. $249,900.00 Bloomfield,CT 860-989-2783

Refrigeration

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G R E E N H O U S E OPERATION for sale, Loudon, NH. Historically solid & financially stable business offered for $625,000 - 25% below appraised asset value.

Low risk venture with great expansion opportunities.

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For additional information contact: Kevin, Weeks Commercial, 603-5283388, ext. 305; email: ksullivan@cbcweeks.com.

Nursery Equipment BOULDIN & LAWSON 1 yard batch mixer, peat fluffer w/mist, 15’ conveyor, like new. 506325-2701 www.foxbrand.ca HIGH CALIPER Grow Bag, 18”, in-ground, up to 3” caliper trees, 300 bags w/forms, $700.00. 518-696-2829

Nursery Liners

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• Cabbage

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Full line Pole Building material. ~ Lumber - Trusses - Plywood.

www.abmartin.net • Email: sales@abmartin.net

Page 17 - Section B • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER • July 2012

Country Folks Grower Classifieds

July 2012 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER • Section B - Page 18

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 Seeds

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V I S S E E D C O M PA N Y: Specializing in flower seeds from around the world.

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TREE AUGER with hauler, excellent condition, $1,000.

570-924-4399

Trucks

Trucks

Martin’s Farm Trucks, LLC

Trucks for All Your Needs - Specializing in Agri-Business Vehicles

3.

Soils

Soils

2005 F/L CL120 Columbia TA Day Cab, 14L Det 455hp, Jake, 10spd, 12/40 Axles, Air Susp, WB173”, 349K mi., $34,500

1999 Stoughton 48’x102” Reefer Trailer, Spread Axle, Air Ride Sups, New Brakes, Good Tires, 18,623 Hours, $8,900

888-497-0310 Peat Moss & Growing Mixes Visit me at this Summer’s Trade Show’s P.A.N.T.’S Oaks, PA Booth #5039

OFA Columbus, OH Booth #901

IGC Show Chicago, IL Booth #230

Book Your Orders Now! Ship This Fall for Guaranteed Supply & Delivery!

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Vegetables

Vegetable Supplies

NOW TAKING ORDERS for garlic seed. Sweden Center Garlic Farm, 585-747-0405 www.scgarlic.com

Call 888-596-5329 for Your Subscription

FOR SALE: NEST/STACK ROPAK HARVESTING LUGS. Herb Barber & Sons, 800-3885384 or 716-326-4692, email: sue@herb-barber-sons.com w w w. h e r b - b a r b e r - s o n s . com/ropak.htm

Vineyard Equipment

Vineyard Equipment

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Sprayers

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995

$

Arendtsville Garage 135A Main St. • Arendtsville, PA 17303

717-677-7416

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HALABURA TREE FARMS 35 Dreher Rd. Orwigsburg, PA (Schuylkill Co.) 570-943-2137 office 570-943-7692 fax Douglas Fir Concolor Fir Hemlock Shade & Flowering Trees Available

White Pine Norway Spruce Arborvitae

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

Blue Spruce Serbian Spruce Frazier Fir

Cut & B&B available • Reasonable Prices • Delivery Available

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. *** JUL 9-10

JUL 14-17 OFA: 2012 ShortCourse Greater Columbus Convention Center, Columbus, OH. Call 614-487-1117 or e-mail ofa@ofa.org. On Internet at http://ofa.org/shortcourse info.aspx

JUL 19 Nursery IPM 9 am to noon.

Nursery, 5134 Spring Grove, sion.psu.edu

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

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JUL 26 Annual Flower Trial Field Day Penn State Southeast Research and (Landisville Farm) . As always, there will be exceptional speakers, fabulous weather and the stars of the show, the Flower Trials. Call 814-865-4700. On Internet at http:// extension/psu.edu AUG 8-10 NCLA Summer Green Road Show Hickory Metro Convention

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

Center, Hickory, NC. Call 919-816-9119. On Internet at www.ncnla.com AUG 8-11

Calendar of Events

“Are You Crazy?”

Retail farm market bus tour of eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania sponsored by Ohio State University Extension and Penn State Extension.

Registration $255 for single occupancy, $210 for double occupancy.

I n f o r m a t i o n : h t t p : / / go.osu.edu/Krz http:// go.osu.edu/Krz [24] or 412473-2450.

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:

National Christmas Tree Association Convention & Trade Show Sacramento Convention Center, Sacramento, CA. More than 350 Christmas Tree growers, wholesalers, retailers, Choose & Cut farmers and related industry members from around the world. On Internet at www.christmastree.org/ convention2012.cfm AUG 17-20 NAFDMA 2012 Advanced Learning Retreat Tanners Orchard, Speer, IL. On Internet at www. nafdma.com AUG 22-25 Virginia CTGA Summer Meeting Waynesboro Best Western Hotel, Waynesboro, VA. Contact Jeff Miller, 540-3827310 or e-mail secretary@ virginiachristmastrees.org.

On Internet at www. virginiachristmastrees.org

AUG 26-28 38th Annual FARWEST Show Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR. On Internet at www.farwestshow.com OCT 10-13 IPPS Eastern Region 62nd Annual Meeting Brandywine Valley, PA. Contact Margot Bridgen, 631765-9638 or e-mail ippser@gmail.com.

On Internet at www.ipps.org/ EasternNA NOV 2-6 2012 Irrigation Show & Education Conference Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, FL. Call email info@irrigationshow.org NOV 7-8 Northeast Greenhouse Conference and Expo DCU Center, Worcester MA. Call 802-865-5202 or e-mail info@negreenhouse.org.

JAN 9-11 MANTS Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore, MD. Call 800431-0066 or e-mail info@mants.com. On Internet at www.mants.com

AUG 23-25

JAN 10

VA Christmas Tree Growers Assoc. Annual Conference & Trade Show Waynesboro Best Western Inn. Call 540-382-2716. On Internet at www.Virginia ChristmasTrees.org

VNA Horticulture Research Foundation Research Gala / Auction Order tickets with MANTS registration www.mants.com For info e-mail research@ vnla.org. Call 800-476-0055.

LAWRENCE, KS — Online databases and new smartphone applications are making it easier than ever to track and map infestations of invasive weeds, according to the Weed Science Society of America (WSSA).

“These new resources are moving pockets of information out of universities and laboratories and into the public domain where they are readily accessible,” said

Dr. Lee Van Wychen, WSSA science policy director. “Now scientists, policy makers and even the general public can use the data to track the location and movement of weeds and monitor the effectiveness of management strategies.”

Online weed databases are currently maintained by a variety of public agencies, organizations and educational institutions. Examples include:

• Global Invasive Species Information Network (www.gisin.org), administered by the National Institute for Invasive Species Science of the U.S. Geological Survey Fort Collins Science Center; • iMapInvasives (www. imapinvasives.org), managed by The Nature Conservancy; • Invasive Plant Atlas of the MidSouth (www.gri.msstate.edu/ip ams), managed by the

Mississippi State University Geosystems Research Institute; • National Institute for Invasive Species Science Database (www. niiss.org), hosted by the U.S. Geological Survey Fort Collins Science Center; and • Plants of the United States (plants.usda.gov), managed by the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service.

New Apps Used to Re-

port Weed Sightings New technologies are also making it easier than ever to capture and report information on the location of weeds so that online databases are more complete. One example: iPhone and Android applications have been developed by the Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health at the University of Georgia in support of EDDMapS — an online Early Detection and Distribution Mapping System for invasive species.

Previously, weed sightings were submitted to EDDMapS using detailed online forms. But the new applications are game changers. Now home gardeners, backpackers and other laypeople likely to encounter invasive weeds can participate as well.

“The apps are really fun and easy to use,” says Karan Rawlins, invasive species coordinator at the Center. “You simply use your phone to take a picture of the weed, and the application grabs the GPS coordinates automatically.

Estimate the size of the infestation, press send and your sighting goes out for validation by state and local experts.

It’s so easy that I’ve actually rolled down my win-

dow while stuck in traffic to snap a photo and report weeds spotted along the side of the road.”

EDDMapS apps for iPhone, iPad and Android devices can be downloaded for free at apps.bugwood.org. Specially tailored versions were created for Florida, the Southeastern U.S., the Mid-Atlantic region and the Missouri River watershed.

The data reported to EDDMapS is available at no cost to researchers, educators, land managers and others interested in tracking and managing invasive species. It can be searched, queried and downloaded in a variety of formats to evaluate weed distribution for a given locale.

“If you want to collect information on weeds growing in a local park or schoolyard, you simply create an account and download data for that location,” Rawlins said. “You can view the results on an interactive map, download them into an Excel file, sort by species and track infestations over time.”

The EDDMapS project is supported by the U.S. Forest Service, the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Page 19 - Section B • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER • July 2012

WSSA says online databases and smartphone apps make it easier than ever to track invasive weeds

July 2012 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER • Section B - Page 20

Supplement to Country Folks GROWER

PAGE 1

SUMMER EDITION • July 2012

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July 2012 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MARKETPLACE • Page 2

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SUMMER EDITION • July 2012

MARKETPLACE Do summer intern and apprentice programs work?

by Sanne Kure-Jensen Hands-on learning is the best way to find out if you are suited to farm life.

“The USDA says labor costs can be up to 18 percent of production expenses. To improve profits, you need to be more efficient or you need to reduce your labor costs.” said Amanda Brown of the UMass Extension Vegetable Program. Interns and Apprentices may be cheaper, but you will spend more time training them and supervising beginners. You must determine if the reduced cost can be offset with more production overall. Brown shared her

farm experience working with students while speaking at the Beginning Women Farmer Conference at UMass, Amherst, MA. She distinguished between Interns and Apprentices and their appropriate compensation.

Legal definitions Brown offered these legal definitions according to the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division and the Washington State Department of Agriculture, Small Farm and Direct Marketing Handbook but stressed that all growers should check with their state Labor Departments for local regula-

tions before seeking certain types of farm labor.

An Intern can be unpaid if ALL of these qualifications are met. The Intern • Is enrolled in accredited educational institution like a college, community college or university • Benefits from training as they would at the educational institute • Pays the educational institution to be in the program

• Receives academic credit for their work.

• Is not replacing paid employees, but work with them • Is not promised a job at the end of the internship The accredited educational institution is exempt from paying wages, Unemployment Insurance tax and is required to provide a safe work environment. The

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Page 3 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MARKETPLACE • July 2012

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July 2012 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MARKETPLACE • Page 4

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SUMMER EDITION • July 2012

MARKETPLACE

SUMMER EDITION • July 2012

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94 Bull Rd., Otisville, NY 10963 845-386-5681 FAX: 845-386-8752 sales@wesselsfarms.com www.wesselsfarms.com

WE GROW Plugs Spring Garden Plants Wes Select Premium Annuals Summer Annuals Fall Mums Poinsettias Convenient Shipping, Volume Pricing, Easy Pick-up

Page 5 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MARKETPLACE • July 2012

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July 2012 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MARKETPLACE • Page 6

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SUMMER EDITION • July 2012

MARKETPLACE Intern from 3 employer providing training must not derive immediate advantage from interns’ actions.

Generally, there is no minimum wage requirement for agricultural laborers as long as they are not engaged in processing value added products or selling. An Apprentice receives a personal education plan proposed and approved under state/federal law.

Apprentices can potentially create this training/research plan for the next year’s Apprentice as part of their seasonal project.

An Employer of Apprentices must: • Have an Employer Identification Number (EIN) • Pay at least minimum wage with merit raises • Pay workers compensation insurance for work-related injuries • Pay Unemployment Insurance tax • Provide safe work environment • Provide set number of hours of instruction annually An Employee is subject to scheduling by the employer and the employer must: • Have an Employer Identification Number (EIN) • Pay wages • Pay workers compensation insurance for work-related injuries • Provide safe work environment • File payroll tax forms There are volunteer resources such as World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF). Their website lists interns and apprentices looking to earn their room and board. Each state has slightly different definitions, rules and per diem rates. Be sure to check with your local Department of Labor for applicable regulations.

Selection criteria How to select (applications and interviews) and how best supervise Interns and Apprentices • Have written application • Ask why interested in

farming, background and experience, academic training and success • Have current or past workers interview new recruits • Maintain consistent labor standards across farm • Check references; ask “Would you hire them again?”

Policies and procedures Communication is critical in all working environments. Be sure you set clear expectations: hours, responsibilities and pay/or not. Create and make available an Employee Handbook with expectations, grievance procedure, wages, hours/schedules, breaks, NO smoking and educational contracts/ learning plans. Brown and conference participants recommended that all staff cell phones be turned in to supervisors during working days and returned only at lunch breaks and after the work day. Emergency calls should be directed to supervisors or to the farm office. She also recommended a no headphone policy to improve safety and encourage human interaction. To further this goal, she has students interact with buyers in person (not via email or by phone) and make deliveries.

Post and follow an organizational chart with names/rolls. Cross train people; swap tasks weekly and have students be responsible for different tasks or areas.

Be sure to meet regularly (daily and/or weekly). Mix in some fun along with the drudgery of weeding and hoeing.

Post “Done” list of accomplishments not just the “To Do” list. Always develop and share a Plan B. If the team runs out of things to do, finish early or has crop failure, what is next thing on the “To Do” list or backup plan?

Resources Brown recommended these links and references for more information and finding applicants: • U.S. Department of Labor: www.wagehour.

dol.gov or call their helpline at 866-487-9243.

• World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) lists available interns, apprentices and openings: www.smallfarms.org • National Sustainable Agricultural Information

Service (ATTRA) offers a directory of sustainable farming internships, apprenticeships and onthe-job learning opportunities at www.attra.org • Agricultural, nursery and landscape jobs and internships at www.

GreenJobsNE.org.

• “The Organic Farmer’s Business Handbook: A Complete Guide to Managing Finances, Crops, and Staff - and Making a Profit” by Richard Wiswall includes recommendations for hiring and training apprentices.

Brown also recommended watching “Digital_nation,” a 90 minute Frontline report on the changing way people interact, for a better understanding on the way today’s students think and act.

MARKETPLACE 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.

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PAGE 1

SUMMER EDITION • July 2011 Supplement to Country Folks GROWER

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SEPTEMBER • Organic & Sustainable • Christmas Deadline August 16th

Country Folks Grower Will Have A Marketplace Glossy Section In The October Buyer’s Guide Issue

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Deadline August 24.

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• Buyer’s Guide • Christmas • Alternative Energy Deadline September 13th

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Page 7 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MARKETPLACE • July 2012

SUMMER EDITION • July 2012

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July 2012 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MARKETPLACE • Page 8

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SUMMER EDITION • July 2012

MARKETPLACE Kurt Zuhlke & Assoc. Inc.

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Signs of the Seasons

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