With brute and sudden force, the atmosphere is doing its job: acting like a fluid. Weather is not a precise science, which means the atmosphere is constantly shifting. There tends to be some sort of pattern shift come mid-late August, and it looks like it’s just about here. Temperatures are on their way down, as…Read more about Super cool & super dry for August’s end: How the weather tables have turned[Read More]
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Fruit rots: Late season fruit rots, including sour rot complex, botrytis and ripe rot, are major concerns in the Midwest (Figure 1). Rains this time of the year can lead to disaster. If berries split due to rain, yeasts and bacteria can quickly invade damaged fruit, which can lead to rots that attract fruit flies….Read more about Late season disease management in grapes[Read More]
Cleaning and Sanitation Workshop September 8th from 1-5:00PM Purdue Student Farm West Lafayette, IN https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_81blwfocQNWOSYS Indiana Horticulture Conference & Indiana Small Farms Conference March 3-5, 2026 Hendricks County Fairgrounds Danville, IN https://indianahortconference.org/ https://extension.purdue.edu/anr/_teams/dffs/small_farm_conference/index.html
Keeping produce safe and meeting buyers and regulatory expectations starts with strong cleaning and sanitation practices. Farms that implement proper procedures not only protect public health but also improve efficiency and build trust with customers. To help growers and farm workers strengthen these skills, we invite you to join us on September 8th from 1:00…Read more about Cleaning and Sanitation Workshop[Read More]
Making the decision on when to harvest can be a very tricky and complicated issue. The longer you intend to store the fruit, the more precise your timing needs to be. For summer apples, most growers only intend to store fruit until their higher quality fall apples come on stream, so storage times beyond a…Read more about Determining apple maturity[Read More]
Written by: Devyn Raver, August 4, 2025 The Ag Climate Dashboard offers tools to help monitor extreme weather events in addition to crop growth, pest threats and climate anomalies. (Agricultural Communications) WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Midwestern Regional Climate Center (MRCC), with support from the United Soybean Board, has launched the Ag Climate Dashboard — a centralized digital hub…Read more about New Ag Climate Dashboard makes climate resources more accessible for Midwest farmers[Read More]
Submit your content ideas for the 2026 Indiana Horticulture and Small Farm Conference. Do you want to hear from someone in particular or about a specific topic at this year’s newly combined conference? If so, please scan the QR code or follow the link below to submit your suggestions. Feel free to submit yourself as…Read more about Shape the Conversation: Submit Your Topic for Indiana’s 2026 Horticulture & Small Farms Conferences[Read More]
The spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) was first identified in Indiana in July 2021 in Switzerland County. Since then, populations have spreading rapidly across the state (Figure 1). This is the time of the year that the insects are in their most recognizable adult state (Figure 2). Early detection is crucial to stop the spread. …Read more about Be on the lookout for Spotted Lanternfly![Read More]
Recent cooler weather has provided relief from July. Despite optimum conditions for fungal and bacterial disease, fireblight pressure has fortunately waned as August progresses. Japanese Beetle numbers have also dropped off dramatically after a second insecticide applied in the second week of July. Blackberries continue to ripen, and will be joined by peaches, plums, early…Read more about Crop conditions[Read More]
The Purdue Small Farm Education Field Day proved that dedicated growers won’t let summer temperatures dampen their enthusiasm for learning. Despite the hot weather, 63 attendees gathered at the Purdue Student Farm yesterday to participate in comprehensive demonstrations and presentations focused on small-scale farming solutions. The event, co-hosted by the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture and…Read more about Purdue Small Farm Education Field Day Draws 63 Attendees Despite Summer Heat[Read More]
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