Food Safety Survey:  USApple is seeking your assistance 
with the distribution of a survey of apple growers and 
packers to determine the extent to which good agricultural 
practices and good handling practices are used in orchards 
and packing facilities.  They plan to use the information 
to develop policies and respond to inquiries from Congress 
and the media regarding the apple industryâs food safety 
practices. 
  
As you are aware, several members of Congress have 
introduced legislation that would require mandatory 
implementation of good agricultural practices.  USApple 
hopes to evaluate the impact of this legislation using the 
results of the survey. 
  
The survey is very short and can be accessed on our 
website: http://www.hort.purdue.edu/fruitveg/ under ãWhatâs 
newä or contact Peter Hirst.  
Participants are asked to return the survey via e-mail by 
Oct. 30, 2007 to Jim Cranney at jcranney@usapple.org or by 
fax to USApple at (703) 790-0845. 
  
Human Resource Conference coming to Indiana:  Mid American 
Ag and Hort Services (MAAHS) is pleased to offer its human 
resource conference on January 28 in conjunction with the 
Indiana Horticultural Congress. Topics will feature 
orienting and training employees, using employee benefits 
to attract and retain employees, experienced supervisor 
training and an update on labor and immigration compliance 
topics. The luncheon will allow employers and supervisors 
to network and discuss human resource topics. Registration 
will be in conjunction with the Hort Congress.

2007 Farm Bill:  The US Apple Association and the Specialty 
Crop Farm Bill Alliance are continuing to urge the Senate 
Agriculture Committee to support our priorities when it 
marks up and approves its Farm Bill, expected during the 
week of Oct. 22.  Key priorities are:  
*	Expansion of the USDA Fruit & Vegetable Snack Program 
to all 50 states. This program and others involving 
healthy foods and community projects helps develop 
lifelong health through consumption of fruits and 
vegetables, 
*	Greater investment in research to improve the taste 
and quality of foods, 
*	Expansion of the State Specialty Crop Competitiveness 
Projects (block grants) to all 50 states based on a 
proven track record of delivering results for specific 
local needs, 
*	Enhanced critical trade assistance and market 
promotion tools, including the Market Access Program, 
to grow international markets for specialty crops, 
*	Investment in prevention and mitigation protocols to 
combat invasive pest and diseases, which cost the 
economy millions of dollars per year, and 
*	Expansion and improvement of conservation programs to 
allow producers of specialty crops increased access to 
conservation assistance. 
Senate Agriculture Committee members Stabenow (D-MI), Casey 
(D-PA), Crapo (R-ID) and Brown (D-OH) continue urging their 
Committee colleagues to support these specialty crop 
provisions.  The House met in abbreviated session this week 
and the Senate was in recess. 
  
Social Security No-Match Rule on Hold:  A judge from 
Northern Californiaâs Federal District Court issued a 
preliminary injunction to prevent the proposed no-match 
rule from taking effect until the Court fully examines its 
impact and legality, which could take several months.  This 
is good news for agricultural employers and workers, since 
the Social Security Administration had been ready to send 
no-match letters to approximately 140,000 employers 
regarding 8 million employees. (from US Apple Association)

2007 Apple Crop Forecast:  The latest U.S. Department of 
Agriculture (USDA) apple crop forecast predicts the 2007 
crop to be 220.4 million bushels, just 714,000 bushels or 
less than 1 percent below the departmentâs 221.1 million 
bushel August forecast.  This number is 2 percent below the 
five-year average and 7 percent less than 2006 production. 
  
The Indiana apple crop is estimated to be 714,000 bushels, 
over 40% less than the average crop for the state. I guess 
between the frost and the drought, we should be happy to 
have that!  (Hirst and US Apple Association)

Naturally-occurring apple compounds reduce risk of 
pancreatic cancer: Eating flavonol-rich foods like apples 
may help reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer, says a team 
of international researchers. Quercetin, found naturally in 
apples and onions, has been identified as one of the most 
beneficial flavonols in preventing and reducing the risk of 
pancreatic cancer. Although the overall risk was reduced 
among the study participants, smokers who consumed foods 
rich in flavonols had a significantly greater risk 
reduction. 
This study, published in the October 15 issue of the 
American Journal of Epidemiology, is the first of its kind 
to evaluate the effect of flavonols ö compounds found 
specifically in plants ö on developing pancreatic cancer. 
According to the research paper, ãonly a few prospective 
studies have investigated flavonols as risk factors for 
cancer, none of which has included pancreatic cancer.ä
 
Researchers from Germany, the Univ. of Hawaii and Univ. of 
Southern California tracked food intake and health outcomes 
of 183,518 participants in the Multiethnic Cohort Study for 
eight years. The study evaluated the participantsâ food 
consumption and calculated the intake of the three 
flavonols quercetin, kaempferol, and myricetin. The 
analyses determined that flavonol intake does have an 
impact on the risk for developing pancreatic cancer.  

The most significant finding was among smokers. Smokers 
with the lowest intake of flavonols presented with the most 
pancreatic cancer. Smoking is an established risk factor 
for the often fatal pancreatic cancer, notes the research.  
Among the other findings were that women had the highest 
intake of total flavonols and seventy percent of the 
flavonol intake came from quercetin, linked to apple and 
onion consumption.  

It is believed that these compounds may have anticancer 
effects due to their ability to reduce oxidative stress and 
alter other cellular functions related to cancer 
development.  
ãUnlike many of the dietary components, flavonols are 
concentrated in specific foods rather than in broader food 
groups, for example, in apples rather than in all fruit,ä 
notes the research study. Previously, the most consistent 
inverse association was found between flavonols, especially 
quercetin in apples and lung cancer, as pointed out in this 
study. No other epidemiological flavonol studies have 
included evaluation of pancreatic cancer. 
While found in many plants, flavonols are found in high 
concentrations in apples, onions, tea, berries, kale, and 
broccoli. Quercetin is most plentiful in apples and onions. 
(US Apple Association)

Current status of streptomycin resistance in the fire 
blight pathogen in Michigan:  
Streptomycin resistance in the fire blight bacterium 
Erwinia amylovora was originally detected in the early 
1990s in Michigan, mostly in Van Buren County and in a few 
isolated orchards in Kent and Newaygo counties. Most of the 
resistant strains contained an extra sequence of DNA that 
encoded streptomycin-resistance genes. This distinguished 
the mechanism of resistance from that found in E. amylovora 
from the Pacific Northwest, in which the strains became 
resistant to streptomycin due to a chromosomal mutation. In 
the mid-to late-1990s, the streptomycin resistant strains 
from Southwest Michigan slowly spread westward towards the 
lake, and resistance was noted in an isolated orchard in 
Kent County. In addition, a small number of resistant 
strains (less than 10 percent) were found from these 
locations that harbored the chromosomal mutation.

In 2004, we surveyed eight apple blocks in the Fruit Ridge 
area, most of which were concentrated around 10 Mile Road 
and Kenowa Avenue. Streptomycin resistance was detected in 
seven of the eight blocks sampled. Genetic analyses of the 
strains indicated that most of the strains contained the 
same streptomycin-resistance genes found in strains from 
Southwest Michigan and a small number harbored the 
chromosomal mutation.

Our goal during the 2005-2007 growing seasons was to 
enlarge the regions sampled outside of the known 
ãstreptomycin resistance zone.ä In the Fruit Ridge area, we 
have detected streptomycin-resistant E. amylovora strains 
in 10 of 15 orchards sampled. Resistant strains were found 
south of 12 Mile road (10 of 11 orchards). We recovered 
only streptomycin-sensitive strains from four orchards 
located just north of 12 Mile road. Streptomycin-resistant 
strains were also detected in orchards in Ionia County near 
Belding and Ionia.

In Southwest Michigan, a large-scale sampling effort 
outside of the known resistance zone was done in 2007. 
Streptomycin-resistant strains were found in only 5 of 18 
orchards demonstrating the slow movement of resistant 
strains between orchards.

In 2006, we detected streptomycin-resistant Erwinia 
amylovora for the first time in orchards in Oceana county, 
Michigan. In 2007, we sampled one repeat and eight new 
orchards. All isolates were sensitive to streptomycin. Our 
results indicate that streptomycin resistance is just 
moving into Oceana county and is not as much of a problem 
as it is in Southwest Michigan and Fruit Ridge.
What control measures should be adopted in orchards that 
contain streptomycin-resistant fire blight bacteria? 
Streptomycin alternatives include antibiotics such as 
Mycoshield and Agry-Gent. Section 18 emergency exemptions 
were granted for both of these materials in 2007. We expect 
similar Section 18s to be granted in 2008 for alternative 
antibiotics. Biological control materials such as Serenade 
Max and Bloomtime Biological also have some activity in 
controlling blossom blight.
The rule of thumb is that growers who have had success 
using streptomycin, and whose farms are not in zones where 
resistant strains are prevalent, should continue to use 
streptomycin as this is the best material for blossom 
blight control. If resistance is an issue, then 
streptomycin should not be used as it will only lead to an 
increased buildup of resistant strains.
Grant funding program seeks innovative ideas for the farm 
and ranch:  The North Central Region Sustainable 
Agriculture Research and Education (NCR-SARE) Program is 
seeking innovative farmers or ranchers who want to 
implement a new, sustainable, idea to improve their 
operation. NCR-SARE is currently accepting applications for 
their 2007 Farmer Rancher grant program.

NCR-SARE awards grants to farmers and ranchers for on-farm 
research, demonstrations and education projects. By 
providing funds ranging from $6,000 per individual grant to 
up to $18,000 for grants awarded to groups of three or 
more, NCR-SARE helps facilitate essential agricultural 
research and development. 

Beverly Pender is an urban farmer in Kansas City. Utilizing 
the lots she owns, and the lots donated to her from 
neighbors, she has been able to carry on Soul and Soil 
Rainbow Gardens. Thanks to NCR-SARE grant funding, she will 
be able to add on to her gardens, and local youth, seniors 
and the homeless will also reap rewards.

ãOur objective is to promote urban farming and to teach the 
community about healthy food production,ä Pender explained.

Penderâs grant is just one example of the wide range of 
projects that NCR-SARE has funded over the years. Other 
funded topics include pest and disease management, soil 
conservation, local marketing, public education, waste 
management, agri-tourism, crop diversity, aqua-culture and 
many others. 

NCR-SARE grants are awarded based on the applicants ability 
to describe how their project will be sustainable in terms 
of having long-term profitability, being good for the 
environment, producing healthy foods, being socially 
responsible and supporting their community.

Last year NCR-SARE funded 52 Farmer Rancher grants totaling 
$400,037. This year farmers and ranchers throughout the 
North Central Region will once again have the opportunity 
to apply for roughly $400,000 in grant assistance. The 12 
states that comprise the North Central Region are Illinois, 
Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, 
Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. 
The NCR-SARE program receives its funding through the 
United States Department of Agriculture. 

Grant proposals are due in the NCR-SARE office by December 
3, 2007. Interested applicants may contact Joan Benjamin 
with NCR-SARE at 402-472-0809 or ncrsare@umn.edu. The 
current Farmer Rancher Grant Call for Proposals application 
can be found on the NCR-SARE web site at 
http://ncr.sare.org/prod.htm. Previous project reports are 
made available through the national SARE web site at 
www.sare.org. 

Contact:
North Central Region - Sustainable Agriculture Research and 
Education Farmer Rancher Grant Program
402.472.0809 or 1.800.529.1342 (toll free)
402.472.0280
ncrsare@umn.edu
www.sare.org/ncrsare

Coming meetings:
November 3:  Midwest Apple Improvement Association Annual 
Meeting. Dawes Arboretum, Newark, OH.  For more information 
contact Mitch Lynd at (740) 967-5355.
December 4-6: Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable and Farm Market 
EXPO, DeVos Place, Grand Rapids, MI.  http://www.glexpo.com 
Jan. 7-8, 2008:  Kentucky Fruit and Vegetable Conference, 
Embassy Suites, Lexington, KY. Contact John Strang 859-257-
5685; e-mail: jstrang@uky.edu
Jan 14-16, 2008:  Ohio Produce Growers and Marketers 
Association Congress, Kalahari Resort & Conference Center, 
Sandusky Ohio
Jan. 28-30, 2008: Indiana Horticultural Congress, Adam­s 
Mark Hotel, Indianapolis.  For more information: 
www.inhortcongress.org
Jan. 29-31:  Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention, 
Hershey Lodge and Convention Center, Hershey, PA.  For More 
information Contact William Troxell 717-694-3596.
Feb. 15-20: Annual meeting of the North American Farmersâ 
Direct Marketing Association (NAFDMA), Wisconsin.  More 
more information: http://www.nafdma.com