Michigan is forecast to harvest 30.5 million bushels, which equates to 1.3 billion pounds, of apples during the 2024-25 calendar year, according to the Michigan Apple Committee.

That’s slightly lower than last year, when the state’s growers harvested 31.9 million bushels of apples, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Average annual crop size is approximately 25.9 million bushels.

Michigan’s official crop estimate was announced on Aug. 16 as part of the USApple Outlook meeting in Chicago. The 2024 estimate is above average for the Michigan apple industry, according to a news release.

“It is unusual to have three large crops in a row,” Diane Smith, the committee’s executive director, said in the release. “However, as growers continue to plant high-density orchards and adopt other innovative growing practices, Michigan’s apple crop sizes will increase, and we will continue to see these larger crops.”

Warmer than normal temperatures in late winter and early spring caused buds to form early, leading to earlier bloom in May. Growers were fortunate this year to not experience significant frost and freeze events after that early bloom, meaning a plentiful crop being harvested about 10 days earlier than usual, according to the release.

“Michigan Apple growers share a common goal of producing flavorful, high-quality apples,” Smith said in the release. “They work with tree fruit researchers to implement the latest growing techniques and use new technology to monitor growing conditions. Michigan growers are committed to bringing the best quality fruit to the consumer.”

Many factors contribute to the size of an apple crop, including weather, bloom conditions and tree health. To make the estimate, growers and other industry experts report on what they are seeing in various regions of the state, then come to a consensus on the crop size estimate.

Michigan Apples are available nearly year-round from August to June. The largest and most valuable fruit crop in the state can be found at about 150 farm markets and cider mills in Michigan as well as more than 12,000 retail groceries across the U.S., according to Smith.

According to the USDA, there are more than 14.9 million apple trees in Michigan commercial production, covering 34,500 acres on 775 family-run farms.

The Michigan Apple Committee is a grower-funded nonprofit organization devoted to marketing, education and research activities to distinguish the Michigan apple and encourage its consumption in Michigan and around the world.

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She succeeds Ray Hammerschmidt, who plans to retire.

Byrne, who holds a doctoral degree, has worked at MSU as the plant pathology diagnostician since 1999, after earning a B.S. in plant science from Cornell University and an M.S. and Ph.D. in plant pathology from MSU.

In addition to her diagnostic role, Byrne teaches plant pathology to students in the MSU Institute of Agricultural Technology and has served alongside Hammerschmidt as the associate director for the North Central Plant Diagnostic Network since 2003.

For more than 20 years, Hammerschmidt, a PhD, served as the faculty coordinator for the MSU diagnostics lab and the director for the North Central Plant Diagnostic Network. His work during this time has grown and strengthened the training and networking capacity of diagnosticians to benefit MSU Plant & Pest Diagnostics clients and the regional and national networks, according to a news release.

In addition to those roles, Hammerschmidt is an accomplished professor of plant pathology, focusing on physiology and biochemistry of disease and disease resistance in cucurbits, potatoes, cherries, arabidopsis (small flowering plants related to cabbage and mustard), and soybeans.

Hammerschmidt also taught MSU’s core plant pathology class, two graduate plant pathology courses and served in various administrative roles including the chair of the former Department of Plant Pathology, interim director of MSU Extension and Project GREEEN advisor.

In July 2022, after almost 42 years of dedicated service to MSU and the greater community, Hammerschmidt retired. He stayed on as professor emeritus and worked part time on research, Project GREEEN and the transition of leadership of the Plant & Pest Diagnostics and North Central Plant Diagnostic Network. He plans to “retire again” at the end of 2024.

When asked about his successor, Hammerschmidt commented, “I’m very pleased that Dr. Byrne has accepted the directorship of Plant & Pest Diagnostics. She is already very well-known for her excellence as a plant pathology diagnostician and Plant & Pest Diagnostics team member. She has a very clear vision for how the Plant & Pest Diagnostics will continue to provide excellent service while growing and evolving to meet changing needs. As the associate director of North Central Plant Diagnostic Network, she has provided valuable assistance and guidance to both me and members at the regional and national levels. I have no doubt that Jan will excel in her new position and continue to move diagnostics forward!”

MSU has offered plant-related diagnostic services to the public and local and national agricultural communities for more than 25 years. Services include identification of plant pests and plant health analysis spanning pathology, entomology, nematology and abiotic issues.

As the North Central Plant Diagnostic Regional Center for the North Central Plant Diagnostic Network, MSU has faculty and staff devoted to each of these diagnostic disciplines and continues to expand its capabilities through advances in molecular diagnostics.

The services at Plant & Pest Diagnostics will remain unchanged and Byrne will continue to serve as the plant pathology diagnostician and teach in her new leadership position.

— Erin Hill, Michigan State University Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences

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Each listing has links for numerous grants as well as details on how and when to apply. Future articles in this series will include tips on grant writing, information on funding conservation on farms and more. 

An important note is that agriculture grants can’t usually be used to buy farmland or pay people to farm. Most grants for farmers provide funds to create an innovative agricultural project and pay for their time and supplies specifically for that project. There are a few smaller grant programs with the flexibility to buy items useful for a farm or to attend farm conferences. 

Another grant-like program is the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) cost-share assistance to support conservation on farms through Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) programs like EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentives) and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). Links for these conservation programs are included in the listings below, and a future article in this series will cover that topic as well.  

These lists of grants might be a good place to start.

SARE grants from North Central Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (NC-SARE) and Michigan SARE and Tribal SARE

If you are new to grant writing, be sure to read the Request for Proposals (RFP) closely and follow every guideline precisely. Many grants also have a webinar or video to help prepare grantees for success and to answer questions. It may be smart to begin with a farmer-friendly grant, like a SARE Farmer Rancher grant or mini-grants. You can also get help with writing SARE grants from Michigan’s SARE coordinator Sarah Fronczak or Katie Brandt to refine your grant idea or recommend edits for your proposal draft.

The MSU Product Center can support farmers and food businesses with some preparation for applying for a grant, for example, by doing a feasibility study, market research or business planning. The Michael Fields Institute offers grant-writing support or partnering with an experienced non-profit is also a great way to learn how to write and manage grants. An upcoming article in this series will offer insights into how to write winning grants. 

Grants for Farmers  

Grants for Farmers includes 14 grants and five cost-share and funding opportunities for Michigan farmers, including several new opportunities opening in the fall of 2024. Each listing shows the funder, when to apply, funding amount and match requirements and what the grant can fund. Because there is a QR code and hyperlink directly to each grant, this is useful as a printed or online guide. Four of the grants listed are new in 2024. 

The Grants for Farmers list was created by Michigan State University Extension’s Mariel Borgman and Katie Brandt.

Grassroots Guide to Federal Farm and Food Programs

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) has created the most comprehensive and practical description of USDA grant and cost-share programs. In the Grassroots Guide to Federal Farm and Food Programs, you’ll find 49 funding opportunities described clearly. Each listing includes links to learn more, program basics, a list of grant types in the program, eligibility, examples of funded grants, how to apply, program history and total funding by year.

NSAC maintains an updated website and partnered with SARE and Michael Fields Institute on a 2020 book and free PDF, Building Sustainable Farms, Ranches and Communities. The website and book detail seven programs for beginning farmers, eight conservation programs, nine programs for credit and crop insurance, two food safety programs, seven healthy food access initiatives, five opportunities for food systems, five programs for organic farmers, two renewable energy, four rural development and seven sustainable and organic research programs.  

Grassroots Guide to Federal Farm and Food Programs from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) has excellent information on USDA grants. After reviewing the NSAC list, you can search grants.gov or look at USDA’s Grants and Loans page.

Michigan grant listings  

MDARD Grants and Funding Opportunities lists all agriculture grants funded by the state of Michigan.  

MIFFS has a funding opportunities webpage on their newly redesigned website. You may also want to sign up for their monthly emails for updates on which grants are open.  MSU Center for Regional Food Systems created the Funding Sources for Food Related Businesses as well as Beyond Grants: Entrepreneurial Strategics for Funding Beginning Farmer Initiatives to highlight unique funding options for Michigan farmers, food businesses and agriculture educators. 

SARE grants 

NC-SARE offers six grant programs for farmers, farm educators and farm professionals to fund innovative research on sustainable farming and farmer-focused education. NC-SARE grants include Farmer Rancher Grants, Research and Education Grants, Youth Educator Grants other grant programs. You can find them all at the NC-SARE Grants webpage. 

Michigan SARE grants include the Michigan SARE Travel Scholarship and two funding opportunities for people organizing sustainable agriculture workshops and conferences. 

Michigan SARE coordinator Sarah Fronczak, Tribal SARE coordinator Emily Proctor and Katie Brandt from the MSU Organic Farmer Training Program help advise grant applicants, review proposals and support farmers, educators and students applying for NCR-SARE grants. Grant writing support is available free of charge for all six North Central SARE grants and for Michigan SARE mini-grants. Email froncza3@msu.edu or brandtk7@msu.edu with questions, to have a proposal reviewed or to set up a time to discuss your proposal idea. Tribal members and communities are encouraged to reach out to Emily Proctor at proctor8@msu.edu for assistance with SARE proposals. 

Michigan SARE aims to support an inclusive mix of farmers and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program or political beliefs. 

About the author

This article was written by Katie Brandt, the educational programs manager for the Center for Regional Food Systems at Michigan State University Extension. Brandt has two decades of farming experience and works alongside aspiring and beginning farmers. She teaches and organizes the MSU Organic Farmer Training Program and leads the Michigan Sustainable Farm Mentors Program. Her work also delves into organic and sustainable agriculture projects. Read her bio on MSU’s website for more information.

This article was originally published by Michigan State University Extension, which has provided permission to share this article here. For more information, visit extension.msu.edu.

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The event, to be held at 1864 Shyville Road, aims to provide both novice and experienced growers with insights into advanced production techniques.

Attendees will learn about orange rust-resistant cultivars, cover crops and beneficial microbes for tomatoes, long cane raspberry production systems, hardy fig cultivation, and grape production.

The event is supported by various agricultural grants and organizations, including Ohio Produce Growers & Marketers Association (OPGMA), the Ohio Vegetable & Small Fruit Research & Development Program (OVSFRDP), the Ohio Grape Industries Committee, and the USDA-NIFA (National Institute of Food and Agriculture).

Registration is $25. For more information and to register, visit go.osu.edu/fieldnight or call 614-247-9680. For accommodation requests, contact Bradford Sherman at sherman.1473@osu.edu.

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CROP PROGRESS

Peach harvesting continues, with early pear and apple harvests also underway. Premier Honeycrisp and Wildfire Galas will mature in the next couple of weeks. “Stop-drop materials can be very useful to manage harvest windows during this early season, especially if color is a concern,” advises Lindsay Brown of MSU Extension.

Gingergold apples, sampled in Kent County, are nearing maturity, developing a nice blush but still tasting slightly starchy. Paulared apples are mature and being harvested this week, though some show signs of watercore. Zestar! apples, also sampled in Kent County, are set for harvest this week.

DISEASE MANAGEMENT

MSU Extension recommends continuing control measures for bitter rot and black rot and staying vigilant for sooty blotch and flyspeck, which are now visible. Cherry leaf spot is widespread, leading to early defoliation in some orchards. Bacterial canker of stone fruits is also a concern this season, causing “shot hole” in leaves and brown lesions on fruit.

INSECT ACTIVITY

Codling moth populations are declining as the second generation of adults finish their egg deposition. Obliquebanded leafroller and oriental fruit moth populations are present but in low numbers. MSU Extension advises monitoring for fruit damage and leaf skeletonization from Japanese beetles and rose chafers.

MSU’s full update is available online.

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The Michigan Apple Committee-sponsored event was July 30 in Sparta, Michigan.

The summit brought together seven leaders in the Michigan apple industry to learn the latest trends and best practices across social media channels and platforms, enabling them to create compelling grower-generated content showcasing their unique stories.

Ultimately, the individuals will use this knowledge and expertise to promote their own businesses as well as the Michigan Apple industry, as online ambassadors, according to a news release.

“The Handpicked Social Media Summit has been in our plans for a while and we were finally able to begin implementing it last year,” Diane Smith, the committee’s executive director, said in the release. “Our target consumer is interested in knowing the faces behind the foods they eat. Growers as brand ambassadors provide consumers a behind-the-scenes look at orchards, production and Michigan apple growing families. We are thrilled at how our vision has become a reality over the last two years.”

Participants engaged in expert-led sessions where they learned to use social media to promote their apples, build brand awareness, and engage with customers in new and exciting ways.

Tips on photography and videography, and best practices for posting were shared with the group.

The seven “Handpicked” Michigan Apple industry representatives at the 2nd Annual Handpicked Social Media Summit were Denny Alt, Megan Barlow, Laura Herrygers, Theresa Kober, Mike Wells, Robyn Schultz, and Emily Kropf.

Based in Lansing, Michigan, the Michigan Apple Committee is a grower-funded nonprofit organization devoted to marketing, education and research activities to distinguish the Michigan apple and encourage its consumption in Michigan and around the world.

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These cherry growers began their terms on the board on July 1:

• Barry Peterson of Green Bay
• Terry Sorenson of Sturgeon Bay

The board members serve three-year terms on the cherry board.

The cherry board is composed of five at-large growers who are responsible for administering Wisconsin’s Cherry Marketing Order.

Started in 1984, the board oversees the collection and use of approximately $55,000 in assessment fees paid by Wisconsin cherry growers. This funding is used to support the cherry industry through research, education, and promotion of Wisconsin-grown cherries.

The Madison, Wisconsin-based DATCP administers elections for Wisconsin commodity marketing boards. To learn more about marketing boards, visit here.

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The project focuses on expanding markets for climate-smart beef, fruits, vegetables, and specialty crops, aiming to strengthen rural and agricultural communities. Starting in fall 2024 and running through 2028, the program encourages participation from both urban and rural farmers, particularly those who are socially disadvantaged.

“The goal is to build markets for climate-smart commodities and invest in America’s climate-smart producers to strengthen U.S. rural and agricultural communities,” said Project Director Ibrahim Katampe, Ph.D., CSU assistant director of Innovation and Technology Incubation.

Farmers will use manure as a natural fertilizer and integrate climate-smart practices, with the objective of measuring and verifying the carbon and greenhouse gas benefits of these methods. “We aim to determine the marketing and economic viability of produce labeled as raised with climate-smart technologies,” said Project co-director Cindy Folck, Ph.D., interim associate CSU Extension administrator.

Farmers that wish to learn more, or who wish to participate need to complete an interest form.

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Michigan officials have confirmed the state’s second detection of the invasive spotted lanternfly (SLF)  in Monroe County.

SLF is a destructive pest that feeds on a wide variety of crops and plants, including cucumbers, basil, grapes, tree fruit including apples, cherries and peaches, as well as almond and walnut trees.

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) announced that a small population of juvenile spotted lanternflies was discovered in Lambertville, Michigan, with the finding confirmed by USDA.

“The infestation was detected through monitoring traps deployed by Michigan State University (MSU), as part of collaborative survey initiatives with MSU, MDARD, and the USDA,” Steve Carlson, MDARD’s pesticide and plant pest management division director, said in a news release. “This work is critical in our efforts to identify and limit the spread of spotted lanternfly in Michigan.”

Native to eastern Asia, the spotted lanternfly first appeared in the U.S. in 2014 in southeastern Pennsylvania. It has since spread to 17 eastern and midwestern states. The insect is known to feed on a wide range of plants.

MDARD is collaborating with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, USDA, and Cooperative Invasive Species Management Areas to assess the scope of the infestation and determine an appropriate response.

Residents are urged to help prevent the spread of spotted lanternfly by inspecting vehicles, crushing nymphs and adult insects, and reporting sightings online to Eyes in the Field. For more information, visit here.

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The OSU South Centers Soil, Water, and Bioenergy program will host the July 25 event.

The event is to be held at OSU South Centers, 1864 Shyville Road, Piketon, Ohio.

The field event will cover topics such as drone use, new fertilization programs, soil amendments and more. The information presented is based on research funded by the Ohio Department of Agriculture Specialty Crop Block Grant.

There is no charge for the event, thanks to sponsors and is in collaboration with the Pike Soil and Water Conservation District.

The event includes dinner, according to a news release from the OSU College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.

For those interested in attending, registration is available online.

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