TOPP uses a variety of methods, including mentorship, workshops, webinars, technical assistance and field days, to help growers new to the organic fold learn how to satisfy the requirements in the three-year transition process from conventional farming to producing organic crops.

Once organic certification is granted, however, the need for assistance in organic growing practices and navigating the new organic marketplace continues, which is why the USDA chose to set a five-year timeline for TOPP.

“We wanted to make sure that the program supported not just the full three-year transition, but then time after growers have transitioned as well, just knowing that there are continued challenges and opportunities and need for information that growers and producers face once they have transitioned to organic,” said Jenny Lester Moffitt, USDA undersecretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs.

TOPP, which began in October 2022, is part of the USDA’s Organic Transition Initiative, introduced in the summer of 2021. Meeting with organic industry segments, Moffitt said it was clear there was a need for comprehensive support for growers in answering numerous questions.

“Mentorships are really key,” Moffitt said. “The farmer-to-farmer information sharing across agriculture, whether it is organic or not organic, I think is really critical as well.”

There are 180 TOPP partners across the six U.S. regions, ranging from university Extension specialists, nonprofit agencies, farmer organizations and others. In TOPP’s first year, the partners worked with 11,000 farmers and ranchers at 165 events across the U.S., according to the USDA.

One of those partners, Farmshare Austin in Texas, has a five-month intensive training program called Farmer Starter. Graduates can establish a business by growing organic vegetables through Farmshare’s one-year farm incubator program, Cultivator.

The organization’s outreach focuses on the practical production and record-keeping skills needed to comply with the National Organic Program.

“Many of the growers we work with are already motivated to use organic growing practices in order to care for the ecosystem, but many are not sure about going the extra step of getting and maintaining certification,” said Michelle Akindiya, Farmshare Austin’s education and operations director.

A major concern from growers considering organic production, she said, is that recordkeeping requirements are too difficult.

“We make the argument that the kinds of records one needs to keep for compliance are the same that one needs to keep to run a profitable farm — that tracking production inputs and outputs and using that data to make decisions can make you a better farmer,” Akindiya said. “And we show them how to do it efficiently as a part of their day-to-day activities.”

TOPP provides an ability to educate not just producers, but the next generation of inspectors and others necessary to keep the National Organic Program running.

USDA Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack “talks a lot about workforce development, and we really do aim to integrate that into a lot of things we’re doing,” Moffitt said.

Moffitt said TOPP activities are available to any grower considering the organic segment, but a focus is on smaller growers who don’t have access to the same resources larger operations might possess. That includes underserved producers, such as those whose primary language isn’t English.

Online resources

The USDA’s TOPP website, organictransition.org, allows new growers to seek mentors, and vice versa. Dozens of events are searchable by region. Online resources for pest, disease and weed management, farm business management, organic processing and handling, soil and nutrient management and other topics are available.

The six regions tailor their own programs for what benefits growers in each area.

“There’s a key framework, but absolutely locally led solutions,” Moffitt said. “What is needed in the Northwest is going to be very different than what is needed in the Southeast, which will be very different than what’s needed … across the Plains.”

— Chris Koger, contributing writer

The post USDA program assists new organic growers appeared first on Fruit Growers News.

Growers and industry individuals can participate virtually.

The BTI’s 2024 Centennial Symposium is scheduled for Aug. 8-9 at its Ithaca, New York, headquarters.

The special two-day event promises to be an enriching experience filled with insightful talks, engaging discussions, and opportunities to connect, according to a news release.

“Our Institute only turns 100 once, and we would be honored to have you join us for this special occasion, either in-person or virtually,” according to the release.

Speakers include:

• Alexa Schmitz, co-founder & CEO of REEgen, a startup that uses bacteria to extract rare earth elements (REEs) from low-grade sources at low temperature and pressure.

• Daniel Voytas, professor at the University of Minnesota

• Eddie Watkins, professor of Biology at Colgate University

Career panel speakers:

• Eddie Watkins, professor of biology at Colgate University

• Julian Avila Pacheco, research scientist at the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT

• Mariko Matsuda Alexander, editorial manager at Bio-Rad Laboratories

• Daniel Evanich, development scientist at New England Biolabs

• Rebecca Povilus, USDA geneticist and vegetable germplasm curator

Founded in 1924, the Ithaca, New York, institute is an independent nonprofit research institute affiliated with Cornell University that promotes plant science research to advance discoveries in plant sciences to develop sustainable and resilient agriculture, food insecurity and improve human health.

Read more about the symposium here.

The post Plant science researcher Boyce Thompson Institute to mark 100th birthday appeared first on Fruit Growers News.

Lawton Pearson, the fifth generation owner of Pearson Farm in the Fort Valley, Georgia, peach and pecan growing belt, loves walking inside any fruit orchard.

For Pearson, there is no better place he would like to be than in the middle of an orchard.

“To me, it’s awe-inspiring,” he said. “When you see a loaded orchard of fruit, and it’s not just loaded with fruit when you pick it; it’s all year. To see those trees and what God has given us, the complexity of it, and yet the simplicity of it — trees planted in rows, square formed, pruned by hand. They’re like little pieces of art, every one of them. You see order, not chaos. You get out in an orchard, any orchard, and you’re away from all of it. It gives you a special feeling to be in and live in an orchard. It’s something you don’t get out of a bean or corn field.”

While technology has altered peach shipping and handling, particularly in the packinghouse, the manual thinning, pruning and picking hasn’t changed much since the 19th century, Pearson said. 

As peaches are difficult to mechanize, Pearson believes they will be one of the last fruits to be harvested by machine.

Mechanization challenge

Peach harvesting can become more mechanized than is today, but Pearson believes picking peaches with machines will require much machine learning and will be unable to detect what the human eye can see because individual peaches vary and are in large numbers. 

Pearson believes the industry erred by breeding mostly red peaches, which makes it difficult for tech and humans to detect peach ripeness.

Drones’ aerial views aid scouting and aid tree counts and density, but don’t save much labor, he said. Though Pearson believes drone tech is the future of peach orchard tech, he doesn’t see how drone spraying capacities can adequately cover peach groves. 

“I’m not sure what the future is in (drone) spraying, but for scouting, it’s useful and gives me perspective,” Pearson said. “Tech that can map your orchard to try to give you yield projections, based on a drone flying up and down, is awesome, but peaches are so unpredictable. There’s a lot of data that is not actionable and is kind of worthless.”

Trying to shape peach mapping and projections into a science to more accurately predict harvest start dates, Pearson last year tracked factors including variety bloom and degree dates, temperatures, heat accumulation and post-bloom. He compared the information to his 20 years of manual data. 

With all the calculations and numbers, Pearson missed projecting the harvest date by five days. 

As peaches are highly variable in performance, growers do much by the “seat of their pants” in predicting and modeling, with a lot based on what happened the last year or year before, Pearson said.

Freeze factor

One out of 10 years, Georgia experiences a killing freeze, like one that happened in 2023. Luckily, 2024 did not produce any disastrous events. 

On average, a freeze strikes in the last two weeks of March, with the last frost typically hitting a week after the full bloom date, which is usually in late March or early April.  

“Throw a variable of a freeze or one night at 28º F into the mix of science and it kills some peaches,” Pearson said. “You can basically put an asterisk beside everything that happens after that freeze.”

Pearson has been using wind machines for a decade. The tech can provide an additional two to six degrees warmth, critical for saving fruit during cold evenings.

Pearson Farms grows 40 varieties of peaches, and the lineup often changes. The Prince-named varieties lead the pack, including the Ruby Prince, though there are some others that Pearson said perform well.

Breeding, crossing and variety selection are conducted at USDA’s Southeastern Fruit and Tree Nut Research Laboratory 15 miles from Pearson’s groves. “It’s constant renovation of genetic material, which makes them better, bigger and with more disease resistance,” Pearson said.

While improved herbicides have helped growers better control thracknose, brown rot and bacterial spot are major diseases threatening peaches. Omitting spraying can produce rots that can ruin crops. Bacterial spot is in abundance. O’Henry, one of the oldest varieties, is a great variety but is highly susceptible to bacterial spot. 

Disease, pests battles

In the off-season, oil sprays can control scale, considered a peach tree’s biggest nemesis, and researchers are working on mating disruption solutions.

Major pests include plum curculio, oriental fruit moth, stink bugs and borers. With plum curculio, worms burrow and aren’t susceptible to mating disruption. Mating disruption helps, however, with the peachtree borer, lesser peachtree borer and oriental fruit moths.

Only chemically controlled, stink bugs aren’t always a big issue. However, when conditions are right, they can become troublesome, Pearson said.

Growers can only discourage insects from entering orchards. During dry favorable conditions, insects enter seeking moisture. When there’s abundant moisture, insects are satisfied being somewhere else in the woods, Pearson said. 

— By Doug Ohlemeier, Assistant Editor 

The post Pearson Farm’s six generations find orchard happiness  appeared first on Fruit Growers News.

“It is critical for growers to supply melons, especially watermelons, to retailers in time for the July Fourth holiday,” said Bryan Van Groningen of Van Groningen and Sons, a grower, packer and shipper of watermelons based in Manteca. “Much of the summertime watermelon demand is dependent on family consumption and people having parties and picnics.”

Van Groningen, whose family grows and ships seeded, seedless and miniature watermelons to retailers in California and other states, said crews began harvesting watermelons last week near Manteca.

Early-season miniature watermelons are packed under the Yosemite Fresh label and sold in supermarkets in California and across the West. Photo by Christine Souza.

Melon season has shifted to the San Joaquin Valley as harvest wraps up in the Southern California desert in the Imperial Valley and in Yuma, Arizona. Harvest in the San Joaquin Valley is expected to continue through October and resume in the desert from October to December.

In mid-March, when planting typically begins in the San Joaquin Valley, Van Groningen said wet weather and soggy field conditions interrupted ground preparation and delayed planting.

“This year, we had to wait to plant until the third week of March because it was too wet and cold,” he said. “Due to the delay, we only got a chance to plant about two-thirds of our acres for the early marketing window, so our volume is probably going to be down a little.”

Because the late-season melon market is usually not as lucrative, Van Groningen said he was concerned that he would not be able to supply the volume of watermelons he initially planned for June and July. With the supply of watermelons short right now, he noted, “the price and the demand are very good.”

“I’m kind of afraid for that August to September market, but we’ll see what happens,” he said, adding he hopes the market will continue to be strong in July. “August is when demand starts to slow because there are more watermelons available.”

Producing some 100 million pounds of watermelons annually, Van Groningen said about 80% of the family’s watermelons is shipped to retailers in California, with additional volume distributed in Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Utah and Colorado. He said he anticipates a grower price of $450 to $500 per ton, which he described as about average for watermelons.

While figures are not yet available for the San Joaquin Valley watermelon crop, prices for the Southern California desert region are running below last year’s pace, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service.

As of mid-June, a 45-count carton of seedless watermelons was selling for $154 to $189, while the 60-count carton went for $105 to $155. This was a slight drop from the 2023 price, according to USDA.

Brawley-based farmer Joe Colace of Five Crowns Marketing, which grows, packs and ships watermelons, cantaloupes, honeydews and specialty melon varieties, said he expects to finish melon harvest in the Imperial Valley in about a week.

“There’s just a little bit of an oversupply here in the desert, but it has been a very nice year for quality,” Colace said. “Our sugar, or soluble solid levels, seem to be above average.”

When harvest began in the desert region in early May, Colace said many cantaloupe and honeydew growers reported smaller sizes and less production due to wind and below-average temperatures through late February and into April. He noted that he “saw size and production pick up in the middle part of June.”

“One thing about cooler-than-normal temperatures: Quality typically tends to be a little better because you don’t have nearly the stress on the plant,” he said.

Colace said he is pleased with two new specialty melons—the Picasso and Picasso Sunrise, available from late May to early July. The Japanese-origin Picasso variety is a white-flesh melon with a high level of sugar. The Picasso Sunrise has similar traits but with salmon-color flesh. Colace said he worked with seed company breeders to develop the new varieties that are exclusive to Five Crowns Marketing.

“We try and develop varieties that check off all of the critical boxes for delivered product to the stores, and Picasso and Picasso Sunrise, right now, are checking all the boxes,” Colace said.

In the Imperial Valley, Colace relies 100% on water supplied by the Colorado River. “There seems to be not an abundance of water, but water is available, and that has taken some of the pressure off all the respective growing areas,” he said.

Growers in all regions tend to agree that costs to grow, pack and ship melon crops have escalated.

This includes Stanislaus County farmer Matt Maring, a partner in Patterson-based T&M Farms, which grows watermelons, cantaloupes, honeydews and mixed melon varieties. He estimated the cost to grow watermelons is about $4,000 an acre, while growing and packing can run about $12,000 an acre.

“If you don’t have historical sales and relationships with chain stores, you are crazy to go plant and pray that you have a market,” he said.

Maring said he expects to harvest melons from early July to November. The westside region had good growing conditions this spring with mild temperatures, Maring said, noting he observed no pest or disease issues. In addition, the region had more water this year.

Much of Maring’s water is supplied by the federal Central Valley Project, which received 40% of requested supplies this year. The number of acres he planted this year was not based on water availability but demand from the company that markets his crop.

As the season progresses, Maring said there may be a surplus of melons on the market. “It’s definitely setting up that way,” he said.

Due to his location, Maring said it is not always easy to supply melons to customers by July 4. But he said he is impressed with melon quality this year, adding flavor is “ridiculously good.”

“I do a lot of shopping at my house,” he said, “and when stores have six pallets of watermelons at the store entrance at $6 or $7 each, that sparks interest.”

— Christine Souza is an assistant editor of Ag Alert. 

This article was originally published by the California Farm Bureau Federation and permission was granted for its use.

The post California melon growers prepare for July 4 demand appeared first on Fruit Growers News.

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.

The post OSU South Centers to host Crop, Soil & Water Field Night on July 25 appeared first on Fruit Growers News.

The 2025 edition of the conference will be offered as a hybrid and bilingual event.

It will feature four days of virtual workshops and numerous in-person gatherings across the state.

The conference is geared to support smaller-scale farmers, ranchers and local food advocates by promoting education, resources and critical conversations.

Organized by the Community Alliance with Family Farmers, the event invites experts, farmers, service providers and advocates to share their knowledge and experiences.

Past conferences covered topics including whole orchard nutrient cycling, climate change adaption strategies, land stewardship, expanding food access for all with online SNAP payments for farmers, integrating livestock into cropping systems, growing relationships between growers and state prisons, increasing landscape resilience through whole systems planning, and transforming rural healthcare.

Workshop proposals are open for submission until Sept. 15, 2024. The conference also seeks sponsorships.

For more information, visit here.

The post Annual California Small Farm Conference released 2025 dates appeared first on Fruit Growers News.

The 35th yearly field day is scheduled for July 31 while the enology event is set for Aug. 1.

The events are designed to offer two days of education about the latest technology, strategies and techniques in both viticulture and winemaking.

The field day will be at the Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center outside of Benton Harbor, Michigan. Check-in begins at 8:00 a.m. with presentations starting after 9:00 a.m. Lunch and a steak dinner are included with attendance.

Speakers discussing the current research going on in Michigan viticulture as well as tips and tricks and the newest tools and technology to help growers successfully grow grapes are planned, according to a news release.

Speakers and topics include:

• Michael Reinke will provide updates on the spray drone research trial at SWMREC comparing efficacy and efficiency to traditional ground sprayer equipment.
• Cheyenne Sloan will use a soil pit to demonstrate and discuss soil structure and soil health from a grapevine’s perspective.
• Tim Miles will share some of the newest insights in adapting grape disease management programs to the whims of the weather.
• Rufus Isaacs will discuss how to adjust pest management programs in a year with a short crop because of winter and spring frost damage.
• Updates to a demonstration trial comparing grape pruning methods used to adjust for winter damaged vines.

A tradeshow will include vendors showcasing some of the area’s newest precision viticulture equipment. The popular steak cookout and Michigan wine showcase are also planned. A reception will allow participants to socialize with the grape-growing community with food and local wine.

New this year, the Enology Experience is planned for Michigan winemakers. The day after Viticulture Field Day, winemakers can meet other winemakers and winery decision makers at the Welch Center on Lake Michigan College campus. Check-in starts at 8:00 am with presentations beginning after 9:00 am.

The event is scheduled to begin with discussions on the state of Michigan’s wine industry followed by presentations on quality wine production and a tasting panel of Michigan winemakers sharing their thoughts on lesser grown varieties.

The afternoon will consist of visits to local winemaking facilities where different aspects of successful wine production will be discussed before the group returns to the Welch Center for a Lake Michigan Vintners Open House and small bites.

Early bird tickets are on sale until July 18.

The event is sponsored by the Michigan Grape Society, Michigan State University Extension and Lake Michigan College.

More information is available here.

The post 2024 Michigan viticulture field day scheduled appeared first on Fruit Growers News.

University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, UC Cooperative Extension and the UC Davis Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics recently released the report.

The “2024 Sample Costs to Establish, Produce and Harvest Blackberries” can be downloaded from the UC Davis Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics website.

“The study provides growers with a baseline to estimate their own costs, which can help when applying for production loans, projecting labor costs, securing market arrangements or understanding costs associated with water and nutrient management and regulatory programs,” Brittney Goodrich, UC Cooperative Extension specialist and study co-author, said in a news release.

The cost study models a management scenario for a 30-acre farm, 15 acres of which are planted to blackberries. The remaining acres are planted to other berries or are used for the irrigation system, roads and buildings. The authors describe the cultural practices used for the establishment, production and harvest of blackberries, including land preparation, soil fertility and pest management, irrigation and labor needs.

The 28-page study shows costs for each operation, material inputs and costs, and cash and non-cash overhead costs in a variety of formats for an establishment year and then four additional production years. A ranging analysis for the four production years is also included and shows potential profits or losses over a range of prices and yields, according to the release.

For a detailed explanation of the assumptions and calculations used to estimate the costs and potential returns, readers can refer to the narrative portion of the study.

Sample cost of production studies for many other commodities grown in California are also available on the website.

For more information, contact Mark Bolda, University of California Cooperative Extension farm advisor, at mpbolda@ucanr.edu or Jeremy Murdock in the UC Davis Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at jmmurdock@ucdavis.edu.

UC Agriculture and Natural Resources brings UC information and practices to all 58 California counties. Through research and Cooperative Extension in agriculture, natural resources, economic growth, nutrition and youth development, its mission is to improve the lives of all Californians.

The post UC study estimates blackberry production costs appeared first on Fruit Growers News.

Launched in stores in April and available through September, betterful blueberries are grown in California and Oregon. The betterful blueberries are marketed as a way to change the way consumers think about fresh blueberries, according to a news release.

betterful pioneered a regenerative approach to growing its berries. Regenerative agriculture focuses on restoring natural resources, rebuilding landscapes, and revitalizing the rural communities where betterful blueberries are grown.

At the center of regenerative agriculture is soil health, which provides the nutrients needed to grow great tasting blueberries. The soil and the berries’ deep root systems hold c02 in the soil that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere. Experts agree regenerative agriculture is an important step in mitigating the effects of climate change, according to the release.

In 2024 after a rigorous certification process, betterful’s Oregon farms will officially become Regenerative Organic Certified, a new certification that meets the highest standards in the world for soil health, animal welfare, and farmworker fairness. To date they’ve certified 227 farms and ranches across the U.S., and betterful will be proud to be among the first blueberries to be Regenerative Organic Certified, according to the release.

betterful started with the idea that good choices taste better. The brand’s mission is to enhance every stage of the growing, harvesting, and delivery process to provide berries that are tastier, fresher, and healthier for our planet.

“As betterful blueberries continue to hit the shelves of leading retailers this spring, we are excited to bring a new level of flavor and sustainability to consumers,” Sunnia Gull, AC Foods’ vice president of marketing, said in the release. “Our regenerative organic approach not only delivers exceptional taste but also reflects our dedication to nurturing the planet for future generations.”

betterful is dedicated to sustainable farming practices that deliver flavor and quality. As betterful kicks off its first season, consumers can savor great taste and a commitment to nurturing the planet, according to the release.

betterful blueberries are available in select Whole Foods, Sprouts, Bi-Rite, NewLeaf, Berkeley Bowl Marketplace and Oliver’s locations.

The post California, Oregon growers introduce regeneratively grown blueberries appeared first on Fruit Growers News.

Maria Harrison is an adjunct professor in the section of plant pathology and plant-microbe biology at Cornell’s School of Integrative Plant Science.

The Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI) celebrates the election of Harrison as a Fellow of the Royal Society, the United Kingdom’s national academy of sciences. Harrison is the institute’s William H. Crocker Professor.

Election to the Fellowship of the Royal Society is extended to individuals who have made substantial contributions to improving natural knowledge, including mathematics, engineering science, and medical science.

“Harrison joins an exceptional group of over 90 researchers from across the world who have been elected to the Fellowship this year,” Sir Adrian Smith, the Royal Society’s president, said in a news release. “This new cohort has already made significant contributions to our understanding of the world around us and continues to push the boundaries of possibility in academic research and industry.”

The honor recognizes Harrison’s contributions to understanding plant-fungal symbioses, which play crucial roles in plant nutrient uptake and soil health. Her work has shed light on the mechanisms underlying their development, nutrient transport, and regulation, according to the release.

Harrison’s research has advanced understanding of how plants accommodate fungal endosymbionts within their root cells and how reciprocal transfer of phosphate and carbon between the two partners is achieved.

Harrison studied microbiology at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne and plant molecular biology at the University of Manchester, Institute of Science and Technology where she obtained her Ph.D. in 1987. She joined the Plant Biology Division of the Noble Foundation in Oklahoma as a postdoctoral researcher, where subsequently, as a staff scientist, initiated research on arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis. In 2003, she moved to the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research located at Cornell University.

Harrison has served on the Board of Directors of the International Society for Molecular Plant Microbe Interactions and several editorial boards including New Phytologist, Annual Reviews of Plant Biology and eLife. She is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and of the American Academy for Microbiology. She was elected to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences in 2019.

Harrison has authored papers on a variety of plant science topics as well as studied helping ag become more efficient in using phosphorus, a disappearing nutrient.

“It is a tremendous honor,” Harrison said in the release. “I would like to recognize and thank all of the Harrison lab members and collaborators who have contributed to our research over the years—their achievements built the research record that led to this award. I am also grateful to the BTI staff for their support and to my faculty colleagues at BTI and across the Cornell campus who make this vibrant research community such an enjoyable place to work.”

BTI has a longstanding commitment to advancing plant science research, and Harrison’s election to the Royal Society further reinforces BTI’s position at the forefront of this field, according to the release.

“As the Institute continues to tackle pressing global challenges, such as food security and environmental sustainability, the expertise and insights of researchers like Harrison will be instrumental in finding innovative solutions,” Silvia Restrepo, the institute’s president, said in the release. “We are incredibly proud of Maria’s election to the Royal Society. Her research has advanced our understanding of plant-microbe interactions and their potential to address global challenges in agriculture and environmental sustainability. This recognition is a testament to her dedication, innovation, and passion.”

Founded in 1924, the Ithaca, New York, institute is an independent nonprofit research institute affiliated with Cornell University that promotes plant science research to advance discoveries in plant sciences.

The post Plant disease scientist honored appeared first on Fruit Growers News.