Grower Midwest 7.13 by Lee Publications

MidWest Edition

GROWER

July 2013 Volume 12 Number 7

$2.50

Servingg Alll Aspectss off Commerciall Horticulture

Greenhouse e • Nursery y • Garden n Centerr • Fruitt & Vegetable e • Farm m Marketss • Landscaperss • Christmas

Cover story Harvestville Farm ~ Page 3 Alsoo inn thiss issue:

Tara O’Meallain awarded the WGIF Don Groth Memorial Scholarship

Personal hygiene and field sanitation Columnist Melissa Piper Nelson

Today’s Marketing

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Page 2 - Section A • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Month 2009

2950 N. Weil St. Milwaukee, WI 53212 Ph (414) 263-3131 Fax (414) 263-2454

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Harvestville Farm by Kelly Gates hen Kathy Hohl’s son Adam was in high school in 1994, he chose pumpkin production as his FFA project. He sold just enough of the orange orbs to neighbors and friends to pay for a small pizza party for his family. After his younger sister grew pumpkins for her project, the family decided to make it the focus of their new business. “We loved our pumpkin days because we had done that as a family and in 2004 our thoughts returned to pumpkins and we planted five acres with the help of Adam and friends,” said Kathy. “We sold them from our farmstead and were hooked!” Within two years Adam returned with his wife Julie after living in St. Louis, and Harvestville Farm was born with Kathy, Adam, and Julie Hohl as co-owners. For the first few years, the family rented a tent in the fall for their Donnellson, Iowa business and purveyed pumpkins to people in the immediate area. Over time, they built a barn retail shop, expanded their inventory to include a wider variety of produce, potted plants, fresh veggies, jams and jellies, salsas, dip mixes, country baked goods — among other items — and began attracting visitors from throughout the region. Around 40 acres are now used for growing pumpkins.

There are also tomatoes — including numerous heirloom varieties — as well as sweet corn, cucumbers, peppers, squash, gourds and all sorts of other vegetables grown there annually. “We supplement our vegetables with items like Georgia peaches, Washington cherries and Muscatine melons and for a while, we offered all of our fruits and veggies through a CSA,” said Kathy. “Instead of the CSA, we now offer a weekly veggie and/or fruit box, with various sizes and prices. Today’s box is filled with lettuces, green onions, radishes, spinach and asparagus.” People come from far and wide to experience the bounty of Harvestville Farm. They also come to enjoy the activities and events hosted by the farm. In autumn, there are bonfire pits, a 10-acre corn maze, a smaller corn labyrinth, a children’s play area and pick-yourown pumpkin patch. The business also sells more than 100 varieties of gourds, pumpkins, and squash, baked goods, fall home décor and many other gift and home items. Area schools descend on the farm in the fall to learn about how the crops are grown. Fortunately, one of the co-owners is a former teacher and knew just what the teachers and students would like to learn. “Julie is an educator and has developed several age-appropriate curriculums for our school

field trips,” noted Kathy. “For younger students, we talk about the many varieties of pumpkins and squash and let them feel and touch many of the more unusual varieties, but with older kids, we can get into more in-depth conversations about sustainable agriculture and the life cycle of the pumpkin.” At times, a local artist is hired to design and paint miniature pumpkins with various school colors for field trip groups. The family also brings in colonial volunteers in period costumes who come to the farm to teach children how to make candles, bricks and rope. An annual fall festival also entices throngs of locals. The event boasts a car show, pancake breakfast, an euchre tournament, barbecue and much more. Customers are also invited to the site from time to time for seasonal classes, like the harvest basket tutorial, which teaches participants how to make an arrangement complete with gourds, miniature hay bales and other accoutrements. “Fall is definitely our busiest time, but we also have activities during the summer, like farm dinners with a variety of themes,” noted Kathy. “We do an annual hog roast with farm grown sweet corn, cucumber onion salad, watermelon and peach cobbler. We also do a couple of high cuisine dinners made by local chefs or the culinary class from a local commu-

nity college.” The third major season at Harvestville Farm is winter. When the cooler weather descends on the Iowa farm, fresh Christmas trees are brought in from a Wisconsin tree farm and sold to customers on site. The staff also makes swags, wreaths and custom planters, centerpieces and other decorations from live greenery, with wreaths for larger organizations often reaching upwards of 72 inches in diameter. The array of products and activities offered at Harvestville Farm keeps customers coming back from season to season. The Hohl family hopes to con-

tinue expanding its offerings, eventually adding a more extensive kitchen operation. Several other additions are also on the horizon. “We do have one very small hoophouse that we are using to grow heirloom tomatoes this year as a trial run before jumping into high tunnels,” she said. “We hope to grow more indoors to complement our field production.” The family also plans to continually update its product list to keep customers coming back each year. And Julie is committed to maintaining a high level of education, teaching as many youngsters about growing as possible.

Young visitors enjoy the inflatable ponies that Harvestville Farm provides during the fall.

Month 2009 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Section A - Page 3

Kathy Hohl plants lettuce seeds with her grandson, Jacob. Photos courtesy of Harvestville Farm

Julie Hohl enjoys a beautiful day of picking green beans with her daughter.

Minnesota growers stay optimistic throughout setbacks by Bill and Mary Weaver lenn and Gretchen Boldt, owners of Hilltop Greenhouse and Vegetable Farm, a greenhouse and wholesale vegetable business in Ellendale, MN, exemplify the “can do” spirit and optimism in the face of seemingly endless adversity so often associated with Midwesterners. Their tragedy began suddenly on June 17, 2010, when more than 30 tornadoes touched down in their area. “Many of our neighbors’ homes were destroyed, but most were left with field crops that could be harvested in the fall for income,” said Glenn. The Boldts, however, had everything they owned reduced to rubble — their home and household belongings, greenhouse, shop, equipment repair building, the young plants growing in the field for their wholesale vegetable business, tractors and trucks — everything they needed to produce an income from their rubble-strewn land. In 2011, the Boldts built a small, snug home, with lots of sun-oriented windows to replace the home they’d lost. They put up a temporary greenhouse, and were able to grow flower and vegetable plants again, but on a much smaller scale. In 2012, their new six-bay greenhouse was ready for use. “We had insurance to cover some of the rebuilding from the tornado damage, but not enough.” This past January, Glenn, Gretchen, and daughter Julie were back at work in the greenhouse, seeding their own

Page 4 - Section A • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Month 2009

Gretchen Boldt stands dwarfed by the immensity of the six-bay greenhouse. Photos by Bill and Mary Weaver

Glenn and Gretchen Boldt, owners of Hilltop Greenhouse and Farm, with their daughter Julie Ott.

plants and starting their own cuttings. Given their location in a lightly populated area, it is good the Boldts have set high standards for their greenhouse plants. “Customers need a good reason to make the drive here,” commented Glenn. “We primarily draw from Albert Lea and Austin, MN, but we also have dedicated customers who come from Rochester and Minneapolis every year. Our plants have to make people say, ‘Wow! You have plants and quality that we

Gretchen Boldt surrounded by geranium blooms in Hilltop’s six-bay greenhouse.

can’t get at other greenhouses.’ Our quality and variety are what make us a destination for a second trip and a third trip, year after year.” Gretchen commented, “We pick the best possible varieties of plants that will grow and bloom all season for our customers.” “A gentleman who had been traveling for several months stopped in recently, and said we had the best plants he’d seen on his whole trip,” Gretchen added. But sales have been slower than they’d hoped, both because of the economy and the weather. “In a tight economy,” noted Glenn, “you can love flowers to the ends of the earth, but the fact remains, people don’t need flowers when they’re worried about making mortgage payments. “The nice thing here, though,” he continued, “is that a customer can spend only $50, and have plants that make them feel good, and make their yard look good all through the season.” Fortunately, not all Hilltop’s customers have tight money constraints. “We have a planting to deliver Monday, all in containers, for a customer who tells me what she wants, and for her, the price tag is not a big issue. She’s getting up in years, and we’re trying to find her

plants that are easier to take care of. Gretchen stops in to help her with them a couple of times a year. “In our business, we hoped for a good Mother’s Day and a good Memorial Day, but the weather had been mostly chilly and wet, and people weren’t thinking much about gardening. This has been a trying year so far. The weather was not much in our favor.” Another serious worry lies behind these concerns about the greenhouse business. The Other Half of the Business The other half of the Boldt’s business is their wholesale vegetables, sold to grocery chains. So far, the weather has kept the soil consistently too wet to get the tractor into the field to plant anything this season. The continued wet weather currently has no end in sight. “There are unplowed fields all around here,” continued Glenn, “in addition to our own. Usually all the grain and soybeans would be planted by now, and we’d have vegetables planted and growing. Many farmers around here grow for the canning companies. They are usually finished planting by June 20. Many of these farmers have also not begun working the land yet. “For certain crops, if they’re not planted soon, it will be too late to plant.” Yet Glenn seemed remarkably cheerful, and Gretchen commented, ”We’ve been blessed.” They and their extended family are safe, and they still have their health, vigor, the basic optimism and the desire to get through this and build the business back up. “Yes, I’m cheerful,” stated Glenn. “I don’t feel guilty about what’s happening, because I

don’t have any control over it. If I wouldn’t have been able to plant because I needed to get a tractor fixed and hadn’t gotten the job done, I’d be mad at myself. It would be my fault, because I didn’t get ready. This isn’t that way. Even the oldtimers say this spring is unusual, reminiscent of ‘92 and ’93.” But this is also in part a somewhat local phenomenon. “Fifty to 75 miles west of us, they’ve been able to get crops in the ground. We had close to 20 inches of snow here on May 1, but a farmer 150 miles to the west was planting corn that same day. He was finished with his planting by May 6.” Layoffs “Another lingering effect of the tornado is that we had to lay off all our employees,” said Gretchen. That included a daughter’s husband, who used to love to work full time for the operation. The Boldts use minimal employees these days, finding it makes more sense financially to work long hours themselves. Giving Classes in the Greenhouse This year for the first time, the Boldts have advertised to give classes in the greenhouse. “We’ve had good results,” said Gretchen. “We tried to make our class fees fair. It’s nice to be able to use the greenhouse early in the year for something like that. “We let the people plant plugs, the same ones we use. We provided the pot, the soil, the seed, and the cuttings. Then we let them grow the plant in the greenhouse until they were ready to plant it in their yard. “We usually serve refreshments. We visit. We have a lot of fun,” she concluded.

Teachable Moments by Melissa Piper Nelson With summer comes the busy months of production, harvest, packaging and selling. Focusing on these tasks can reduce the time necessary for scheduling training programs. Yet summer is when most of the on-the-job training comes into play, especially with seasonal employees. On-the-job training provides a vital bridge between immediate labor requirements and your staff’s ability to get the job done correctly and efficiently. Teachable moments are those times when the bridge is not complete and employees cannot, for whatever reason, work on or finish a task. When this happens, five key factors come into play and provide the steps to ensure better communication and understanding between employer and employee. The magic happens

when the employee fully comprehends what needs to be done and is equipped to make it happen right the first time. 1. If a staff member cannot complete a project or seems to misunderstand directions, the first step is to frame the situation in a positive way. Yelling or disrespecting the employee (especially in front of others) will have more negative consequences than you might care for. Look at the situation from the employee’s point of view and try to reconstruct what happened to make the situation breakdown. Framing, or viewing and communicating, what has happened with a positive perspective sets in motion a teachable moment that will enable the worker to do a better job and learn from his mistake. 2. Be honest and direct in your communication about the situation. State in very clear terms

what the expectations were and repeat the directions that you anticipated the worker would follow. Explain where you think the breakdown in the process occurred and then ask the worker to do the same. You might be surprised that the two conclusions are separate issues in the process. 3. The next step is to repeat the procedure with the employee. Even if you feel you have communicated a process or directions well, there may be barriers that are preventing the employee from working through them or misunderstanding a step along the way. By reviewing the process, you allow some time to not only ease the tension of the immediate situation, but communicate expectations person to person. 4. Ask for feedback from your employee at this point and encourage him to offer opinions about the work — posi-

Today’s Marketing Objectives By: Melissa Piper Nelson Farm News Service News and views on agricultural marketing techniques. tive or negative. This step allows you to see where a problem may exist either in perception or how you have communicated the task. This doesn’t mean the employee gets to refuse to do a job just because it is difficult, or that he doesn’t fully understand what needs to be done. A good manager will be able to see where the situation is heading and help fix the problem or remove the employee from the immediate task. 5. The final step in the process is to again reframe the situation into a positive and helpful teachable moment. Explain that you feel the person can do the job and give him the tools and direction to do so. If, however, the situation does not seem to have a positive

outcome, it is better at this point to either try a different approach to the task or seek another employee who is capable of completing the task. The busy summer months are hectic enough without having to solve difficult labor problems that escalate into bad feelings for both the manager and em-

ployee. Good training, combined with clear task goals and objectives, provide the best path to efficiency and getting the job done right at one of the busiest seasons of the year. The above information is presented for educational purposes and should not be substituted for professional business and legal counseling.

CHRISTMAS TREE A S S O C I AT I O N

Summer Meeting

July 12 & 13, 2013 Host Farms: Killbuck Tree Farm & Twinsberry Tree Farm Shreve, Wayne County Join us for valuable educational sessions, workshops, exhibits, farm tours and networking opportunities. Get the latest information on deer damage control permits, marketing tactics, design and decoration, tree farm transitioning, and legal, accounting and labor issues. Single day registration $65 per person; Two-day registration $100 per person. Children 11-17 registration $20 per day; Under 10 admitted free. For more information, call 740-828-3331 • ww.ohiochristmastree.com

Month 2009 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Section A - Page 5

O • H • I • O

In This Issue Garden Path Farms..........................................................................7 by Kelly Gates Migrant labor immigration finally moving.....................................8 by William McNutt Expecting the unexpected............................................................17 by Stan Craig Emphasize safety for an a-mazingly great time.........................18 by Sally Colby U.S. House Farm Bill defeat could lead to more extensions of 2008 Farm Bill........................................................20 by Tracy Turner Agritourism — keeping passengers safe on hay rides.............22 by William J. Bamka and Stephen Komar Grapevine nutrition.......................................................................31 by Sanne Kure-Jensen

Photos courtesy of Harvestville Farm Kathy Hohl stands with son Adam and his wife Julie outside Harvestville Farm.

Country Folks The Monthly Newspaper for Greenhouses, Nurseries, Fruit & Vegetable Growers

Page 6 - Section A • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Month 2009

(518) 673-3237 • Fax # (518) 673-2381 (ISSN# 1065-1756) U.S.P.S. 008885 Country Folks Grower is published monthly by Lee Publications, P.O. Box 121, 6113 St. Hwy. 5, Palatine Bridge, NY 13428. Periodical postage paid at Palatine Bridge, NY 13428. Subscription Price: $24 per year. Canada $55 per year. POSTMASTER: Send address change to Country Folks Grower, P.O. Box 121, Subscription Dept., Palatine Bridge, NY 13428-0121. Publisher, President........................................Frederick W. Lee Vice-President Production ..........................Mark W. Lee, ext. 132..........................mlee@leepub.com Vice-President & General Manager ..........Bruce Button, ext. 104 .....................bbutton@leepub.com Comptroller ................................................Robert Moyer, ext. 148.....................bmoyer@leepub.com Production Coordinator ............................Jessica Mackay, ext. 137..................jmackay@leepub.com Editor ......................................................Joan Kark-Wren, ext. 141...............jkarkwren@leepub.com Page Composition ....................................Allison Swartz, ext. 139....................aswartz@leepub.com Classified Ad Manager ..............................Peggy Patrei, ext. 111 ..................classified@leepub.com Shop Foreman........................................ ...Harry Delong, ext. 154....................hdelong@leepub.com

Palatine Bridge, Main Office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 518-673-3237 Accounting/Billing Office . . . . . . . . 518-673-0149. . . . . . . . . . . amoyer@leepub.com Subscriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 888-596-5329 . . . . . subscriptions@leepub.com Website: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.leepub.com Send all correspondence to: PO Box 121, Palatine Bridge, NY 13428 Fax (518) 673-2699 Editorial Email: jkarkwren@leepub.com Advertising Email: jmackay@leepub.com AD SALES REPRESENTATIVES Bruce Button, Ad Sales Manager . . . . bbutton@leepub.com . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-218-5586, ext. 104 Dan Wren, Grower Sales Manager . . . dwren@leepub.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-218-5586, ext. 117 Jan Andrews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jandrews@leepub.com . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-218-5586, ext 110 Richard Barrett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .rbarrett@leepub.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-218-5586, ext. 118 Dave Dornburgh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ddornburgh@leepub.com . . . . . . . . . . . 800-218-5586, ext. 109 Julicia Godbout. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jgodbout@leepub.com . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-218-5586, ext. 164 Steve Heiser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . sheiser@leepub.com . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-218-5586, ext. 119 Ian Hitchener . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ihitchener@leepub.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 518-210-2066 Tina Krieger. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . tkrieger@leepub.com . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-218-5586, ext. 262 Kegley Baumgardner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . kegleyb@va.net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 540-255-9112 Wanda Luck / North Carolina. . . . . . . . . wwluck5@gmail.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336-416-6198 (cell) Sue Thomas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . suethomas1@cox.net. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 949-599-6800 Lee Publications 6113 State Hwy. 5, PO Box 121, Palatine Bridge, NY 13428 We cannot GUARANTEE the return of photographs. Publisher not responsible for typographical errors. Size, style of type and locations of advertisements are left to the discretion of the publisher. The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. We will not knowingly accept or publish advertising which is fraudulent or misleading in nature. The publisher reserves the sole right to edit, revise or reject any and all advertising with or without cause being assigned which in his judgement is unwholesome or contrary to the interest of this publication. We assume no financial responsibility for typographical errors in advertisement, but if at fault, will reprint that portion of the ad in which the error appears.

Personal hygiene and field sanitation by Anna Meyerhoff, Farm Safety Educator, NYCAMH As warmer weather approaches, it’s time to make sure everything is ready — and safe — for the growing season ahead. For orchards and vegetable growers, it’s time to get everything ready: workers arrive and are trained, equipment is repaired, supplies are ordered. It’s a very busy time of year, but it’s important to take time for safety! There’s one topic that’s very important to your operation but may easily be overlooked — field sanitation and personal hygiene. Fresh produce carries some risk of food-borne illness. In the United States, there are 76 million reported cases of food-borne illnesses a year. Many cases could have been prevented with proper sanitation and good work practices in the field. Safe handling of food products is crucial in preventing illness, and employers should help their workers to understand and follow the guidelines of good hygiene. Workers should understand the importance of practices such as thoroughly washing hands with soap and water before and after working, using the toilet, eating, smoking, or handling garbage. Doing so helps to prevent contamination of produce, as well as protect workers from harmful bacteria. Showering regularly and changing into clean clothes is important, especially for workers who may be exposed to pesticides. Workers should also know the risks of contamination of produce and the spread of bacteria. Any open wound or cut should be cleaned and bandaged. Workers with open wounds should be provided with gloves to keep dirt and germs from getting in the wound and from contaminating produce. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) developed and issued minimum standards for field sanitation in agriculture in 1987. Included are provisions for field worker access to appropriate toilet and hand-washing facilities, as well as drinking water. Non-

compliance may result in penalties, fines, and legal action. According to the OSHA definition of hand labor operations, anyone performing cultivation, weeding, planting, harvesting or packing in the field is counted as a field worker. Field sanitation standards apply to any farm or orchard where 11 or more field workers are employed on any day during the past 12 months. Employers should provide workers with ready access to toilet facilities that can be used as needed to avoid field contamination and unnecessary delay of personal elimination needs. Facilities should not be located near a water source for irrigation or anywhere runoff would be an issue during heavy rains. Runoff has the potential to contaminate soil, water, produce and workers. Employers should have a plan in case of waste spillage and are responsible for ensuring safe, hygienic and private toilet facilities with adequate toilet paper for workers. Hand-washing stations must include clean water, soap, paper towels and a garbage bin. Facilities must be kept clean, safe and sanitary for workers. Employers are required to refill stations with potable water, soap and paper towels as necessary, and remove and properly dispose of waste. Employers are also required to have plenty of cool, potable water available for field workers. It should be in a covered container at a location readily accessible to all employees. Water fountains or single-use drinking cups are acceptable; dippers or shared drinking cups are prohibited as their use may result in the spread of bacteria and germs amongst workers. It’s the employers’ job to ensure that produce and workers are safe this season by following regulations on field sanitation. By notifying workers as to the location of proper drinking water, hand-washing and toilet facilities, and allowing employees reasonable opportunity to use them, both produce and workers are protected from bacteria and germs that can cause illness.

By ensuring workers know the location of proper drinking water, handwashing and toilet facilities, and allowing reasonable opportunity to use them, both produce and workers are protected from bacteria and germs that can cause illness. Photo by Sally Colby

Garden Patch Farms by Kelly Gates When Earl Hiller returned to his family’s Homer Glen, IL, farm after serving in the war in Korea, his parents were prepared for him to rejoin the family business, offering him and his wife Merna a place at Garden Patch Farms. The couple built a home at the farmstead shortly after. And they

have been living there and farming the land ever since. “For many years, we grew vegetables for wholesale in the Chicago market, along with selling from a small roadside stand,” Hiller told Country Folks Grower. “By 1995, when the NAFTA Agreement came into effect, the wholesale market became too

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property. The old bunny barn and chicken house have been torn down to accommodate the larger market. In 2013, the original, early 1900s farmhouse will be removed to prepare for the building of a bakery at some point in the near future. Presently, there are no water and sewage lines running to the property; requirements by the state to house and on site baking business. There are plans for a new, four-lane highway to be installed directly in front of Garden Patch Farms in 2014 though. And when the roadway arrives, so will the much-needed infrastructure to enable the family to open a commercial kitchen. In the meantime, the family busies itself with u-pick patrons and the continuous flow of school children who visit the farm each year in

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search of on-farm educational opportunities. “We have a lot of fall tours with kids who sit at our picnic tables on nice days and inside of our 30,000 square feet of greenhouse space when the weather isn’t cooperating,” said Hiller. “We teach them all about the fruits and vegetables we grow. They learn how they are grown and how they can make healthy eating choices.” The greenhouses are also used for classes, seminars and special events. In October of last year, Garden Patch Farms hosted its first wedding in one of the covered growing spaces, opening the doors to a whole new marketing niche for the business. Earl is always in the market for new ways to engage customers, even at the age of 80. Even as he transfers leadership to his children and grandchildren. His son and daughters have been working at the farm for many years, managing day-to-day growing and retail operations. After earning a college degree in the subject, his grandson has recently taken over marketing responsibilities for the farm. Two other grandchildren oversee production at several of the Garden Patch Farms fields located in other nearby towns. In the future, the family may open up those properties to upick and other activities. “Within the next two years, we might open up for a few months to upick customers who want to pick peaches, apples and pumpkins in the fall,” explained Hiller. “If that venture does well, we might try to build up enough staff to open that location every year.” As a rule of thumb, Earl believes that starting a new business takes around five years to effectively get up and running. So, he plans to start small with the second site and steadily increase each year until the family is certain that it is solid enough to stick around permanently.

Month 2009 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Section A - Page 7

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volatile for us to continue wholesaling, so we shifted to direct marketing, which is what we still do today.” The other major change at the company, Garden Patch Farms, was the addition of fruit production. The Hillers planted 1,000 fruit trees in 1997, adding another dimension to the U-pick business that currently draws customers from upwards of 100 miles away. According to Earl, things really get rolling in June when strawberries come into season. People then come to pick raspberries, gooseberries, currants, cherries, peaches, pears, apples and plums-in that order. Cabbage, broccoli, dill, mustard greens, collard greens, turnips, turnip greens, corn and tomatoes are only a few of the

veggie varieties available at Garden Patch Farms throughout the year. There is even a vegetable plant and flower division that grows everything from petunias to pepper plants and everything between. “We have around 20,000 people who come out to the farm to pick fruits and vegetables each year,” said Hillard. “We charge a $5 fee to go out and pick and we also sell a lot of value-added products too, like jams, jellies, candies and farmthemed decorations.” In 2007, a new retail market was erected at Garden Patch Farms to allow for more produce and pre-packaged products. The new, 80 foot by 36 foot building replaced a much smaller structure. Such new additions require removal of older buildings that have been around since Earl’s parents first settled the

Migrant labor immigration finally moving, important to specialty growers by William McNutt For the first time in many years, immigration reform has become a possibility. In a period of stalemate between political parties with almost opposing philosophies, each representing about half of U.S. population, any forward movement on such a “hot topic” has been extremely difficult. The primary wake-up call came with the 2012 national election, when two-thirds of the Hispanic citizen population voted Democratic, in the process becoming a decisive factor in the Obama reelection. In two recent meetings held in Columbus and Cincinnati, keynote speaker Alex Nowrasteh, policy analyst for the Cato Institute, widely recognized for its conservativebased philosophy, stressed both the need and reasons for immigration reform, including needed improvements on the last reform act, passed in 1986. Enacted during the Reagan administra-

tion, this opened the gates to many immigrants who have proven vital to the nation’s economy, including needed agricultural workers. Insufficient safeguards and a flourishing economy allowed many migrants, particularly Hispanics from Mexico looking for a better life, to enter the country illegally with little attempt to stem the flow. There are now an estimated 11 million of this category in the U.S., many who have been here for 15-20 years. But native sentiment changed rapidly after the recent recession began in 2008; the unemployment rate rose to nearly 9 percent, helping create the impression that native labor was being displaced by migrant workers, many of them illegal. Nowrasteh pointed out that current immigration law is second only to Internal Revenue legislation in complexity. Migration is almost impossible to achieve without the

help of an attorney. Legal immigration processing can take from six months to many years, starting with the difficulty of getting U.S. embassies to issue visas plus quotas assigned to various countries. English or Canadian immigrants would be processed almost immediately; those from Eastern Europe or Asian countries will take much longer. Nowrasteh emphasized the economic motive for immigration, with Hispanic immigrants almost immediately seeing a three time income increase, unskilled natives of India with six fold increase, and an almost 10 time wage expansion for Haitian labor. The bulk of immigrants do compete with lower wage domestic labor, a big part of the reason for the resentment they receive. The U.S. is happy to accept the more highly educated immigrants as college students, then sends them home immediately after gradua-

tion, depriving this country of much needed technically-trained people with science and engineering degrees. Nowrasteh believes that with the economy moving rapidly toward more specialized, narrowly focused industrial concentration, utilizing digital communication to the fullest, this is not the time to educate foreign students then force them to return home to work for our world-wide competitors. High skilled immigrants can help expand the economy, while the lower skilled then move upward by securing training needed to take their place. Both representatives of the legal profession and agriculture commented on the need for simplification of the visa process. Bill Dodd, president of Fruit Growers Marketing Association, said the current H-2A visa for farm hand labor is not working, and is administered by the Department of Labor, who wants nothing to do

with it. Growers of specialty crops need assurance that the labor they have hired is legal and can stay without interruption until harvest is completed. Two children of immigrants who went on to higher education in the U.S were also presenters: Laura Jurcevich came as a child when her parents were hired as seasonal labor in Northwest Ohio. Now a member of the Barrett law firm, she works with recent immigrants and specialty crop employers who wish to hire seasonal workers, expediting non-immigrant visa seekers, and helping them attain permanent residence. Barrett feels that current immigration needs to be simplified so that legal assistance should not be necessary to facilitate residency. Inna Simakovsky emigrated with her parents from Russia in 1976 and obtained a college degree in International Studies. Currently she works as an immigration lawyer in Colum-

Page 8 - Section A • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Month 2009

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Alex Nowrasteh, policy analyst for Cato Institute, has testified at congressional hearings and provided commentary for many publications regarding the immigration issue. Photo by William McNutt

bus and is very involved with local immigrant communities. Both see current legislative moves toward easing the immigration deadlock as a promising sign and hope to see it continue. Current efforts are focusing on providing a path to citizenship for 11 million illegal residents currently in the country by

Migrant Labor 9

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Migrant Labor from 8 requiring payment of fines and going to the back of the line, behind those applying for legal status. The Senate is approving a bill that

makes visas for highly skilled workers available more quickly and reduces obligations of U.S. companies to prove they tried to hire domestic workers first.

This has been a sore point with farm labor employers, since few of them have been able to hire any worker at all outside of the migrant stream. Both Senate

and House versions would further tighten border security and require all employers to use a federal database to check legal status, though there have

been many complaints about the federal database’s inaccuracy. New annual caps for both high- and low-skilled labor would be set; former limits have never

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been sufficient to meet demand. Frank Gasperini, head of the National Council of Agricultural Employers, says that the farm labor issue is not always governed by how rural legislators feel since there are few of them and many are opposed to any changes at all. He said that some of the most helpful prescribed legislation comes from citybased or urban representatives, many representing constituents receiving food supplement aid, which translates into increased farm income. Current Senate bill provisions recently introduced would allow workers one of two choices. Workers could come into the country to contract with employers for specific work at set times. They would be provided a three year visa, and employers would be required to provide housing. The second option would allow migrant workers to move within the country and work for authorized employers, under the same type visa and housing arrangements. This new program would be administered by the USDA, rather than the Department of Labor, and would replace the very out of date H-2A program with one known as the W visa, plus a revised and streamlined E-Verify system. These revisions would be much less expensive to administer, plus permitting undocumented experienced farm labor to apply for a renamed Blue Card, committing them to work legally for three to five years while also undertaking the path toward citizenship.

Yamaha announces all-new three-person VIKING™ Side-by-Side vehicle

Page 10 - Section A • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Month 2009

Real-world power, utility and reliability with all-day comf ort; assembled in the U.S.A. Yamaha Motor Corp., U.S.A. has announced the all-new Viking™EPS Side-by-Side (SxS) vehicle designed to serve Real World Tough demands of farmers and ranchers and to set a new standard in the three-person multipurpose SxS segment. Every Yamaha Viking is being manufactured exclusively in the U.S.A. at Yamaha’s factory in Newnan, GA, for worldwide distribution. The new Viking was designed and engineered as a robust and high-capacity utility vehicle. It combines Yamaha’s most powerful fourwheel drive engine to date with a comfortable and confidence-inspiring three-person cab, precision steering and classleading handling. The Viking’s exclusive pass-through bucket seating features a unique off-set center position (set 5 degrees back) that improves comfort with maximum shoulder room for all three occupants. This is the only vehicle in its class with three-point seat belts for everyone, plus headrests all around, adjustable handholds for both passengers and a textured floorboard with dedicated foot wells. Its seating position even provides for more head room than competitive models without sacrificing critical ground clearance. All told, the Viking boasts the most

comfortable and secure seating in its class. Strongest Engine Power comes from Yamaha’s strongest fourwheel drive engine to date — a 686cc liquidcooled 4-stroke, SOHC, single-cylinder, 4-valve fuel-injected engine that provides peak performance at maximum capacity. This durable engine has been optimized for working conditions with strong low-end torque while quick throttle response and smooth power delivery are maintained throughout the rev range. Yamaha Fuel Injection delivers consistent starts and power even at high elevation and in cold weather, and the 9.7 gallon fuel tank allows for long days in the field or on the trail. While the Viking’s 700cc-class engine already makes more power than some larger 800ccclass machines, the vehicle’s handling and offroad capabilities truly set it apart. Durable machine; confident handling Yamaha’s three-way On Command®system, featuring 2WD, 4WD and 4WD with differential lock, is a driver-controlled system with an automotive-type rotary dial selector. This drivercontrolled system gives the driver the control and confidence to lock in all four wheels based on the terrain — a significant benefit over other automated systems on competitive models.

Yamaha’s Ultramatic™ transmission with high, low and reverse has proven to be the industry’s most durable CVT system with dual speed gearing and an automatic centrifugal clutch that maintains constant belt tension for reduced wear and the industry’s most natural feeling all-wheel engine braking. The Viking’s optional Electric Power Steering (EPS) system provides the industry’s best balance of light feel with positive feedback from the terrain. The system reads steering wheel torque, vehicle speed, On Command setting and negative feedback to determine the appropriate amount of assist in any given situation. The Viking’s utility functions combined with Yamaha’s proven durability were designed for hard work, tough chores and long days in the field or on the trail. The rear steel cargo bed was purpose-built for durability and convenience. Large enough to carry a fully loaded pallet, the assisted dump bed can pack up to 600 pounds of equipment and supplies while the standard twoinch receiver hitch is rated to pull 1,500 pounds. The Viking’s chassis also contributes to its off-road capability with nearly 12 inches of ground clearance at the lowest point, a full steel/composite smooth skid plate front-to-back and side-to-side, and an

optimized frame with upturned side rails allowing for smoother transitions over obstacles. The Viking features light, natural-feel handling in both the EPS and nonEPS configurations. The front and rear suspensions outperform the competition even with heavy loads. Comfortable ride The Viking’s long-travel, four-wheel independent suspension is perfectly balanced to provide a plush and comfortable ride with a quality damping feel in rough terrain, all while carrying either a light or full load. The gas charged shocks help reach the delicate balance of damping and resistance with one or

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Little extras are a big deal when they help increase productivity and fun. Things like marinegrade electrical connections and wiring, a sealed maintenance-free battery, digital meter and easily accessible and serviceable foam air filter and engine are built into the Viking to help owners stay on task or trail — and out of the shop. The all-new Viking EPS and non-EPS models will be available starting this August. Standard models come in Steel Blue, Hunter Green (with sun top), Red (with sun top) and Realtree AP HD camo (with sun top). Details at www.YamahaOutdoors.com.

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three people, fully loaded or empty. The all-new Maxxis Big Horn 2.0 tires were designed specifically and exclusively for the Viking with maximum performance and durability. The new Big Horns provide an optimized balance of sidewall and tread center stiffness in a tire that delivers an excellent combination of traction, precise steering and comfort. The Viking’s large diameter front and rear brake discs with dual piston calipers on all four wheels ensure good balance and power during braking — with or without cargo. The Viking also comes equipped with a mechanical parking disc brake.

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OSU expert: Nozzle choice can determine yield gains or declines, save growers money COLUMBUS, OHIO — An agricultural tool as small as a thumb can mean the difference between a 25 to 50 percent increase in yields or a 25 to 50 percent decline, according to an expert from Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. Choosing the right type of sprayer nozzle can make a huge difference in how effective pesticides are during a growing season and whether growers have to re-spray their fields or in some cases, re-

plant, said Erdal Ozkan, an agricultural engineering professor and spray technology expert with Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC). OSU Extension and OARDC are the outreach and research arms, respectively, of the college. Not only do farmers have to have a field clear of weeds and pests before they plant, they have to keep that field free of pests and weeds throughout the

growing season, Ozkan said. And with the rising cost of pesticides and fertilizers, growers who also want to save money and spray chemicals as efficiently as possible need to make sure they choose the correct spray nozzle for their fields, weather conditions and type of chemicals they apply, he said. “Farming is a tough business, with a very narrow margin between profit and loss,” Ozkan said. “So anything we can do to widen that margin is a good thing.” The costs are signifi-

a second application,” he said. “If you don’t do it right or choose the wrong nozzle, the mistakes won’t show up that day, but sometime later in the growing season when weeds, insects, disease or all of the above start showing up in the crops in particular areas.” Ozkan said growers can improve the performance of sprayers if they: • Always calibrate the equipment with water before spraying to ensure that the sprayer is applying the chemical at the recommended rate. (For details, see the OSU Extension fact sheet “Boom Sprayer Calibration” at http://ohioline.osu.edu /aex-fact/0520.html). • Mix chemicals in a small container before pouring them into the sprayer tank to achieve a uniform mix. • Determine if the pesticide requires specific adjuvants to provide product efficacy, influence droplet size or solution evaporation rate, reduce drift and to improve deposit and retention on the target. • Understand that some pesticides are volatile and may require incorporation into

the soil after application. • Check sprayer components to ensure they are the right size and type; check the sprayer system for leaks; and check the tank agitation system to ensure that flow to the tank for agitation is effective. • Make sure pressure gauge on the sprayer is accurate and operate the sprayer within the pressure range recommended by the nozzle manufacturer. • Keep the boom height to a minimum to reduce drift. Setting the proper boom height for a given nozzle spacing is extremely important in achieving proper overlapping. Conventional flat-fan nozzles require 30- to 50-percent overlapping of adjacent spray patterns. Check catalogs for specific recommendations for different nozzles. • Maintain uniform deposition of spray material on the target across the boom. Nonuniform coverage can result from using misaligned or clogged nozzles, nozzles with different fan angles, or from uneven nozzle height across the boom. This can result in streaks, untreated areas or over -application of chemicals. • Watch for pattern streaks in the nozzle output, which indicate particles are in the nozzles. Remove them from the nozzle tip using a wooden toothpick or soft object and clean the nozzle filter using a soft brush. • Learn more about reducing spray drift as much as possible. Details are available in an OSU Extension bulletin, Reducing Spray Drift, available for purchase at http://est o r e . o s u extension.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=2433.

Month 2009 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Section A - Page 11

cant. Farmers spend approximately $4.1 billion on pesticides annually, according to published reports. And large self-propelled sprayers can cost more than $250,000, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “Growers usually choose pesticides based on their effectiveness, not how much they cost,” Ozkan said. “So one way to find savings in crop production is how we apply pesticides, and choosing the right nozzle is a part of that process. “The more precise and accurate growers are in their applications, the more growers can have a net savings. For example, if growers are spraying more than the recommended rate, it is a waste of money.” National surveys of field application results have shown that only about one out of three sprayers are applying pesticides at the recommended rates, while two-thirds are missing the mark by either over - or under -spraying, Ozkan said. “Doing it right can result in better control and cost savings, and eliminates having to do

C H R I S TMA S S E CTI O N

Page 12 - Section A • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Month 2009

Michigan Christmas Tree Association Summer Meeting Beautiful views will be complimentary at Michigan Christmas Tree Association’s 2013 Summer Meeting. The association has planned a program that is sure to educate and entertain. The summer meeting is always a great opportunity to get updated on important industry happenings, catch up with old friends, see the new offerings of industry suppliers and to start preparing for the 2013 harvest season. Join your friends and colleagues Aug. 2-3, at Schmuckal Tree Farm in Kingsley, MI. Schedule Friday, Aug. 2 7:30 a.m. Registration and Exhibit Area Open with Continental Breakfast 9 a.m. Welcome to Schmuckal Farm 9:30 a.m. Christmas Tree Pest and Disease Update: Including a presentation on measuring pesticides with Erin Lizotte, disease management with Dr. Dennis Fulbright and updates on Pine Shoot Beetle and electronic inspection requests with Mike Bryan of MDARD. Pesticide Recertification credits available. 9:30 a.m. Tour Schmuckal Choose and Cut Farm: In addition to operating several retail lots in the Traverse City area, Schmuckals runs a small choose and cut operation at the home farm. This walking tour will demonstrate how they manage guests, parking, signage and other amenities. 10:30 a.m. Farm Market tour departs: This tour will be traveling north of Traverse City to visit Friske Orchards and King Orchards. Stan Moore of MSU Ex-

tension will serve as your guide as you enjoy two great agri-tourism destinations. Lunch included. Noon Lunch: Served at the farm with plenty of time available to visit with vendors. 1:30 p.m. Demonstrations and Tours at Schmuckal Farm: Equipment demonstrations include over-thetop and band sprayer, Danish high clearance tractor, stump removal and modified tree painter. The tour will include a demonstration of Schmuckal’s irrigation and fertigation system as well as fields of Fraser fir, Douglas fir, Concolor fir and other species. 4:30 p.m. Reception with Vendors 6 p.m. Dinner followed by Awards, MCTA and National update Saturday, Aug. 3 7:30 a.m. Registration and Exhibits open.

Coffee and morning refreshments 9:30 a.m. Depart for Antioch Tree Farm Tour: Guests will travel by bus to Antioch Tree Farm in Mesick. Hosts Wade and Blake Sherburn will guide a tour of their 450 acre farm, including fields of Fraser fir, the Turkish fir trial and discuss wildlife damage issues. 10 a.m. Design Pro-

tions available at Holiday Inn Express & Suites, 7642 S. US 131, Cadillac, MI. Phone: 231-779-4656. $130 for 2 queen beds, $138 king room or king suite. Please mention MCTA to receive these discounted rates. Early reservations are recommended. This is a very busy weekend in the Cadillac/Traverse City area.

Camping option: Holiday Park There will also be a golf outing at The Briar Golf Course. Nine holes of golf with cart, refreshments and prizes. Tee times start at 2:30 p.m. $25 per golfer. Check out the course at www.briargolf.com/index.php For more information, or to register, visit to www.mcta.org.

MCTA Summer Meeting The Missouri Christmas Tree Association Summer Meeting will be held July 20 at Ozark Valley Christmas Tree Farm, 1090 Manning Road, Southwest City, MO. The Summer Meeting is normally hosted by a member on the third weekend in July, and can thus be held in any part of the state. Any urgent business is also conducted. The summer meeting is an excellent opportunity for members to see successful plantations, equipment

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gram: Come and be inspired with holiday designs using fresh greens. Take these ideas and incorporate them into your sales inventory this season. After the program, you will have plenty of time to shop for seasonal supplies. 12:30 p.m. Lunch 2 p.m. Program Concludes/Depart for Golf Hotel Accommoda-

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demonstrated, first-hand observations of insect and disease problems, and proper shearing demonstrations. Meeting places are set by the Board of Directors. Schedule 8:30-9 a.m. Registration 9-10 a.m. Farm tour, shearing demonstration, wreath making 10-10:30 a.m. John Hobbs, University of MO Extension — Chemical Safety 10:30-10:45 a.m. Break 10:45-11:15 a.m. Angie Gosset, American Red Cross —

Farm First Aid 11:15-12 p.m. Galen Manning and Charity Keith — Agritourism year round, other ways to use your farm to reach the public, Field Trips and Weddings 12-1 p.m. Lunch (catered by Cotton Eyed Joes) 1-1:30 p.m. Holiday Technologies, Light Show Video, JTL web design for your farm 1:30-2 p.m. Advertising tips and tricks 2 p.m. Announce contest winners, MCTA Business meeting

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NCTA’s 2013 Pre-season Clinic

Grow your business. Grow your profit. Grow your market. Online registration is open for the only national event for the Real Christmas Tree industry in 2013 — the Pre-Season Clinic. Set for Aug. 10-11 in Arlington, VA and hosted by the National Christmas Tree Association, the clinic is designed to help Christmas Tree growers and retailers get their busi-

nesses in shape for the coming sales season and beyond. The event will offer solutions for enhancing business profitability and sustainability, as well as maximum networking time to connect with fellow industry members and suppliers. Educational sessions will focus on helping at-

tendees better manage risk within their business, with topics such as: • Christmas Tree Marketing & Branding • Planning for the Future of Your Farm • Building a Better Business Plan • Keeping Your Business in Compliance • Adapting to Market

Change • Take Your Email Marketing to the Next Level • Building a Winning Customer Service Team • And more The program has also been structured to provide plenty of time for sharing ideas, from discussion forums to smallgroup Learning Labs to

networking receptions. The clinic will feature the best of NCTA’s educational and networking offerings, compressed into an affordable, information-packed weekend experience. From the Networking Center to the Learning Labs to the Experiential Learning to the Education Workshops, attendees will have lots of options — all focused on helping you grow your business. The clinic program will also include NCTA’s 2013 National Tree and Wreath Contests. The event will take place at the Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel, 2800 South Potomac Ave, Arlington, VA. It will begin Aug. 10 at 8 a.m. and run until 1:30 p.m. on Aug. 11 (Eastern Time.) Registration

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Month 2009 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Section A - Page 13

Take advantage of the new online registration system that will allow you to register for the Preseason Clinic, make your hotel reservation, and make a secure credit card payment in one easy process (and one great price). To complete the online registration form, you will need a valid email address. During the registration process, you will create a password. If you need to register an additional guest, or make changes to your registration, you may log in at any time with your email address and password. As you complete the online registration form, be sure to clock on “Details” for more information or instructions. Registration Rates:

• NCTA Member (includes 2 nights lodging): $550 • NCTA Member — Guest/Spouse: $225 • TIP State Member Rate (includes 2 nights lodging): $575 • TIP State Member — Guest/Spouse: $250 • Non-Member Rate (includes 2 nights lodging): $600 • Non-Member Rate — Guest/Spouse: $275 • Industry Partner (includes 2 nights lodging): $1,000 • Industry Partner — Guest/Spouse: $225 • Conference Only (no lodging): $225 Each Clinic registration is an all-inclusive package, including: • Hotel accommodations for two nights at the beautiful Renaissance Arlington Capital View (you may add additional nights before/after the meeting at a reduced rate) • Welcome Reception on Friday night • Lunch and continental breakfast on Saturday and Sunday • Awards Reception on Saturday night • Access to the Networking Center, Learning Labs and Educational Workshops • Resource Guide • Access to educational materials and virtual education (email, conference call, website) after the event To register, go to www.regonline.com/Regi ster/Checkin.aspx?Even tID=1214030. Schedule Friday, Aug. 9 8 – 9:15 a.m. NCTA Executive Committee Meeting 9:30 – 10:45 a.m.

National Wreath Contest Schedule of Events

National Tree Contest Schedule of Events

Friday, Aug. 9 1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Wreath Contest Setup 2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Wreath Contest Judging Saturday, Aug. 10 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Awards Reception Important Reminders: • All wreaths must be in place by 2:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 9 in order to be judged. • You (or someone you designate) must check in and set up your wreath. NCTA staff and/or wreath contest judges may not handle the setup of wreaths. • Easels for all wreaths will be provided by the contest sponsor. • Please read and review the rules and guidelines for the contest at www.christmastree.org/dnn/Portals/30/Files/WreathContestRules.pdf

Friday, Aug. 9 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. Tree Contest Setup 3 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Tree Contest Judging 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Welcome Reception (popular voting will be open during this time) Saturday, Aug. 10 7:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Popular Voting for Tree Contest 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Awards Reception Important Reminders: • All trees must be in place by 3 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 9, in order to be judged. • You (or someone you designate) must be on-site to check in and set up your tree. NCTA staff and/or contest judges may not handle the setup of contest trees. • Stands for all trees will be provided by the contest sponsor; trees will be drilled on-site. • Please review all rules and guidelines carefully before entering. Rules can be found at: www.christmastree.org/dnn/Portals/30/Files/TreeContestRules.pdf

NCTA’s from 13 Committee Meetings (Protection, Professional, Resources) 11 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. NCTA Board and CSF Trustees Meeting (combined) 12 - 6 p.m. Registration Open 1 – 5 p.m. Afternoon Tour (optional based on demand) 1 – 4 p.m. Setup and Judging for Tree & Wreath Contests 3 – 5 p.m. Major Growers Forum 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. Welcome Reception 8 p.m. Informal optional meetup at Socci (hotel bar) Saturday, Aug. 10 7:30 – 8:30 a.m. “Come and Go” Continental Breakfast in the Networking Center 8 – 9:15 a.m. Learning Lab in the Networking Center

9:15 - 10:30 a.m. Breakout Sessions - Advocacy Clinic Part 1 - Beyond the Smile: Building a Winning Customer Service Team 10:45 - 11:45 a.m. Breakout Sessions - Christmas Tree Marketing & Branding - Adapting to Market Change Noon – 1:30 p.m. Keynote Luncheon — Stan Pohmer, Pohmer Consulting Group 1:45 – 3 p.m. Breakout Sessions - Planning for the Future of Your Farm - Take Your Email Marketing to the Next Level 3 – 4 p.m. Break in the Networking Center/Learning Labs

4:15 – 5:15 p.m. Discussion Forums - facilitated roundtable discussions 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. Awards Reception in the Networking Center Sunday, Aug. 11 7:30 – 8:30 a.m. “Come and Go” Continental Breakfast in the Networking Center 8:30 – 9:30 a.m. Breakout Sessions - Choose & Cut and Retail Forum - Real Tree Advocacy Clinic Part 2 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. Break in the Networking Center/Learning Labs 10:30 – 11:45 a.m. Breakout Ses-

sions - Building a Better Business Plan - Keeping Your Business in Compliance Noon – 1:30 p.m. Closing Luncheon & General Session Contests Don’t miss your opportunity to showcase at the 2013 National Tree and Wreath Contests — held in conjunction with the Pre-Season Clinic in Arlington, VA. If you have any questions, contact NCTA at 636-449-5070 or lmangnall@amrms.com.

Page 14 - Section A • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Month 2009

MACT 2013 Summer Meeting and Trade Show The Mid-America Summer Meeting and Trade Show will be held July 26-27 with vendor setup July 25. This year’s show will be held jointly with the Indiana and Illinois Christmas Tree Associations at Hensler Nursery in Hamlet, IN. For more information, go to www.midamericachristmastree.org. Schedule July 25, Thursday: 12 to 6 p.m. Vendor Set-up 6 p.m. Dinner. Following dinner there will be a MACT Board Meeting July 26, Friday: 8:30 a.m. Registration. Doughnuts and refreshments provided in Vendor tent. 9 a.m. Introduction of host family, employees and vendors 9:30 a.m. “Soil Management for

Trees” by Andy Awald, Farm Fertilizer “Production Management of Value Added Products” by Hensler Nursery 10:30 a.m. Visit vendor/vendor demos 11 a.m. “Insects, diseases; and planting to attract beneficial insects” by Cliff Sadof, Dept. of Entomology-Perdue “Roundtable – Business Practices,” Mike Reifenberg, moderator — CPA 11:45 a.m. - vendors lunch 12 p.m. lunch/visit vendors 1 p.m. “Industry issues & NCTA” by Dustin McKissen, NCTA/CSF executive director 2 p.m. “Experimenting with exotics” by Randy Caster & Milt Yakey, exotic

www. cfgrower.com

conifer director and vice president “Emergency situations” by CPR/AED Joanna Clindaniel 3 p.m. “Passing on the farm panel” by Richardson’s Adventure Farm, Petersons Riverview Nursery, and Hensler Nursery Indiana Roundtable with speakers: Andy Alwald, Cliff Sadoff, Randy Caster 4 p.m. Visit vendors/social hour 5 p.m. dinner 6 p.m. Hensler Nursery Tour July 27, Saturday 8:30 a.m. Registration. Doughnuts and refreshments provided in ven-

dor tent. 9 a.m. Introduction of host family, employees, and vendors 9:30 a.m. Hensler Nursery Farm Tour, Hensler Nursery Roundtable “What I have learned. . .” Kerry Dull, moderator 10:30 a.m. visit vendors/vendor demo 11 a.m. MACT General Meeting 11:45 a.m. vendors lunch 12 p.m. lunch/ visit vendors 1 p.m. close of show for vendors 1 p.m. Research Updates from Michigan State University “Coning on Firs, Container grown

living trees, nutrition & fertilization” by Dr. Bert Cregg, associate professor, Michigan State University

2 p.m. State Association General Meeting A: ICTGA B: ICTA

Farmers Market tokens simplify sales for SNAP customers New design available from TokensDirect

TokensDirect has just released a new design for SNAP Tokens letting farmers accept payment without purchasing expensive POS terminals to read the new electronic benefit swipe cards.

TokensDirect has just released a new design to support Farmers Markets across the country. SNAP Tokens, or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Tokens, let farmers accept payment without purchasing expensive POS (point of sale) terminals to read the new electronic benefit swipe cards. Tokens are used to shop at all eligible food booths in the market. Customers purchase SNAP tokens by swiping their EBT (Electronic Benefit Card) at a centrally located POS device. The market’s management obtains a SNAP license which works for all farmers so only 1 POS terminal is needed.

Ohio Christmas Tree Association Summer Meeting The Ohio Christmas Tree Association (OCTA) Summer Meeting will take place on July 2-13, 2013 at Twinsberry Tree Farm and Killbuck Tree Farm in Shreve. This year’s meeting will

cover topics such as marketing Christmas trees, sprayer calibration as well as a new grower clinic. Registration is $55 per day or $90 for the two day event. If you

would like any further information on the OCTA or their activities, please contact the OCTA Office at 740828-3331 or visit www.ohiochristmastree.com.

For as little as $400 a Farmers Market can purchase 1,000 tokens with the SNAP token design on the front and any stock design on the back like a peace sign (design number #0036) or Eagle with Stars (#0009). An order of 5,000 aluminum tokens can be purchased for $620 (less than $0.13 each), with delivery 2 3 weeks later. Tokens can even be customized with the market’s logo for a one time set up charge. Aluminum SNAP tokens are food safe and fully recyclable. The design stays on forever. Unlike wooden tokens, they don’t absorb dirt, crack or warp and if they need cleaning, a little soap and water

works fine. They can be used for years. For high volume markets, redeeming tokens for cash to farmers can be quick. SNAP tokens work in high speed electronic coin counters, accurate tallies at up to 1,000/min. For more information on the SNAP program go to www.fns.usda. gov/snap. TokensDirect, a division of Osborne Coinage Co., offers a full line of tokens through their online store with factory direct pricing, low minimum order quantities and fast turnaround time on all orders. Over 250,000 tokens in a variety of designs and sizes are available for immediate shipment.

Whether stock or custom, every token is minted with crisply detailed impressions and accurate dimensions. Large or small orders ship from a conveniently located Cincinnati mint, minimizing transit time and cost. Many metals choices are available, including Brass, Red Brass, Nickel Silver, and aluminum, as well as nickel plating and bright color anodizing. To contact a Sales specialist at TokensDirect, call 866-2740868, or via mail to TokensDirect, 2851 Massachusetts Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45225, or via e-mail at ask@tokensdirect.com, or visit them online at www.tokensdirect.com.

2013 OFA Scholars announced Six students from across country selected Program is to provide students with an enriching professional development experience that increases their knowledge, industry awareness, and career enthusiasm. 2013 OFA Scholars • Josh Craver, Kansas State University • Steven Ferullo, Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute • Josh Henry, Ohio State University

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• Chris McKellar, Michigan State University • Garrett Owen, Purdue University • Alicia Rihn, University of Minnesota OFA Scholars will be on-site at the 2013 OFA Short Course (July 1316 in Columbus) and receive complimentary OFA Short Course registration, lodging, and meals. Additionally, they will receive a complimentary one-year OFA membership. Onsite at the OFA Short Course, Scholars will assist the OFA Generation Next Committee with events, conduct presentations that share their insight into industry issues, attend the trade show and educational sessions, meet with industry mentors, and network at various social events. More information on this year’s OFA Scholars, including biographies and photos, are available at www.ofa.org/scholars.

Month 2009 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Section A - Page 15

COLUMBUS, OHIO — The Association of Horticulture Professionals has selected six students to serve as the year’s OFA Scholars. This rigorous competitive application process identifies some of the industry’s brightest young professionals and helps to launch their careers in horticulture by providing education and networking opportunities. The goal of the OFA Scholars

Equipment financing means flexible solutions for unique business needs

Page 16 - Section A • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Month 2009

by William G. Sutton, CAE, President and CEO, Equipment Leasing and Finance Association Economic times are challenging many businesses, and the current economic environment poses even greater difficulties for entrepreneurial startups and small businesses that are struggling to get established, grow or just stay in business. The characteristic innovation, agility and hard work of these businesses are precisely what the U.S. economy needs to get moving again; however, their nature of being newer, less capitalized or less established creates a catch-22 that impedes their ability to secure the credit they need. That’s why it has never been more important for startups and small businesses to understand their options for financing the equipment needed to operate and grow their businesses. Acquiring equipment through leasing and other financing methods is more flexible and customizable to meet unique business needs than most funding options. This makes equipment finance a perfect fit for startups and small businesses, both of which may have trouble getting traditional bank loans. With equipment finance,

there’s no jumping through the same hoops as with commercial and industrial loans. For example, typically most lenders want to see two years of financials, which startups, by definition, don’t have. Equipment finance is a $725 billion industry in the United States, and it is easy to find industry participants who customize their service offerings by end user industry, equipment type, ticket size or end user business size. There are equipment finance companies that offer special programs for startups, and companies that specialize in services for small and mid-size businesses. The important thing to remember is that equipment finance companies offer flexible options that help equip all types of businesses for success. This is a particularly good time to finance equipment because there is so much liquidity in the marketplace. There are many funding sources — leasing companies and banks — that are looking to lend because they have the cash available to deploy. So, a highly competitive marketplace makes this a favorable time for end users to finance productive equipment.

Key benefits for unique business needs In addition to current finance market conditions, the many benefits of equipment financing provide any number of reasons why it is an advantageous option for businesses. The following are among the most compelling benefits for the financial and operational needs of startups and small businesses: • 100 percent financing with no down payment. Unlike with most traditional lenders, it is possible to arrange 100 percent financing of equipment with no down payment. This is a critical benefit since cash flow is often a concern for small and new businesses. Holding on to cash, or working capital, enables it to be used for other areas of the business, such as expansion, improvements, marketing or R&D. • Elimination of risk of ownership. A business just starting out can use equipment financing to help mitigate the uncertainty of investing in a capital asset until it achieves a desired return, increases efficiency, saves costs or meets other business objectives. • Expense planning for cash flow and business cycle fluctuations. Financing equipment

helps maintain cash flow and greater certainty in budgeting by setting customized rent payments to match cash flow and even seasonal cash flows. • Meet the business’s equipment needs. Leasing, loans or other financing enables businesses to acquire more and better equipment than they could have without financing. It is more feasible to make monthly payments than to make large cash outlays for equipment up front. • Updated technology/Obsolescence management. To be on the cutting edge and be competitive, businesses need access to new technology. Certain leasing finance programs allow for technology upgrades and/or replacements within the term of the lease contract. Also, since the lessor owns the equipment, it bears the risk of the equipment becoming obsolete. There are many additional features of using leasing or other financing to acquire equipment that are also highly beneficial. The equipment expertise of equipment finance representatives makes them valued consultant to end users, providing services that range from setting resid-

ual rates through lifecycle asset management solutions. Many financing companies provide asset management services that track the status of equipment, know when to upgrade or update it, and provide services relating to installation, use, maintenance, de-installation and disposal of the equipment. Equipment disposal, particularly of computers and IT equipment, can prevent end users from incurring legal penalties for improperly disposing of such assets, which are often regulated by federal, state and local governments. Equipment management by a third party, such as an equipment financing company, can enhance the ability of a business to focus on its core operations. Equipment financing can even hedge against inflation because instead of paying the total cost of equipment up front or with a large down payment in today’s dollars, the stream of payments delays the outlay of funds. Preparing with thorough, accurate information will enable businesses to get the equipment they need at the best possible terms. To learn more about equipment financing or to find an equipment finance provider for your startup

William G. Sutton, CAE

or small business, visit www.EquipmentFinanceAdvantage.org. The site also contains informational videos, types of financing, a glossary of terms, a lease vs. loan comparison and questions to ask when financing equipment. William G. Sutton, CAE, is President and CEO of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association, the trade association that represents companies in the $725 billion equipment finance sector, which includes financial services companies and manufacturers engaged in financing capital goods. ELFA has been equipping business for success for more than 50 years. For more information, please visit www.ELFAOnline.org. Follow ELFA on Twitter @elfaonline.

Tara O’Meallain is awarded the WGIF Don Groth Memorial Scholarship

Tara O’Meallain, selected to receive the WGIF Don Groth Memorial Scholarship. Photo courtesy of the Wisconsin Green Industry Federation

Congratulations to Tara O’Meallain who has been selected to receive the $500 Don Groth Green Industry Scholarship. Tara is a horticulture student at the Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC). Tara’s love for plants and trees began during her childhood road trips away from her home in New Mexico. Growing up

around the desert, mountains, and cacti, she was amazed by the green she saw in the places her family traveled to. Eventually she embraced the green, after staying home with her four daughters and then embarking on a nursing career. She considered horticulture for a couple of years after seeing the MATC website.

“I finally made the switch and have never been happier,” she remarked. Tara is interning at Westmoor Country Club as the grounds manager and loves it. She enjoys the

people she works with and the people at MATC, and is very grateful to the Wisconsin Green Industry Federation for the scholarship. Congratulations, Tara!

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Expecting the unexpected Four tips to safeguard your business by Stan Craig Jan. 15, 2009, U.S. Airways Flight 1549 was on its way to Charlotte, NC, when two minutes after takeoff, a flock of Canadian geese flew into the aircraft causing both engines to fail. The passengers braced for impact. As the plane fell from the sky, the freezing waters of the Hudson River came into view and Flight 1549 hit the water at 150 mph. Dave Stockton, a businessman on the plane, said later in a television interview, “When you think you’re going to die, you start thinking about your life… your family, little league baseball, things like in a movie.” All 156 passengers survived the crash in the 36 degree water and their lives were changed forever. This was a totally unexpected occurrence in

everyone’s life that morning. But what was a sure disaster became a much different story than anyone could have imagined. Captain Sullenberger told Katie Couric in an interview on ABC that, while this emergency was unexpected, he was not unprepared. “One way of looking at this might be that for 42 years I’ve been making small regular deposits in this bank of experience, education and training. And on January 15 the balance was sufficient so that I could make a very large withdrawal.” What was evident to everyone on Flight 1549 was that this captain had spent sufficient time preparing himself for the unexpected. The unexpected occurs every day in our business and personal lives. Those who are wise al-

ways expect the unexpected and prepare accordingly. How do you prepare for the unexpected? • Value Experience Every business has a number of experiences — personal and corporate, positive and negative — in its history. It is impossible to run a business without facing and overcoming difficulty. The collective wisdom learned ought to be shared. Rather than forgetting and burying past mistakes, those who are wise will take the time to review and discuss past solutions and new ways to confront problems should they, or any problems similar, come again. This is not about assigning blame, but about discovering what went wrong and why. The corporate memory of senior employees to review problems in the

past can help prevent them in the future. The experience of Capt. Sullenberger made the difference in the lives of everyone on board. • Rethink Training In the archives of every business, whether it is entrepreneurial or corporation, big or small, events have occurred that need to be discussed and reviewed with an emphasis on discovering answers to past problems. This is exactly what Capt. Sullenberger’s training was all about. He had investigated accidents in the past and understood the fatal flaws that resulted in tragic consequences. Training is not just a special class or attending a seminar. Training takes place everyday in how we view and carry out our tasks and responsibilities. Safety

training is not simply where to find the fire extinguisher, but what fires were caused in the past and why. • Educate Everyone It is important to remember that Capt. Sullenberger was not selected for singular education in flight safety but was included in a number of flight safety training programs held throughout his career. What if his age, his background, his previous educational experiences, had disqualified him from training or what if he had decided it was unnecessary at his level of experience? Safety is everyone’s business and training everyone is in the best interest of every business. • Make Regular Deposits Every day your business has an opportunity to train, motivate and recognize your employees. Helping everyone do the best in whatever job he or she is doing ought to be the function of every manager.

Unexpected events do not always occur when leaders are around to make decisions. They can occur on the line, on the shipping dock, when the raw material is delivered, when a tiny flaw in the manufacturing process becomes apparent and that’s often the place and time to act. It is those everyday occurrences where confident and prepared have the opportunity to make a difference in the outcomes that affect our employees, our shareholders, our management team, our clients, products and the wellbeing of our business. The unexpected can come from anywhere, at any time. Who could have expected and prepared for a flock of Canadian geese to bring down a modern aircraft? Captain Sullenberger responded by trusting his experience, education and training to guide him in wise and thoughtful action.

Unexpected 18

Month 2009 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Section A - Page 17

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Emphasize safety for an a-mazingly great time by Sally Colby When a Massachusetts family became lost in a corn maze in October 2011, they frantically dialed 911 and waited for assistance. The family had entered the maze with their two young children during daylight and found themselves still in the maze at dusk. The police found the family (safe and sound) shortly after arriving at the farm, but the story made national news. If your farm’s fall activities include a maze constructed of corn or other living material, take steps prior to the season to ensure that all guests have a positive and memorable experience. Farms that offer agritainment should be fully aware that most of their patrons are not from farms, and are likely to be unfamiliar with the farm setting. Begin the maze experience by planning far in advance of the season. Create a clear list of rules, a policy on how violators will be handled, and train employees on how to handle everything from parking to injured or lost guests. Employees should be mature enough to follow instructions from management, and be able to think on their own for emergency situations. Prior to opening the maze, review safety rules with all employees — even those employees who return each year. Employees should wear distinct, brightcolored T -shirts, ideally imprinted with the farm logo, and with wording that makes it clear that

they’re staff members and have the authority to monitor corn maze activity. Employees should understand that they are the key to ensuring a memorable experience for all guests. Items that should be prohibited in any maze should include food or beverages of any kind, although some larger mazes allow water bottles during hot weather. If water bottles are permitted, be sure to place trash receptacles throughout the maze and encourage guests to recycle. Define policies for extreme conditions including severe weather such as excessive heat, thunderstorms, hail or heavy wind; and train staff on how to deal with such conditions. Determine whether the maze is suitable for all ages, and if it isn’t, designate and post the age limitations clearly at the maze entrance. A list of rules should include a statement about why picking or throwing corn is prohibited. Guests should understand that the maze is a living puzzle and any corn that is knocked down cannot regrow. Use signage to remind guests to stay on the path and not cut through rows of corn. Encourage guests to wear closed-toe shoes in the maze for their own safety. Alert guests that a corn maze is a living, natural environment and to expect ‘natural’ occurrences such as insects, rocks and mud. Some farms that have large or intricate mazes supply guests with maps and clues about

how to find their way through. Employees should be familiar with the layout of the maze and be ready to assist guests. Take a day or so prior to the maze opening to allow employees to spend time in the maze and become familiar with the layout. Employees who will be stationed in the maze as ‘corn cops’ should be supplied with two-way radios, and instructed on how to communicate clearly and concisely with management. For example, if someone has fallen and perhaps injured, the employee should be able to describe the incident using key words in short sentences rather than trying to explain details. At least one first-aid kit should be placed at the maze entrance, and extra kits placed throughout larger mazes. Kits should include basic supplies such as BandAids, bee sting sticks and cleansing wipes. Make sure employees understand what kind of injury or sudden illness constitutes an emergency, and that employees know who to contact in the case of an emergency. The most common injuries in mazes are from slips and falls, which are usually related to weather conditions. If excessive rain causes wet or muddy areas in the maze, be prepared to put down wood chips or shavings to soak up excess moisture. Have a supply of wood chips or shavings to use on muddy spots. The likelihood of a fire in a corn maze is relatively low because corn

About the author Stan Craig, the founder of the ForeTalk Seminar, is an accomplished financial planner, executive coach and keynote speaker. He is also author of “ForeTalk: Taking Care of Tomorrow Today.” As a finance professional, Stan enjoyed a 27-year career at Mer-

rill Lynch, which included positions as National Sales Manager, Director of Global Sales for Defined Asset Funds and the First Vice President and Senior Director of the Office of Investment Performance. For more infor mation on Stan, please visit www.ForeTalkSeminar.com.

Unexpected from 17 Taking care of the little details, learning to be observant, openly discussing problems and issues without any fear is a trait of being successful. Training and experience helps everyone prepare for the unexpected so that when a major crisis comes a safe landing can be made.

is planted somewhat late to ensure green corn through October. However, an unusually hot and dry summer can lead to early corn maturation and increased fire risk. Maintain a strict no smoking policy and instruct employees on how to handle anyone

who is caught smoking around or in the maze. Even if there is a ‘no smoking on the premises’ policy for the entire farm property, it’s a good idea to post extra no smoking signs in or around the corn maze. If the corn begins to mature prior to the end of the maze season,

consider placing fire extinguishers throughout the maze and be sure that employees know how to use them. Many people check out agritainment websites prior to visiting, so take advantage of your website and post rules and safety guidelines for mazes by mid-summer.

Enviro-weather shows promise for growers of all kinds EAST LANSING, MI — Use of the online Enviroweather information system, driven by a comprehensive network of more than 70 weather stations across Michigan and designed to assist agricultural production, is resulting in reduced pesticide use, increased crop yields and improved crop quality. A 2011 survey of 1,000 fruit growers indicates that Enviro-weather helped to save at least $1.7 million in grower costs. Savings were largely due to fewer pesticide applications throughout the season. Growers surveyed also indicated an estimated 7 million pounds in increased crop yield. More than 70 percent of those growers attributed the increased produce quality to use of the Enviro-weather applications. The growers also said they used 50 percent fewer pesticide treatments (saving more than 300,000 pounds of pesticides) to control

four major fruit pests. Enviro-weather co-director Jeff Andresen said that although the surveys were completed in 2011 by fruit growers, the results suggest potential savings for other crops grown in state as well. “I believe that as soon as any grower uses Enviro-weather, he or she will see the potential it has for operations,” said the MSU professor of geography. “We have over 50 weather-based applications that can be used, and it’s just a matter of letting people know that this tool is out there and letting them know what it can do for them.” Data generated by the stations is collected, processed, archived and integrated into programs and applications designed to help Michigan growers with decisions about land and crop management. According to user surveys, Enviroweather has enabled farmers to more accurately predict weather

events, pest outbreaks and atmospheric trends. The former Michigan Automated Weather Network was joined with the MSU Integrated Pest Management Program to form Enviro-weather in 2006 to broaden the resource use provided by both programs. Since its first full year of operation, Enviro-weather use has grown 500 percent. In 2012, eight new weather stations were added to the system, thanks to funding from Michigan Sugar, Kalamazoo College, the Ruth Mott Foundation, the Michigan Potato Industry Commission and the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (USDARD). Spring and early summer are times when use is especially high — the number of product requests can exceed 4,000 per day. During the 2012 calendar year, Enviroweather data and products were accessed an average of about 1,500 times per day.

“Those numbers are constantly going up as more growers discover the program,” Andresen said. Data are generated from 72 stations across Michigan and six stations in Wisconsin. “All the stations report detailed information for a number of weather variables. We also cross-reference with weather data and information provided by the National Weather Service (NWS), but Enviro-weather monitors variables that the NWS does not monitor routinely — most notably, soil temperature, volumetric soil moisture, leaf wetness and solar radiation,” Andresen said. “With some of our products, we also use forecast guidance data from the National Weather Service to provide estimates of what growers can expect in the future. We also utilize Weather Service operational data to help fill in any missing

data or data gaps. Some of our models require complete data series to run properly, so our ability to estimate any missing data has helped us provide growers with better, more reliable products.” Funded in part by Project GREEEN (Generating Research and Extension to meet Economic and Environmental Needs), MSU Extension and MSU AgBioResearch, Enviro-weather was involved in more than 20 conferences, workshops, meetings and symposiums in 2012. The grower survey was conducted by the Michigan field office of the National Agricultural Statistical Service (NASS) in collaboration with the MSU Center for Economic Analysis. For more information on Enviro-weather or to subscribe, visit www.enviroweather.msu.edu/. MSU AgBioResearch engages in innovative,

leading-edge research that combines scientific expertise with practical experience to generate economic prosperity, sustain natural resources, and enhance the quality of life in Michigan, the nation and the world. It encompasses the work of more than 300 scientists in six MSU colleges — Agriculture and Natural Resources, Communication Arts and Sciences, Engineering, Natural Science, Social Science and Veterinary Medicine — and has a network of 13 research centers across the state. Since its beginning, Michigan State University Extension (MSUE) has focused on bringing knowledge-based educational programs to the people of the state to improve lives and communities. Staff members, in concert with on-campus faculty members, serve Michigan citizens with

Enviro-weather 20

Month 2009 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Section A - Page 19

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U.S. House Farm Bill defeat could lead to more extensions of 2008 Farm Bill by Tracy Turner COLUMBUS, Ohio – The defeat of the U.S. House farm bill on June 20 over disagreements in cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and costs associated with crop insurance and other farm subsidies could lead to another extension of some provisions of the 2008 Farm Bill, similar to what happened last year after Congress could not agree on a new 2012 farm bill, an Ohio State University farm policy expert said. A new farm bill likely won’t pass until legislators are able to cobble together a majority coalition in a politically d i v i d e d Congress, which in turn reflects a divided country and a divided farm bill constituency, said Carl Zulauf, an agricultural economics professor in Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. The Republican-led House defeated the fiveyear, $500 billion measure by a vote of 234195, with many Democrats concerned about $20.5 billion in cuts to SNAP and other food nutrition programs. On the other hand, 62 Republicans voted no because of concerns about the cost of the bill. The Senate passed a version of the farm bill June 10, with some $2.4 billion a year in

cuts and a $400 million annual decrease in food stamps, which is about one-fifth of the House bill's proposed food stamp cuts. The Obama Administration had said it supported the Senate version of the farm bill but indicated that it would veto the House bill. So now, Zulauf said, the real question is, “What do we do from here?” “It’s not clear why individual members voted against this bill – the SNAP program was an issue, as was cost,” he said. “But in my experience, few legislators vote against a bill for a single reason. “It’s really important to understand the broadly divergent individual reasons lawmakers voted against the bill. Only by attaining this understanding can you arrive at a compromise that will pass. The objective is to get a bill passed. The farm bill is an omnibus bill and thus has to satisfy a broad range of constituency concerns in order to move the bill forward.” Going forward, the House Agriculture Committee could come up with a new farm bill formulation and then move through the process, although most observers think this is unlikely at present, Zulauf said. “Or the House could take up the Senate farm bill and vote on it

Enviro-weather from 19 programming in food and agriculture production, nutrition and food safety, community and natural resources development, youth development and renewable energy. Project GREEEN, a partnership between MSU, the state’s plantbased commodity

groups and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Rural Development, has forged partnerships to set the standard for integrated research and information delivery to swiftly and efficiently solve grower and processor problems.

with no amendments. If it passes, then we would have a farm bill,” he said. “But it is likely the House won’t pass the Senate version since the House-proposed farm bill differed from the Senate farm bill. “So that leaves the possibility of a one-year

or multi-year extension of some version of the previous farm bill. That’s something that we will have to keep an eye on over the next couple of weeks.” The 2008 Farm Bill extension expires in September. Some policy actors have said that the farm

provisions should be in a separate bill with the SNAP program in its own bill. “I raise caution against separating the bill because as it stands, it makes the connection between farming and the consumption of food,” Zulauf said. “Also, if you

remove nutrition programs from the farm bill, will there be enough interest from legislators who don’t have farming interests in their communities to get a farm bill passed? “Separation of the bill could lessen broadbased support to get a farm safety net passed.”

FAL L HARVE S T

Budgeting for a corn maze A growing number of farmers are developing agritourism enterprises to increase farm income, diversify their businesses, and increase their customer bases. Additional benefits can include building positive community relations and raising educational awareness of agriculture. A corn maze is a popular component of many agritourism enterprises; either as a standalone activity or in combination with other onfarm attractions (e.g., hay rides, petting zoos, and picnic areas). A corn maze can also be an ef-

fective tool to attract customers to retail farm markets. Corn mazes vary in complexity, size, and purpose. The development of a corn maze, like any farm business venture, requires proper planning. Important questions to consider include: How many visitors can my farm accommodate? Is my parking adequate? How will I ensure the safety of farm visitors? Do I need to hire additional employees to staff a maze? Are there regulatory requirements that I need to address? How will I market my

maze? Naturally, the development of a new corn maze also raises financial questions, including: How much will it cost to develop a corn maze and how many visitors do I need to make my maze profitable? Careful budgeting for the establishment and operation of a corn maze is an important component in determining its economic feasibility and managing farm financial risk. This fact sheet provides a budget template summarizing common expenses associated with designing, establishing, and operating a corn

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maze. Although a sample budget for a hypothetical five-acre corn maze is constructed, it is important to note that there is no “typical” corn maze. Costs will differ from farm to farm. To maximize the effectiveness of this planning tool, producers should carefully develop their own budget assumptions. Farm-specific costs can be calculated for each budget category by completing the worksheets included in each of the categories using information specific to your farm. Corn Maze Budget Categories Corn Production The cost of producing corn based on Extension

Maze 22

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A corn maze is a popular component of many agritourism enterprises; either as a stand-alone activity or in combination with other on-farm attractions. Photo courtesy of Swore Farms

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Agritourism — keeping passengers safe on hay rides by William J. Bamka and Stephen Komar Introduction In order to remain economically viable, many farms are taking advantage of the rural and outdoor appeal of the farm and developing entertainment attractions which offer visitors a “farm experience.” There are many agritourism options in-

cluding corn mazes, hay rides, pumpin patches, and pick your own. A common component of many of these attractions is transporting guests on a hay ride using a tractor and hay wagon. With the potential liability of transporting guests, hay ride safety is an increasingly important issue.

Many of the accidents associated with hay rides could be avoided or eliminated by following simple safety precautions. Without proper conrol measures in place, you have an accident waiting to happen. Many accidents can be attributed to inadequate supervision or training, poor site and crowd control, or im-

rieties based on specific characteristics related to maze operation such as standability, maturity, and height rather than yield. Corn maze operators commonly establish higher plant populations or alter planting patterns (i.e., cross planting in a grid pattern), resulting in higher per-acre seeding costs. Additional production considerations may include altered weed management practices (i.e., pre applications rather than post applications of herbicides), inability to sidedress fertilizers, and yield loss due to late season pest damage. These

variations in production practices can impact input costs when compared to conventional practices. Cost of production budgets are available for many crops through land grant universities. These tools provide useful guidance to producers, but should be amended to reflect departures from conventional growing recommendations needed to establish a maze. Source: Rutgers U n i v e r s i t y ; http://njaes.rutgers.ed u/pubs/e343/corn-

Maze from 21

Page 22 - Section A • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Month 2009

recommendations designed for optimum grain yield vary, but typically range from $450 to $500 per acre. This reflects regular production expenses, including seeds, fertilizer, fuel, harvesting, management, and land charges. However, in many instances, producers adapt their production practices to facilitate the establishment of a maze. For example, to ensure corn stalks remain green during the maze operation season, corn maze operators often delay corn planting, which may reduce grain yields. They may also select va-

proper vehicle operation. This fact sheet will provide information to help reduce risks and increase the safety of hay rides. Before the Hay Ride Route inspections and maintenance The initial planning of the route of the hay ride is very important. Remember these 5 P’s: Proper Planning Pre-

vents Poor Performance. Your hayride route should be planned to allow for the most efficient movement of your visitors across the farm, and emphasize any points of interest you may wish to highlight. However, your first and foremost priority is to ensure the safety of your guests. After determining the

route of your hay ride, you should inspect the route with a critical eye looking for potential concerns. For example: • Identify any hazards or risks that must be addressed or avoided. Concerns can include and are not limited to overhead branches, wires, irrigation heads,

Agritourism 23

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sharp turns, uneven ground, and poorly drained soil. • Avoid on-road travel to the extent possible. This eliminates the need to deal with automobile and truck traffic. • Consider whether emergency vehicles can access areas of the farm covered by your hayride, should they be needed. Once the route has been determined, the job is not over. A daily pre-ride inspection should be conducted. Check to make sure there are no tire ruts, pot holes, fallen branches or other hazards that could change daily along the route. If needed consider grooming the trail after the day’s use with a York hay or roller. This will help ensure a flat and smooth surface for the hayride. Tractor and equipment preparation Maintaining and selecting the proper tractor for the hayride is critical for safety. When selecting a tractor for the hayride, use a Rollover Protective

Structure (ROPS) equipped tractor large enough to handle and stop the load without trouble. Remember your wagon will be filled with guests. The tractor pulling the wagon must have the power, weight, traction and braking ability to control the load. A complete service should be performed prior to putting a tractor into service running hayrides. This will help ensure tractors are safe and in good operating condition. Conduct a visual inspection of both the wagon and tractor each time a wagon is hitched to a tractor. • Check tires, fuel, oil, draw bars, lights, brakes and hitch pins. • Make sure the wagon has no loose boards, screws or splinters. • Consider the use of a safety chain connecting the front axle of the wagon to the tractor. • Make sure all tractors have proper lighting and markers. Slow Moving Vehicle (SMV) emblems and appropriate lighting should be provided for both tractors and wagons. • Warning lights on tractors can help increase visibility and

provide protection from motorists. This is essential if on-road travel is necessary. • When using a public road use escort vehicles with flashers to lead and follow the hay wagon to warn traffic. All tractors should also be equipped with a fire extinguisher, flashlight, first aid kit, and communication equipment. Never use more than one wagon per tractor. The use of multiple wagons can lead to “snaking” which can cause sideswiping or overturning of wagons. Training and communication Training is essential for all staff involved in the operation of the hayride. All tractor drivers should be trained in the operation of the tractors they will be using. Just because an employee can operate a tractor, does not mean they are a trained and qualified operator for your hayride. Make sure the tractor operator can start and stop smoothly. This is very important when there is a wagon load of people. Passengers can be thrown from the hayride and face serious injury if vehicles stop abruptly or accel-

erate rapidly. Drivers should be instructed to run the wagons at a slow speed, generally a walking pace. Make sure all drivers know how to brake properly and are familiar with the use of the differential brake lock should they begin to slip. It is a good practice to perform several rehearsal runs under the conditions drivers will be driving (i.e., night time or day time) prior to driving a hayride full of guests. Training is not only crucial for drivers, but also for the employees who will be responsible for loading, unloading and supervising the hayride. It is suggested that all wagons have a wagon supervisor or tour guide that is adequately trained. It is imperative that all employees know their roles and responsibilities, as well as their expected response during different scenarios. It is also advisable to have several employees who have basic first aid training and fire extinguisher training in the event of an emergency. Another important part of your safety program is a reliable communication system. It

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flow. Loading and unloading Many hayride accidents can be avoided by having a well organized loading and unloading procedure. To avoid confusion and reduce the risk of accidents or injuries, two clearly designated wagon loading and unloading areas are essential. Having these separate areas not only helps visitors, it also helps staff focus their efforts on either loading or unloading passengers. This also will reduce the risk of visitors coming in contact with moving tractors and wagons. Loading and unloading areas should be as flat as possible, with a clear field of view to reduce the possibility of passengers jumping in front of moving wagons. The loading and unloading platform should be designed to allow visitors to load and unload quickly, easily, and safely. Employees should be stationed to assist participants when loading and unloading the wagons. Many wagons include built-in steps to aid in loading. Consider the use of a handrail or a designated employee to assist with loading children or individuals with restricted mobility. Barricade fencing can be used to keep visitors in designated areas while they wait for their turn to ride. Fresh, dry straw should be used for the hayrides. Straw that has become wet from rain or dew is susceptible to mold and potentially slippery. Waiting areas should include signs that clearly list the basic safety rules of the ride as well as the minimum age and height requirements to ride alone. These rules should be recited by employees as visitors load the wagon. These rules should be explicitly designed to promote the safety and enjoyment of visitors. Some examples of common rules include: • No smoking

Agritourism 23

Month 2009 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Section A - Page 23

Thomas E. Doyle

is important that the tractor driver and the wagon supervisor, or tour guide, have effective communication in the event of an emergency such as a flat tire, unruly passenger or other situation that may require the ride to make an unexpected stop. Many well managed hayrides use twoway radios to communicate. These radios are cost-effective and allow communication between all farm employees. If radio communications are not available, visual communication is essential. Crowd control Managing customer flow is a crucial component of a welldeveloped safety plan. Crowd control should start by directing customers to your farm, and ultimately to a designated parking area. Once on your farm, it is essential that visitors know where to go and how you want them to move around your property during their visit. Make sure that you have adequate signage leading your customers from your parking area, through your ticket or sales area, and throughout your farm. These signs should be short, simple and clear to understand. In some situations, it may be required that your signage conform to state or local ordinances. It is also important to clearly designate areas where you do not want visitors to go. Areas such as chemical sheds, equipment storage, the farm residence, and other areas where a visitor may be injured should be clearly marked and locked if possible. In addition to signage, consider using rolled barricade fencing to clearly mark the route that visitors should follow when approaching the hayride loading station. This fencing is cost-effective, portable and provides a highly visible barrier. Employees stationed at critical points can also provide directions to assist in customer

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• No standing while the hayride is moving • No lighters • No camcorders or flash cameras • No laser pointers • No food or drink on ride • No alcohol • Keep arms and legs in ride at all times • No horseplay on ride During the Hayride The safe operation of the tractor during the hayride is of the utmost priority. Drivers should be thoroughly familiar with how to operate the tractor they are using. The tractor operator should take care to start and stop smoothly when people are on the wagon. This is a non-negotiable safety rule that all drivers must follow. Tractor drivers should never allow anyone between the tractor and the wagon while they are moving. This includes never allowing anyone to ride a wagon while standing on the wagon tongue. Tractor operators should drive slowly at all times; full throttle speeds are not necessary. On-road travel should be avoided whenever possible. If on road travel is necessary, escort vehicles with proper safety lighting should lead and follow the wagon. This will provide a warning to vehicular traffic that is traveling at faster speeds than the tractor and wagon. Never allow a tractor operator to take a spontaneous detour. A significant amount of time was invested in selecting the chosen route and insuring that hazards and risks were eliminated from the route. An unplanned route change could place visitors at risk. Supervision In order to ensure safety of visitors adult supervisors should beplaced on the wagon. The supervisors should enforce the rules of the hayride. The supervisors also serve as a vital communication link to tractor operators. Supervisors should not allow people to climb on

waiting tractors. The supervisor should make sure all passengers keep their hands and feet inside the wagon at all times during the hayride. Supervisors

should also make certain that all participants remain seated and do not move around or stand during the hayride. Supervisors should also assist with

loading and unloading of wagons. The addition of a hayride to your agritourism operation can greatly enhance the experience for your cus-

tomers. By following some simple, commonsense safety guidelines, you can help ensure that your customers have an enjoyable and safe visit to your farm.

Source: Rutgers University http://njsustainingfarms.rutgers.e du/Agritourismwp/_p df/Agritourism_Keeping_Passengers_Safe_o n_Hayrides.pdf

Willkommen to Germantown for the 42nd annual Summer Field Day & Trade Show, presented by the Wisconsin Nursery Association. Thursday, Aug. 8 from 9 a.m, until 4 p.m., one of the Green industry’s largest events takes place, this year to be held at historic Dheinsville Park, an original 1850s settlement in Germantown, WI. Tours to the nurseries and facilities of the two co-hosts, W. & E. Radtke and Lammscapes, will be held in the morning. The afternoon will feature the popular Scholarship,

The Wisconsin Nursery Association’s Summer Field Day & Trade Show is in Germantown Education, and Research Fund Auction, and for the entire day, exhibitors will showcase the latest in the Green industry, along with their Day-of-Show specials. Practice your bean bag tossing skills to increase your chances to win the raffle prize. You could win a brand new Stihl Commercial Hedge Trimmer, the prize for a lucky raffle ticket holder provided by Midwest Stihl, Inc., who is donating the Field Day raffle prize for the fifth year in a row. Proceeds from the raffle and the auction support WNA scholarships, educational pro-

grams, and research projects. Admission is free for attendees, so you can bring as many Green industry folks as you like. If you’d like to stay for lunch at the park, you’ll need to pre-order to be guaranteed your meal on-site. Delicious homemade food from Schwai’s will be available, including their giant brats with sauerkraut and a juicy chicken breast sandwich with sides and dessert, for $15 per person. Refreshments are available all day. You’ll want to board the bus to W. & E. Radtke, Inc. and to

Lammscapes — this year’s Field Day cohosts. Each has its own interesting history. W. & E. Radtke, Inc., started in 1929, had evolved from farms that had been in the family since 1852, when the Pagenkopf family bought farmland in Milwaukee thirteen years after they had arrived in America from Pomerania, Germany. 71 years later, the farm moved to its present location in Germantown, and it is now owned by George Radtke and Liesl Thomas, the great-grandchildren of William Radtke, who married into the Pagenkopf family and started his own farm in 1900. W. & E. Radtke, Inc. is now one of the largest perennial growers in the Midwest. Walking tours will visit their nursery, propagation, and production areas.

John Lamm started his landscaping career in 1960. After completing college and a stint in the Navy, he moved his business to Jackson in 1966 and created a full-time landscape company. Lammscapes currently occupies more than 150 acres, including about 20 acres for the nursery. John’s property includes two historic bridges, a memorial garden with a large gazebo, and a retail Garden Center full of beautiful finds. You’ll also notice John’s love of trains when you visit Lammscapes. Tours at Lammscapes will take in the Garden Center, nursery, and the Garden Railroad. Historic Dheinsville Park was founded by German immigrants from the Hunsruck Mountain region, and is the oldest business center in Germantown. The

settlement is home to the Sila Lydia Bast Bell Museum & Fire Hall. Sila L ydia Bast was born in Germantown and lived there from 1900 to 1992, and her bell collection of 5,000plus bells is housed in a restored barn that dates back to 1870. The Dheinsville settlement also includes Christ Church and the Wolf Haus Shoemaker Museum, both now occupied by the Germantown Historical Society. There’s a lot to see at the upcoming Wisconsin Nursery Association’s Summer Field Day & Trade Show. To register call WNA at 414-5294705 or go to www.wgif.net. If you are interested in exhibiting at this year’s Summer Field Day, you may also call the above telephone number. Ich werde sehen Sie dort! (See you there!)

A bird’s eye view of W. & E. Radtke, Inc., co-host of this year’s WNA Summer Field Day & Trade Show. Photos courtesy of the Wisconsin Green Industry Federation

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Month 2009 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Section A - Page 25

The Garden Railroad Train, one of many trains on display at Lammscapes.

Page 26 - Section A • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Month 2009

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Calendar of Events

Page 30 - Section A • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Month 2009

E-mail announcements of your regional event(s) to: jkarkwren@leepub.com We must receive your information, plus a contact phone number, prior to the deadline that’s noted under the Announcements heading on the 1st page of these Grower Classifieds. *** JUL 2-13 Ohio Christmas Tree Association Summer Meeting Twinsberry Tree Farm and Killbuck Tree Farm in Shreve. Registration is $55/day or $90 for the two day event. If you would like any further information on the OCTA or their activities, please contact the OCTA Office at 740-828-3331 or check us out on the web at www.ohiochristmastree.com JUL 12-13 OCTA Summer Meeting Twinsberry Tree Farm in Shreve. Watch for further details. JUL 16-17 International Fruit Tree Association (IFTA) tour Gettysburg, PA. On Internet at www.ifruittree.org JUL 19-20 Iowa CTGA Annual Meeting Walnut Ridge Tree Farm, Indianola, Iowa. Contact Jan Pacovsky, 641-394-4534 or e-mail janpacovsky@hotmail.com. On net at www. iowachristmastrees.com JUL 25-26 PCTGA Summer Meeting Blue Ridge Christmas Tree Farm. Information at admin@christmastrees.org. JUL 26-27 2013 Mid-America Christmas Tree Association Summer Meeting & Trade Show Hensler Nursery in Hamlet, IN. For more info www. midamericachristmastree.org JUL 29 - AUG 9 2013 10th Annual Michigan Garden Plant Tour Educate growers and industry professionals about new and existing plant selections and observe how they perform in different garden settings. Greenhouse growers, landscapers, garden center operators, and nurserymen are invited to visit each of the seven participating sites from July 29 to Aug. 9. Visit the Tour website for detailed information. On net at http ://planttour.hrt.msu.edu AUG 2-3 MCTA Summer Meeting Schmuckal Tree Farm, Kingsley, MI. Get updated on important industry happenings, catch up with old friends, see the new offerings of industry suppliers and to start preparing for the 2013 harvest season. Hotels: Holiday Inn Express, Cadillac:

231-779-4656 - $130 for 2 queen beds, $138 for King rooms/suites. Due to the film festival in Traverse City, hotel rooms there will be expensive and difficult to secure. For that reason, we have chosen to offer a Cadillac hotel. Attendees could also consider camping and local motels. A more complete list of lodging options will be made available on the website with the registration materials. On Internet at www.mcta.org AUG 8 WNA Summer Field Day & Trade Show Dheinsville Park, Germantown, WI. Call 414-5294705. On Internet at www.wgif.net AUG 10 NCTA Pre-Season Clinic Renaissance Arlington Capital View, Arlington, VA. The Clinic is designed to help Christmas Tree growers and retailers get their businesses in shape for the coming sales season and beyond. Contact NCTA Staff, 636-449-5070 or e-mail info@ realchristmastrees.org. On net at www.christmastree AUG 12-14 All American Selections Summer Summit Waterfront Hotel, Burlington, Ontario. Annual gathering to learn more about AAS and see a few of our many trials. On net at www. all-americanselections.org AUG 15-16 36th International Carrot Conference Monona Terrace Community & Convention Center, Madison, WI. To bring together everyone interested in carrots: growers, packers, shippers, seed producers, breeders, pathologists, sellers, marketers, university and government researchers, extension specialists, students and others. For complete information, visit the conference website at http://vcru.wisc.edu/simon lab/carrotconference/index. html. Contact CALS Conference Services, 608-263-1672 or conference@cals.wisc.edu AUG 23-24 Wisconsin CTPA SummerConvention Farm tours at Nelson Family Tree Farms & Rocky Ridge Tree Farms in the Wild Rose area. Contact Cheryl Nicholson, 608-742-8663 or e-mail info@christmastrees-wi.org. On net at www.christmas trees-wi.org

5 EASY WAYS TO PLACE A COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER CLASSIFIED AD PHONE IT IN - Just give Peggy a call at 1. 1-800-836-2888 FAX IT IN - For you MasterCard,Visa, 2. American Express or Discover customers... Fill out

the form attached completely and fax to Peggy at (518) 673-2381 MAIL IT IN - Fill out the attached form, calculate the cost, enclose your check or credit card information and mail to:

Country Folks Grower Classifieds PO Box 121, Palatine Bridge, NY 13428

IT IN - E-mail your ad to 4. E-MAIL classified@leepub.com - Go to www.cfgrower.com 5.ON-LINE and follow the Place a Classified Ad button to place your ad 24/7!

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ONLA names Amy Eldridge as CENTS manager WESTERVILLE, OHIO — The Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association is pleased to announce its recent hire of Amy Eldridge, who joins the ONLA team as CENTS Manager. In this role, Eldridge will develop and manage strategies to provide top-flight exhibitor and attendee experiences at the Midwest’s premier nursery, landscape, and garden center convention. CENTS is offered annually to green industry professionals to provide business knowledge about sales, operations and profitability along with con“Specialists” in “Out-of-the-Ordinary” Farming Needs

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want everyone affiliated with CENTS to emerge motivated, energized, and inspired.” Eldridge comes to ONLA with more than a decade’s experience in the convention and expo field. Most recently, Eldridge worked as event director for the Ohio Association for the Education of Young Children. There, she led exhibitor and attendee engagement initiatives, including sales and marketing, education, and event planning. This experience has made Eldridge’s early days with ONLA smooth.

“Martin Luther King once said, ‘Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, what are you doing for others?’ I intend to apply this credo, along with my background in association service and my experience in managing large conventions to CENTS and open new business doors for exhibitors, help industry professionals network and learn, and redefine the CENTS experience.” Eldridge will manage all aspects of CENTS, from sales of exhibit space to the development of exhibitor education materials, from

efficient move-in and move-out to on-theshow-floor learning experiences. Eldridge will ensure that CENTS, the oldest, largest, and most respected nursery, landscape, and garden center trade show in the Midwest, continues to provide customized experiences to motivate green industry professionals, improve industry performance and sales, and create collaborative learning and networking opportunities. An industry show for industry people, CENTS provides tools and resources on mis-

sion-critical business and green industry issues, trends and opportunities. From lead generation and operations information to pre-season buying incentives and Short Course educational programs, CENTS creates a high-energy forum where attendees can buy, sell, learn and meet. CENTS goes beyond the green side of the business to the business side of the business, to help the industry survive and prosper. For more information, call 800-8255062.

residual herbicides will influence grape vines’ health and vigor. For instance, previously grown alfalfa leave soils too high in Nitrogen. Before planting grapes, grow an annual crop to utilize that Nitrogen. Old vegetable fields often have excess levels of Potassium or Phosphates. Before Planting Start with a good soil test. Determine soil drainage characteristics of each area. Run a separate soil test for each soil type, grape type and/or treatment plan. (i.e. irrigation, fertilizer programs, etc.) Collect soil samples at two depths: the top 6 to 8” and anoth-

er sample of the parent material 12 to 16” deep. Tell the lab your intended crop and cultivar; request organic matter as well as micro and macronutrient analysis. Amend soils for optimize fertility and pH for your intended grape variety BEFORE planting using the soil test recommendations. If you are unclear on the soil test lab’s recommendations, seek guidance from a local University’s Extension Agent. After Planting For every one percent of organic matter in soils, that soil has the potential to release about 20 pounds of nitrogen per

acre per year. Grapevines generally do best on soils containing 2 to 3 percent organic matter. After planting, apply some nitrogen to get the vines off to a good start. In the second year, apply 30 to 40 pounds of nitrogen per acre, adjusting up or down based on the soil’s organic matter content. Once the grapevines come into production, petiole analysis should be done annually to determine the nutritional status of the vineyard. Petiole samples can be collected either at bloom or mid-season (mid-July to mid-August / 70-100 days after bloom / early veraison). Collect 100 to 200 petioles per sample. When sampling at bloom, collect petioles opposite the first cluster, and the most recently, fully expanded leaf when sampling mid-summer. Even if your plants seem fine, run this test annually. Always collect samples on the same date, or at the same growth stage, every year. Dr. Domoto recommends mid-summer testing. In spring, vines making rapid shoot growth, depleting root zone nutrients leading to variability in spring tests versus more stable mid-summer levels. If your plants are flagging, run a petiole test. If the test shows a problem, run a soil analysis to

Grapevine nutrition by Sanne Kure-Jensen Dr. Paul Domoto, pomology and viticulture researcher and fruit extension specialist at Iowa State University, presented a viticulture and enology workshop recently.

A good vineyard manager encourages a balance between vine growth and fruit production achieved through pruning and soil nutrition. Understand a field’s crop history to ensure

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Month 2009 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Section A - Page 31

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tinuing education through the esteemed The Ohio State University Nursery Short Course. The convention draws exhibitors and attendees including growers, independent garden centers, landscape contractors, arborists, turf, and pest management professionals. “I am excited to serve ONLA members and industry partners. Their professional success is my top priority,” Eldridge said. “Creating the best experience possible for every CENTS exhibitor and attendee is my goal. I

OFA Short Course July 13-16 Cool people, creative ideas, hot products, and a world-class experience. Interact with the industry’s best and brightest; get innovative ideas from the educational pro-

gram; see plants, hardgoods, and business services that can make you money; enjoy some down time in beautiful Columbus. See for yourself why

Short Course brings together the global marketplace better than any other event. Industry professionals from all 50 states and 20 countries will attend this year’s

event. It's your chance to get a worldwide perspective on horticulture and connect with the innovative people and ideas that will propel your business forward.

This is the 85th edition of the Short Course, so we have a history of providing an excellent networking and learning experience. Please join us at

this year’s Short Course, July 13-16 in Columbus, Ohio. Welcome! For more information or to register visit www.ofashortcourse.org

If your soils have less than 2 percent organic matter, raise your Nitrogen fertilizer 10 to 25 percent. If your soils have 2 to 3 percent organic matter, add 30 pounds/acre/year of Nitrogen. If your soils have more than 3 percent organic matter, reduce Nitrogen inputs this year and adjust future amounts based on your next test results. Sandy soils will hold less nutrients and leach more into groundwater supplies so split applications of highly soluble nutrients like Nitrogen are recommended in early spring and just after bloom time. If your fields have trickle or drip irrigation, Dr. Domoto suggested using a gentle liquid feeding with irrigation until mid-summer. Nitrogen Forms - Soil pH should be used to determine which form of Nitrogen to apply. Nitrate-N is best for acid soils (below 6.0). The best time to apply this form is at bud break. If Zinc and/or Potassium levels are low, you may not see a response to adding Nitrogen alone.

Urea works best for soils with a pH in the optimum range. It can be taken up as urea or convert to ammonium-N and then to nitrate-N before being taken up by grapevines. The best time to apply is early spring or late fall, when vine growth has stopped. In high temperatures or with high pH soils, urea can quickly volatilize quickly reducing the nutritional gain and literally tossing your money into the air. If soil temperatures are high and you need to apply this form, apply it just ahead of a rainstorm. Ammonium-N should be used when the soil pH is above the optimum range. The best time to apply is early spring or late fall, when vine growth has stopped. Ammonium-N must convert to nitrate-N before being taken up by grapevines, and for this to occur, soil temperatures need to be over 50 degrees F. Ammonium-N is less prone

to leaching. Manure can be added

in late fall when growth has stopped. Avoid spring

Grapevine 33

Grapevine from 31

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identify any soil nutritional issues. Note trends and use the petiole test results to adjust future annual fertilizer programs. Fertility Plan Calculations When calculating the amount of Nitrogen to add to a field, start with the grape cultivar’s requirements and an understanding of your soils. Grapevines need 40 to 80 pounds of Nitrogen/acre/year depending on their variety. Turf between the grape rows generally use 30 pounds of Nitrogen/acre/year leaving 10 to 50 pounds for the grapevines. If you remove canes, prunings and leaves rather than shred or compost them in place, you will remove about 5 tons per acres or 23 pounds of Nitrogen/acre/year as well as a source of organic matter that could give up 20 pounds of Nitrogen/acre/year. In areas with frequent lightning storms, another 10 pounds of Nitrogen/acre/year can become available.

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Grapevine from 32 or summer applications for food safety. Phosphorus - Phosphorous should be optimized before planting a vineyard so that it can be tilled down into the root zone. Sandy soils tend to be low in Phosphorus. Adding organic matter like manure or grape pumace can help bind phosphorus and make it available. Dr.

Domoto recommends using Ammonium monophosphate in sandy soils as per soil test and label recommendations. Potassium - If topdressing, high rates will be needed to get this mineral to plant roots. Only add potassium if petiole tests and soil tests show a deficiency. Check that adding

Potassium will not interfere with Magnesium uptake and that excessive Magnesium is not interfering with the Potassium uptake. When Potassium Chloride, Potassium Sulfate, or Potassium Magnesium Sulfate is applied to the soil to correct a potassium deficiency, the response is slow. Dr. Domoto sug-

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gested that foliar applications are often needed during the first, and sometimes second, growing season following a soil application. Magnesium - If the soil pH is low, apply dolomite lime to raise the pH. If the soil pH is in the optimum range, apply soil applications magnesium oxide or Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate), Post-bloom foliar applications of Epsom salt can also be used. Calcium - Low calcium can be a problem on sandy soils. If the soil pH is low, apply limestone to raise the pH. If the pH is in the optimal range, apply gypsum (calcium sulfate). Calcium nitrate can also be used as the nitrogen fertilizer source. Sulfur -If petiole sulfur is above 0.1 percent Dr. Domoto considers it to be adequate. If it drops below 0.1 percent, sulfur-containing fertilizers can be applied. Liq-

uid lime sulfur used to control grape anthracnose provides a source of sulfur, and if a variety is not sensitive to sulfur, sulfur fungicides can be used in the disease control program. Micronutrients Boron is often lacking and is needed for improved pollination and fruit set. Apply 4 to 6 pounds/acre/year at 3” shoot length. For open blooming varieties, apply again post bloom if soil tests warrant. The leaves of some grape varieties are highly sensitive to copper and the plants need dormant season applications (at higher rates). Copper can generally be applied after 10” shoot size; multiple light applications are best. Do not apply during cool, wet weather or risk leaf damage. Properly applied, during the growing season, copper offers disease control. Manganese is generally excessive but can be

deficient in sandy soils. Lime in high pH soils to make less Manganese available. If needed, Mancozeb can supply Manganese and provide early season disease control. Be cautious of preharvest day intervals. Zinc can be deficient in terraced, leveled or high pH soils. If needed, Mancozeb or Ziram can supply Zinc and provide early season disease control. Be cautious of preharvest day intervals. Chelated Zinc is another option for applying zinc as a foliar spray. Iron is often low in sandy and high pH soils. Chelated iron can be applied in a foliar spray, repeated every 10-20 days. Work to lower pH with ammonium and sulfurcontaining fertilizers. For more information on grapevine nutrition, visit http://viticulture .hort.iastate.edu or email Professor Paul Domoto at domoto@iastate.edu, or call 515294-0035.

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Month 2009 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Section A - Page 33

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Upcoming meeting to focus on management of invasive aquatic weeds LAWRENCE, KS — Scientists, professionals and policymakers interested in the management of aquatic weeds will gather next month for the Aquatic Plant Management Society (APMS) annual meeting. The Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) is among the exhibitors at the event, which is scheduled for July 14-17 in San Antonio, TX. “The APMS conference has become an important forum for sharing research and best practices that help us reduce the significant threat aquatic weeds represent to our economy,” says Lee Van Wychen, Ph.D., science policy director for the Weed Science Society of America. “Aquatic invaders can clog flood control channels, impair water supplies and endanger important centers of water-based commerce, recreation and tourism.” This year’s APMS conference will feature dozens of presentations and poster sessions on invasive aquatic plants and how to best manage them — from the use of hydroacoustic technology to track underwater weeds to the latest techniques for controlling toxic algae blooms. In addition, three special half-day sessions are planned around the following themes: • Herbicide Resistance Management in Aquatics. As a prelude to policy work on guidelines that can reduce the development of herbicide resistance among aquatic weeds, APMS will host a special session featuring individuals from industry, academia and public management, as well as herbicide applicators. Attendees will have an opportunity to share their personal perspectives and concerns about resistance issues. The guidelines APMS develops will complement similar policy guidelines developed by WSSA to reduce resistance among

terrestrial weeds. • Perspectives on Research and Management Progress. Experts from terrestrial weed science and related disciplines will discuss

strategies that may benefit their colleagues in aquatic plant management. Each presenter will explore the link between research, technology and

changes in management techniques. • Aquatic Plant Management in Texas. The Texas chapter of APMS will lead a session on aquatic plant manage-

ment issues, research and best practices — from the management of giant reed (Arundo donax) on Lady Bird Lake in Austin to an update on the work of

the Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Foundation. For more information on the APMS annual meeting, visit www.apms.org.

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