Fruit crops are still about a stage ahead of last year here. Warm weather and ample rain have persisted, which bodes well for pollination. We’ve made the choice to begin de-winterization of the irrigation system. Everything in this early season is counting on no more heavy freezes.
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The Purdue Small Farm Education Field Day on July 23, co-hosted by the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture and the Purdue Student Farm, will offer hands-on demonstrations and presentations for small farm operators and urban growers. Attendees will learn from Purdue University and Purdue Extension experts about topics including flower production, high tunnel production…Read more about Purdue Small Farm Education Field Day[Read More]
The Purdue Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture and Purdue Extension invite fruit and vegetable producers to the 2026 Fruit and Vegetable Field Day on July 16. Educational sessions, presented by Purdue University and Purdue Extension experts, will discuss topics including high tunnel production systems, pollinator management, soil health strategies and innovative weed and pest…Read more about Purdue Fruit & Vegetable Field Day[Read More]
When growers are asked about the top challenges in plasticulture strawberry production, frost/freeze damage are almost always at the top of the list. Anyone living in Indiana understands how unpredictable spring weather can be. This year, in southern Indiana, we experienced warm periods with average daily temperatures exceeding 60 °F in mid-February, followed by sharp…Read more about Spread out Flower Timing to Reduce Spring Frost/Freeze Risks in Plasticulture Strawberry Production[Read More]
A wet welcome to the growing season from Mother Nature. Weather this year in North Central Indiana has been characteristically dramatic. Recently, highs in the mid 80’s followed by lows in the mid 20’s not 48hrs apart. That with some warmer than average temperatures have landed us in a similarly jump-started spring as last year….Read more about Crop conditions[Read More]
Welcome to the first issue of the 2026 Facts for Fancy Fruit newsletter! I hope you enter the 2026 season feeling refreshed. It was great to see many of you at various educational and networking events over the course of the past few months. Folks are anxious to get pruning done, and we cross our…Read more about From the Editor[Read More]
With a total of 64 educational sessions, 22 research posters, and several demonstrations to choose from over the course of 3 days, our nearly-200 daily participants had no shortage of opportunities to learn and network. We’re grateful to the many speakers, sponsors, and programming partners who made this event possible in 2026! Additionally, we are…Read more about 2026 Indiana Horticulture and Small Farm Conference[Read More]
We had six apple cider contest entries for the first year of the combined Indiana Horticulture & Small Farms Conference held at the Hendricks County Fairgrounds in Danville, IN March 3-5. Conference attendees had the opportunity to taste and cast their vote during lunch on the first day of the event. We are thrilled to announce…Read more about IHSFC cider contest winner[Read More]
Cut flower production continues to expand rapidly across Indiana, with many farms adding flowers as a high-value crop, an agritourism attraction, or a way to diversify their operations. To better support growers in this emerging sector, Purdue Extension launched a new project to better serve Indiana Cut Flower Farmers, funded by Purdue’s AgSEED program. One…Read more about Free Diagnostic for Cut Flower Samples[Read More]
February 13, 2026 This afternoon senior staff for Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins called USApple to provide advance notice that they would be rolling out the Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers Program. This is the program that was first announced in early December, providing $11 billion to growers of major crops and $1 billion to growers…Read more about USDA Announces Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers Program[Read More]
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