Facts for Fancy Fruit 07-01, March 22, 2007

Crop conditions:  Most crops appear to have survived the winter 
well. Peaches have little bud kill so are in good shape, but we 
still need to run the gauntlet of spring frosts. Blueberries and 
raspberries also survived the winter OK, but cold damage has 
been seen on grapes and blackberries.

 
Indiana winter temperatures:  As can be seen from the following 
graph, temperatures in West Lafayette were very mild until mid-
January. A sudden drop in temperatures late January and into 
February followed with a mimimum of -12 F in mid February. A 
threshold of -10 F is considered to be the point below which 
damage can result on peaches, blackberries and cold-tender 
grapes.  If you want to look up temperatures closer to your 
site, look at: http://shadow.agry.purdue.edu/sc.index.html   
(Hirst)

Indiana Cider Contest winner:  David Doud of Countyline Orchard 
was judged to be the maker of the best cider in Indiana at the 
recent Indiana cider contest held in conjunction with the Hort. 
Congress. Also receiving awards for excellent cider were John 
Beasley of Beasleyâs Orchard and Andy Hamilton of Musgrave 
Orchard. (Hirst)

Cold Injury to Grapes and Berry Crops:
It seems like it was a really cold winter after suffering 
through the Valentineâs Day Blizzard and subsequent cold, windy 
conditions. But actually it didnât get all that cold this winter 
in most areas. We hit a low of -12?F in Lafayette, which is 
about our average minimum winter temperature of -15 to -20?F. 
Nevertheless we are seeing quite a bit of winter injury in 
grapes and berry crops. We evaluated bud survival on our grape 
trials in Lafayette and damage ranges from about 60% bud kill on 
cold tender varieties (Cayuga White, Chambourcin) to about 10% 
bud kill on hardy varieties (Frontenac, Marquette, DeChaunac). 
Among berry crops, blackberries appear to have received the most 
damage. This is not surprising as they are only marginally hardy 
for our region. In some cases, the floricanes are obviously 
damaged and will not bud out, but in others the buds appear 
green and healthy. While the buds may appear alive, the canes 
are showing significant browning and I suspect weâll see lots of 
ădelayed winter injuryä after growth begins this spring. 
Blueberries and raspberries look like they made it through the 
winter fine. (Bordelon)

Pruning Grapes:  March is the most common month for pruning 
grapes.  The threat of extremely cold weather has passed and we 
can evaluate any winter injury to vines that may have occurred. 
By April buds will begin to swell and it is important that 
pruning is completed prior to bud swell to avoid damage to the 
tender buds. See the comments above about winter injury in 
grapes this year. Growers should assess bud damage prior to 
pruning so that adjustments in the balanced pruning formula can 
be made based on the amount of bud loss.  Typically, if less 
than 25% of the buds are damaged you can prune normally.  If 25-
40% of the buds are damaged then youâll want to adjust the 
number of buds retained accordingly.  For example, if 40% of the 
buds are damaged then 60% are live.  If you need 40 buds per 
vine for the proper crop load then youâll have to leave 68 buds 
to end up with 40 primary shoots.  To determine how to adjust 
the bud number multiply the inverse of the percent live buds 
(1/.60) times the desired number of buds (1/.60=1.7; 1.7 x 40 = 
68 buds).  If more than 40% of the buds are damaged then youâll 
probably want to do minimal pruning now and wait until after 
budbreak to determine where live buds occur in order to have an 
adequate number for balancing the vines.
      Spring freeze damage can also be a significant economic 
problem for grape growers.  Damage has occurred in Indiana 
sporadically over the past few years. Damage was severe in some 
Southwest Michigan last year when temperatures dropped into the 
upper 20s on April 26-27. We were lucky in most parts of 
Indiana. A technique called long pruning or double pruning helps 
avoid spring frost and freeze damage, especially on varieties 
that tend to bud out early.  The procedure utilizes the apical 
dominance of buds on the cane.  The first buds to begin growing 
are those on the tip of the cane, while buds closer to the base 
begin growth later.  This type of pruning is only applicable to 
spur or no-tie training systems.  To perform long pruning, 
select canes to be used for fruiting spurs during the normal 
pruning practice, but leave those canes long, with 10-15 more 
buds than desired.  Spurs are normally pruned to 3 to 6 nodes 
for fruiting, but if they are not cut back, then the extra buds 
will help delay the development of the desired basal 3 to 6 
buds, which helps avoid frost injury.  After the date of the 
last probable spring freeze has passed, the canes are shortened 
to the desired length to properly adjust the bud number for the 
vine.  Growth of the basal buds can be delayed by as much as two 
weeks if weather conditions are favorable.  While this procedure 
requires an extra trip through the vineyard, it can mean the 
difference between a full crop and little or no crop. (Bordelon)

Pruning Brambles:  This is a good time to finish pruning summer-
bearing brambles.  Last years fruited canes should be removed 
now if they were not removed last summer or fall. Remove weak or 
spindly floricanes and thin to 4-6 canes per foot of row.  
Laterals on blackberries and black and purple raspberries should 
be trimmed back to about 2/3 to 3/4 of their original length to 
promote flowering on strong wood.  Red raspberry canes can be 
tipped if desired, but should not be tipped more than 1/4 of the 
cane length.  If the planting is trellised, the canes should be 
tied to the wires now before growth starts.  Fall bearing types 
can be mowed to the ground now for a fall-only harvest, or the 
fruited tips can be removed if a summer and fall harvest is 
desired.  Remove and destroy the prunings to help prevent 
anthracnose and botrytis.

If significant winter injury has occurred in blackberries this 
year (see comments above) then you can save some money on labor 
by simply mowing down the entire planting. This obviously 
eliminates any potentially fruitful floricanes, but if 
significant damage has occurred, then low yields will likely 
result. It may not be cost effective to hand prune blackberries 
in this situation. (Bordelon)

Pruning Blueberries:  Spring is the best time to prune 
blueberries.  Winter injured wood is easily identified and 
should be removed.  Try to establish an even number of canes of 
various age classes.  A well-pruned blueberry bush should have 
about 15-25 canes (depending on age, cultivar and growth habit) 
with approximately 1/3 in the 5-7 year-old class, 1/3 in the 2-4 
year-old class, and 1/3 new canes for renewal.  Pruning should 
open the center of the bush to encourage new canes to grow 
upright. Also, remove low, drooping branches. Detailed pruning 
to remove weak growth in the tops of the canes will reduce the 
number of fruit and improve fruit size. (Bordelon)

Straw Removal on Strawberries:  Studies done in Illinois 
indicate that proper time to remove straw from matted row 
strawberries is when the bare-soil temperature at 4 inches 
averages about 40-43?F.  This usually coincides with mid to late 
March in central Indiana. Plants will begin pushing new leaves 
as the soil temperatures rise steadily through the month, so the 
straw should be raked off the tops of the beds and into the row 
middles.  Leaving some straw on top of the beds for plants to 
grow up through provides a clean surface for fruit.  Straw 
should be removed from strawberry beds before the plants grow 
enough to cause yellowing of foliage.  Allowing the leaves to 
become etiolated (yellowed with long petioles) due to late straw 
removal can reduce yields by as much as 25%.  However, 
uncovering the plants early may promote early growth and 
increase chances of frost or freeze injury.  The Illinois 
research found that the difference between early removal and 
late removal increased first harvest by only 3 days, so there is 
no real advantage. After the straw is removed the frost 
protection irrigation equipment should be set up and tested. 
(Bordelon) 

2007 Spray Guides:  The revised 2007 Midwest Commercial Tree 
Fruit (ID-168) and Midwest Commercial Small Fruit and Grape (ID-
169) Spray Guides are now available.  The new issues contain the 
latest pesticide label information available at printing time 
but, as always, you should read and follow the label directions.  
Several changes have occurred this year and all commercial 
growers should have a copy of the revised versions.  The spray 
guides will be available at the regional meetings, through your 
local Cooperative Extension office, or directly from 
Agricultural Communication Service, Media Distribution Center at 
1-888-EXT-INFO. (1-888-398-4636).  The current version of the 
Small Fruit and Grape Spray Guide is also available on the web 
at: http://www.hort.purdue.edu/hort/ext/sfg/.  Any changes in 
pesticide registrations that have occurred since printing will 
be listed under a special button on that web page. (Bordelon)

Dormant Disease Management:  Dormant season fungicide use is a 
very important second step in disease management, immediately 
following removal of infected tissue in the late spring. 
Ideally, dormant fungicides act as an insurance policy, killing 
any overwintering pathogens that may have escaped the late 
winter cleanup. In reality, dormant application of fungicides, 
coupled with pruning, greatly reduces disease problems, but does 
not eliminate them. However, any reduction in initial inoculum 
early in the season means less control is necessary later on. In 
other words, an ounce of prevention pays pounds of cures. 

Dormant fungicides are applied when the plants are dormant. 
These compounds, many of which are organic, are general 
biocides, meaning they are as toxic to green plant material as 
they are to the pathogen. For this reason, they must be applied 
when the plants are dormant to avoid the toxic side effects.  
Two major dormant groups of fungicides are used: Coppers and 
Sulfur.

Copper Fungicides
The first copper fungicide, Bordeaux mixture, was discovered in 
the mid-1800âs in Bordeaux, France. Bordeaux is a mixture of 
copper sulfate and hydrated lime in water (usually in an 8 lb 
copper sulfate- 8 lb hydrated lime÷100 gallon water ratio). It 
has tremendous persistence, giving good control of fire blight 
on apple and pear, peach leaf curl, and major grape diseases 
(black rot, downy mildew, phomopsis, and powdery mildew of 
grape).  On the downside, it is corrosive, cannot be mixed with 
other pesticides, and has more phytotoxicity issues.

Unlike Bordeaux, fixed copper formulations are less persistant, 
but they are less phytotoxic to plant tissues than Bordeaux 
mixture. However, their use is still limited because of their 
potential to injure plants and lack of compatibility with other 
pesticides. Some common commercial formulations of fixed copper 
include Cuprofix, Kocide 101, C-O-C-S, and Tribasic Copper 
Sulfate. There are several fixed copper fungicides registered 
for use by home fruit growers.

Sulfur Fungicides
Threophrastus first described the oldest fungicide, sulfur, for 
the control of powdery mildew on wheat. Sulfur is used as a 
dormant application as available as liquid lime sulfur. Liquid 
lime sulfur fungicide can be applied as a dormant spray to 
control plum pockets or peach leaf curl, both caused by the 
fungus Taphrina. Lime-sulfur can be applied on brambles for cane 
blight, spur blight and anthracnose. It can cause severe damage 
if applied after green foliage appears.  Depending upon how it 
is used, lime-sulfur can be an effective pesticide. It is also 
an effective people deterrent, smelling like rotten eggs. 
(Beckerman)

Tree Fruit Disease To Do List:
*	Prune! Hold off pruning until as late as possible. Start 
with apple and pear to remove fire blight, moving on to 
plum or other Prunus species, to remove black knot. 
o	Remember, you want to go in reverse flowering order÷
late flowering pome fruits (apples and pears) should 
be pruned first, followed by stone fruits (apricot, 
cherry, plum, peach)
*	Remove infected branches (fire blight, black knot, and/or 
bacterial canker) from orchard and destroy
o	For the incredibly motivated: Remove nearby 
chokecherry, pin cherry, or wild plum that can serve 
as hosts for black knot.
*	Dormant application of copper for fire blight, bacterial 
spot of peach, and bacterial canker of cherry.
*	Dormant application of lime-sulfur for peach leaf curl and 
plum pockets.
*	Soil drench with Ridomil Gold Phytophthora crown, root, and 
collar rot of all tree fruit crops with an orchard history 
of Phytophthora.
Removing cankers should be a primary goal for growers seeking to 
manage fire blight. Another effective method of reducing the 
fire blight bacteria is to apply copper up to, or at the green 
tip stage.  This copper will not ăcureä existing infections 
(which is why pruning to remove these infections is so 
important), but will protect the plant from bacteria colonizing 
the treated portions of the tree, thereby preventing future 
infections. Coverage at this stage must be thorough, and even 
fire blight- resistant trees must be treated to reduce the 
overall population of the bacteria in the orchard. Care must be 
taken to cease copper applications past green tip, as copper 
sprays can cause fruit russetting on apples and pears.

So, how do you avoid the damage associated with copper, but 
derive the obvious benefit of fire blight management? 

1.	Only use copper if your orchard has had a history of fire 
blight in the last two years, or if you are using 
susceptible root stocks (M. 26. M. 27, Mark) or scions 
(Gala, Braeburn, Ginger Gold, etc). 
2.	Apply copper sprays no later than green tip. 
3.	Avoid applying copper just before predicted frosts or 
within several days after frosts have occurred. Damaged 
cells take up more copper causing greater phytotoxicity. 
With copper, a little is good, a lot is deadly!
4.	Apply the proper amount, to the low end of rates, carefully 
calculating rates using tree-row-volume calculations to 
determine appropriate rates for small trees, and young 
vigorous trees that are more susceptible to fire blight. 
Beware: Too much copper on young trees can stunt their 
growth!
5.	Never combine copper sulfate with dormant oil. If you want 
to apply copper with an oil for scale control, there are 
several fixed copper fungicides registered for use on 
apple. Fixed copper, except copper sulfates, can be mixed 
with oil. 
These guidelines were developed to help you navigate the 
tightrope between fire blight on one side, and copper 
phytoxicity on the other. Ideally, enough copper is applied to 
kill any bacteria that oozes out, or is hiding within bark or 
bud scale. However, just enough copper is applied so that it 
washes away before open cluster, where it could potential russet 
fruit. (Beckerman)

Small Fruit Disease To Do List:

*	Prune! Hold off pruning until as late as possible, but when 
you finally start, remove as much infected, cankered tissue 
as needed to reduce inoculum.
*	Remove infected vines and brambles from the orchard and 
destroy.
o	For the incredibly motivated: Remove nearby wild 
brambles and wild grapes that can serve as disease 
reservoirs.
*	Dormant application of copper has been shown to reduce many 
grape diseases (Phomopsis, anthracnose, downy mildew) as 
well. 
*	Dormant application of lime-sulfur for anthracnose of 
brambles, and many fungal diseases of grape (Phomopsis, 
anthracnose, powdery mildew, black rot) and blueberries 
(Phomopsis, Fusicoccum)
*	As an added bonus, lime-sulfur control hatching eggs and 
nymphs of some insects. (Beckerman)
*	
The Packer Fresh Trends for Indiana Fruits and Vegetables:  The 
Packer has released its annual fresh trend report. The survey 
was sent to 62,000 U.S. households via email and 1,012 surveys 
were completed.  According to this study, more men are 
identifying themselves as the primary shopper than in past. 
Below are trends specific to fruits and vegetables grown in 
Indiana. 
  
Apples 
*	94% of apples are used as a snack. 
*	Red Delicious is the most preferred variety at 23%. 
*	80% of consumers purchased apples within the past 12 
months. 
*	Married people are the most likely purchasers of apples at 
85%. 
 
Asparagus 
*	37% of consumer purchased asparagus within the past 12 
months. 
*	Males are more likely to purchase asparagus at 39% compared 
to 36% for females. 
*	13% of those who buy asparagus said they purchased organic 
product at least some of the time, with 3% reporting that 
they buy organic asparagus exclusively. 
 
Blackberries 
*	43% of consumers purchased blackberries within the past 12 
months 
*	16% of those buying blackberries bought organic product at 
least part of the time and 5% bought organic blackberries 
exclusively. 
 
Cantaloupe 
*	65% of consumers purchased cantaloupe within the past 12 
months 
*	Married shoppers were also very likely to buy, with 72% of 
married respondents reporting that theyâd purchased the in 
the past year. 
*	Single shoppers and those earning less than $30,000 
annually were the least likely groups to buy cantaloupe. 
*	Slightly more than half of all consumers prefer to buy 
cantaloupe already ripe, and 37% said they prefer to buy it 
ripe but occasionally buy unripe fruit. 
 
Cabbage 
*	49% of consumers purchased cabbage within the past 12 
months. 
*	Shoppers without kids in the household were more likely to 
buy cabbage, at 50%, than those consumers with kids in the 
home, at 44%. 
*	Female shoppers were slightly more likely to buy cabbage 
than their male counterparts. 
 
Cucumbers 
*	65% of consumers purchased cucumbers within the past 12 
months. 
*	Shoppers in the Northeast comprised the region most likely 
to buy this vegetable. 
*	Consumers earning $50,000 to $74,999 made up the income 
group most likely to buy. 
*	Single shoppers, male consumers and those earning less than 
$30,000 annually were the least likely groups to purchase 
cucumbers. 
 
Green Beans 
*	42% of consumers purchased green beans within the past 12 
months. 
*	Shoppers in the Northeast comprised the region most likely 
to buy green beans. 
*	15% of those buying greens beans said they buy organic 
green beans at least some of the time. 
*	Those most likely to buy organic green beans exclusively 
are those earning more than $75,000 annually and those 
living in the Western part of the country. 
 
Honey Dew 

*	30% of consumers purchased honeydew within the past 12 
months
*	Shoppers in the West comprised the region most likely to 
buy honeydew, followed by those in the Northeast.
*	Consumers least likely to buy honeydew were single 
shoppers, those earning less than $30,000 annually and 
those who are separated, divorced or widowed.
*	The majority of shoppers purchased conventionally grown 
honeydew, while 8% of honeydew consumers reported that they 
buy organic product at least part of the time.

Lettuce 
*	66% of consumers purchased lettuce within the past 12 
months 
*	Married shoppers and those earning at least $50,000 were 
also among the most likely groups to buy the bulk greens. 
*	While the majority of shoppers bought conventionally grown 
lettuce, 13% of those who bought lettuce said they 
purchased organic product at least some of the time. 
*	Consumers earning more than $75,000 annually and those with 
three or more children at home were the most likely groups 
to buy organic product exclusively. 
 
Specialty Mushrooms
*	22% of consumers purchased specialty mushrooms within the 
past 12 months. 
*	20% of those who bought mushrooms said they purchased 
organic specialty mushrooms at least some of the time. 
*	4% of consumers said they bought organic varieties 
exclusively. 
*	Groups that were least likely to buy specialty mushrooms 
included those earning $30,000 to $75,000 annually, single 
shoppers and those living in the South. 
 
Peppers 
*	68% of consumers purchased peppers in the past 12 months 
*	Shoppers who shared the shopping responsibility equally 
with the others in their household comprised the group 
least likely to buy peppers. 
*	Single shoppers were also among the least likely to buy the 
vegetable. 
*	While most consumers bought conventionally grown peppers, 
11% of those who bought peppers said they bought organic 
product at least part of the time. 
 
Salad Mix
*	69% of consumers purchased salad mix within the past 12 
months 
*	Male shoppers comprised the group least likely to buy salad 
mix, while female shoppers made up one of the most likely 
groups to buy bagged salad. 
*	The likelihood of purchases increased according to 
household income, with consumers earning more than $75,000 
annually being the most likely group to buy the mixes. 
*	Among consumers buying salad mix, 13% reported buying 
organic salad mix at least some of the time. 
 
Squash 
*	34% of consumers purchased squash within the past 12 months 
*	Consumers earning more than $75,000 annually were the most 
likely group to purchase squash, at 44%. 
*	Married shoppers are almost twice as likely to buy squash, 
at 38%, than single shoppers, of which only 20% said they 
buy the vegetable. 
*	For those buying squash, 14% said they bought organic 
product at least part of the time. 
 
Tomatoes 
*	81% of consumers purchased tomatoes within the past 12 
months. 
*	Married consumers, those earning more than $75,000 annually 
and those with one child in the household were the most 
likely groups to buy tomatoes. 
*	Single shoppers and those earning less than $30,000 
annually were the least likely to buy. 
*	While most consumers purchased conventionally grown 
tomatoes, 15% of those buying tomatoes reported that they 
bought organic product at least some of the time. 
*	60% of consumers said they knew how to ripen tomatoes once 
they got them home. 
 
Watermelon 
*	The majority of consumers prefer to buy watermelon ripe. 
*	Only 19% of those surveyed said they felt comfortable 
ripening the fruit once they got it home. 
*	Married consumers, female shoppers and those earning more 
than $75,000 buy watermelon. 
*	Single shoppers and those earning $30,000 to $49,999 
annually were the least likely to buy. 
*	Among consumers buying watermelon, about 8% said they 
purchased organic product at least some of the time. 
 
Sweet Corn 
*	The likelihood of corn purchases increased according to 
household income, with consumers earning more than $75,000 
annually being the most likely group to buy sweet corn. 
*	Shoppers in the West comprised the region most likely to 
buy the vegetable. 
*	Consumers living in the South and those earning less than 
$30,000 annually were the least likely to buy corn. 
*	Consumers who are considered primary shoppers for their 
household are less likely to buy corn than those shoppers 
who share buying responsibilities equally with someone 
else. 
*	While most shoppers buy conventionally grown corn, 10% of 
corn purchasers reported buying organic corn at least some 
of the time. 
 
This is a quick overview of the fresh trends report. For more 
information, please contact Jennifer Dennis at jhdennis@purdue.edu. 
This information is also mailed to subscribers of The Packer. (Hollis 
and Dennis) 
 
Workshop Series to Promote Indiana Farmers' Markets:  A two-part 
series of Farmersâ Market Workshops are once again being offered 
across the state and sponsored by the Purdue Extension New Ventures 
and Small Farms teams and the Department of Agricultural Economics, 
the Indiana Cooperative Development Center, and the Indiana State 
Department of Agriculture.   
  
To target the specific needs of audiences with various levels of 
experience, the 2007 workshops have been divided into a two-part 
series.  The Starting a Farmersâ Market in Your Area ö an Entry Level 
Workshop will focus on topics related to farmersâ market start-ups 
and the Operating an Efficient Farmersâ Market ö an Advanced Level 
Workshop will focus on topics relevant to experienced farmers' market 
managers and producers.  The workshops will cover topics in the areas 
of good marketing practices, food safety rules and regulations, the 
WIC Farmersâ Market Nutrition Program, as well as state resources.
 
The Entry Level workshop will be offered at Purdue University 
Cooperative Extension Service offices via IP video, and the advanced 
workshops will be in-person workshops at multiple locations 
throughout the state.  The IP video sessions will be broadcast on 
March 16, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Current viewing locations include West 
Lafayette, Hendricks County ö Danville, LaGrange County ö LaGrange, 
Clinton County ö Frankfort, Vanderburgh County ö Evansville, and Knox 
County ö Vincennes. The registration deadline for this session is 
March 5.  
 
ăNew markets are forming frequently, and beginning managers often 
don't have a lot of resources," said Jennifer Dennis, workshop 
coordinator and specialty crop marketing specialist. "We hope to 
provide resources for these people and help existing managers make 
their markets stronger and safer."  
 
The Advanced workshops will include sessions on understanding the 
Women, Infants and Children program, food safety, target marketing 
strategies, rules and regulations and a resource fact sheet for 
Indiana farmers' markets. The remaining workshop locations within 
this series will be held in Columbus, Lafayette, and Fort Wayne.  All 
workshops will take place from 9 a.m. to noon. Instructors will be 
available on site to address any questions.  
 
"Farmers' markets are considered a temporary food retail 
establishment by the health department, so local inspections have 
really picked up over the past year and a half," Dennis said. "It is 
important for market managers to understand the regulations so they 
don't violate them. For example, hand-washing stations should be 
available for vendors who handle any type of food or meat product at 
each market."  
 
Advanced Level Workshop locations and dates are:  
 
đ Columbus ÷ March 2. Bartholomew County Fairgrounds (deadline Feb. 
21)  
 
đ Lafayette ÷ March 23. Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds (deadline March 
14)  
 
đ Fort Wayne ÷ April 20. Allen County Fairgrounds (deadline April 11)  
 
Pre-registration is required, and registration cost includes all 
materials and snacks. The beginner workshop fee is $25, and the 
registration form is available online at 
http://www.agecon.purdue.edu/pdf/Entry_Level_2007_Farmers_Market.pdf. 
Participation for the beginner workshop at additional locations can 
be arranged by contacting your local county extension office. 
Advanced workshops are $20, and the registration form is available 
online at 
http://www.agecon.purdue.edu/pdf/Advanced_Level_2007_Farmers_Market.p
df.  
 
For more information, contact Purdue Extension at (888) EXT-INFO. 
(Dennis) 

Starting a Specialty Food Business Workshop:  The Agricultural 
Economics Department and the Food Science Department are co-
sponsoring the bi-annual workshop titled, ăIntroduction to Starting a 
Specialty Food Business in Indianaä on Wednesday, April 25, 2007 at 
the Farm Bureau Building in Indianapolis, Indiana. Topics discussed 
in the workshop range from marketing food products to packaging, 
regulations, and food safety.  The workshop is aimed at those 
interested in developing a specialty food or food ingredient 
business.  Participants may be small farmers interested in vertically 
integrating, homemakers, and current/former entrepreneurs who need a 
comprehensive overview of the topics to be covered when starting a 
new food business in Indiana. The deadline to register is April 18.  
For a registration form or more information, contact Marsha Pritchard 
at mpritcha@purdue.edu or De Bush at djbush@purdue.edu or phone 765-
496-3832.   
 
Indiana Farm Sustainability Tours:  The 2007 Indiana Farm 
Sustainability Tours feature Hoosier farmers leading the way in 
a variety of innovative practices that add value to their farms 
and their communities. The tours will give educators, farmers 
and other rural residents the opportunity to investigate ways to 
diversify their operations and to learn from other diversified 
Hoosier farmers.

"In today's agricultural economy, there are real opportunities 
for farmers to take advantage of consumer-driven niche markets 
in their local communities," said Sarah Yeager, program manager 
of Diversification for the Indiana State Department of 
Agriculture.  "Through these new opportunities, diversified 
farming operations can improve family income, reduce reliance on 
federal farm programs and serve emerging non-traditional 
markets."

During the tours, participants will have the chance to interact 
with the farm owners and operators and to learn about their 
experiences, management styles and how they make important 
decisions. The tours vary from month to month and focus on 
topics such as business structure, keeping the family involved, 
agritourism and niche marketing.  The tours also include a 
specialist from Purdue who will discuss the topic of the day and 
be available to answer questions.

Not only will participants have the chance to speak with 
specialists and farm owners, but they will also have the 
opportunity to learn about available resources and network with 
others who are interested in diversifying their farms or rural 
enterprises.

"Moody Meats, one of the farms that we will be visiting, take 
their product from gate to plate," said Roy Ballard, Purdue 
University Extension educator in Hancock County and program 
coordinator. "They raise the animals on their farm, process them 
at their facility in Ladoga and have their own retail outlet in 
Ladoga and Avon."

The Indiana Farm Sustainability Tours begin in March and run 
through November. The tours will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 
the third Thursday of each month with the exception of August. 
Due to the Indiana State Fair, the tour will be the fourth 
Thursday of August.
    
The tour dates are listed below, followed by the topic of the 
day and the farm site(s).
* April 19; "Opportunities in Horticulture"; Halters Greenhouses 
and Retail Market of Vincennes, Apple Hill Orchard of Bruceville 
and Melon Acres Asparagus of Oaktown.
* May 17; "Farm Business Structures"; Cook's Bison Ranch of 
Wolcottville and Gunthorps' Pastured Pork and Poultry of 
LaGrange.
* June 21; "Urban Fringe Marketing: Meeting the Needs of the 
Urban Consumer"; Tuttle's Orchard and Farm Market of Greenfield.
* July 19; "Organic Production and Marketing" Bloomingfoods, 
Stranger's Hill Organic Farm and Bloomington Farmers' Market, 
all of Bloomington.
* Aug. 23; "Agritourism:  Enhancing the Visitor's Experience"; 
Traders Point Creamery of Zionsville.
* Sept. 20; "Family Farming:  Keeping the Family in the Family 
Farm"; Swiss Connection Cheese of Clay City and Moody Meats of 
Ladoga.
* Oct. 18; "Specialty-Marketing Partnerships"; Birky Family 
Farms, Valparaiso Farmers' Market and Crme de la Crop CSA, all 
of Valparaiso.
* Nov. 15; "Food Trends, a Look at Consumer Food Expectations 
and How We Can Meet Them"; Purdue Food Science facilities of 
West Lafayette.
    
"The tours are unique in that participants will be able to taste 
different agricultural products produced right here in Indiana," 
said Ballard.
    
For more information and to register, visit 
http://www.conf.purdue.edu/farmtours .  Each tour is $15 per 
person, which includes lunch, refreshments and materials.  
Individuals have the option to register for all of the tours or 
to select one or two at a time.
Registration is due seven days prior to a tour.

The 2007 Indiana Farm Sustainability Tours are sponsored by the 
Purdue Small Farms Team, the Purdue New Ventures Team, ISDA and 
the North East Central Sustainable Agriculture Research and 
Education (SARE).

For questions and more information, please contact Jerry Nelson, 
New Ventures Extension educator and tour coordinator, at (812) 
886-9582 or jnelson@purdue.edu or Ballard at (317) 462-1113 or 
rballard@purdue.edu .
 
Head of Horticulture Department at Purdue:  Following the departure 
of Dr Ed Ashworth, the Horticulture department has been ably led by 
Dr Bob Joly as interim head. Interviewing for a permanent head of the 
department will start in the next few weeks. We are pleased to have 3 
highly qualified individuals to interview, and some of you have been 
contacted to participate as industry representatives. 

Floriculture position at Purdue:  As many of you know, Dr Allen 
Hammer retired as floriculture specialist at Purdue last year. We are 
refilling that position and are currently in the process of 
interviewing candidates for the position.

Upcoming Meetings:

March 26.  Purdue Spring Grape and Wine Workshop. Ertel Cellars, 3794 
E. 1100 N, Batesville, IN www.ertelcellars.com Contact Jill Blume, 
765-494-1749, blume@purdue.edu, www.indianawines.org  

April 3. Eastern Indiana Horticultural Society meeting.  For 
more info, contact Dave Clamme, dclamme@purdue.edu
 
April 5. Martinsville Orchard School. For more information, 
contact Jim Barbour, jbarbour@purdue.edu