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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]


The University of Kentucky Center for Crop Diversification (UK CCD) and the Organic Association of Kentucky (OAK) are hosting the Mechanical Weed Control Field Day in partnership with Glacial Drift Enterprises at the University of Kentucky Horticulture Research Farm in Lexington, KY on September 23rd. Tickets are $55 and include lunch. For more information and…Read more about Mechanical Weed Control Field Day- University of Kentucky September 23rd[Read More]


Participate in the 2025 Office of the Indiana State Chemist (OISC) Pesticide Clean Sweep Project, which is designed to collect and dispose of suspended, canceled, banned, usable, opened, unopened or just unwanted pesticides (herbicides, insecticides, rodenticides, fungicides, miticides, etc.). This is a great opportunity to legally dispose of unwanted products for free (up to 250…Read more about Pesticide Clean Sweep August Dates Announced[Read More]


One heat wave down, more to come.  It is summer, though, so aside from expecting plenty of hot days, the things to be more concerned about is reference (or potential) evapotranspiration (ET) significantly exceeding precipitation that would ultimately cause drought-related impacts.  The National Weather Service provides a 7-day forecasted reference ET product as well as…Read more about More heat on the way[Read More]


Hi. As I’m sure most of you have noticed, the Japanese Beetles have arrived. We have been dealing with them in every fruit crop with the exception of our apples. The blackberries are currently being consumed by them despite a well-timed spray last week. Fire blight continues to show up in our orchard. We are…Read more about Crop conditions[Read More]


From 2022 to 2024, we evaluated the performance of 15 June-bearing strawberry cultivars grown in a plasticulture system using black and white-on-black plastic mulches at two locations in Indiana: the Southwest Purdue Agricultural Center in Vincennes, IN, and the Meigs Horticulture Research Farm in Lafayette, IN. During the experimental period, monthly average temperatures at the…Read more about Performance of 15 June-bearing Strawberry Cultivars Grown in Plasticulture System for Two Seasons in Indiana[Read More]


Calling all Midwest Farmers! You are invited to share your farming story and practices. We are conducting interviews as part of the IMPACT²: Social-Ecological Memory in Midwest Agriculture project, a PhD research study at Purdue University. This work explores how memories of past extreme weather events (floods, droughts, storms) influence today’s farming decisions. We are looking…Read more about Share How Your Experiences of Past Extreme Weather Events Influence Present-Day Farming Decisions[Read More]


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Page last modified: August 14, 2025

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