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]
Miranda Purcell
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]
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
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
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]
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]
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]
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]