July 2012
MidWest n Edition
Section One of One
GROWER
Volume e 11 r7 Number
$2.50
Serving All Aspects of Commercial Horticulture
Greenhouse e • Nursery y • Garden n Centerr • Fruitt & Vegetable e • Farm m Marketss • Landscaperss • Christmas
Reenders Blueberry Farms is a family affair ~ Page 2 Congressmen witness ‘historic’ devastation in western Michigan orchards ~ Page 3
Classifieds . . . . . . . . . 22 Fall Harvest . . . . . . . . 11 Christmas. . . . . . . . . . 25 Today’s Marketing . . . 5 INSERTS Grower Marketplace Green Star Farm
Reenders Blueberry Farms is a family affair
Page 2 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • July 2012
by Kelly Gates There are five co-owners — all family members. The farms encompass 750 acres. And each year, the company, Reenders Blueberry Farms of West Olive, MI, is visited by thousands of people from throughout west Michigan and areas beyond who stop by to buy the best blueberries around. According to one of the owning partners, Ken Reenders, the blueberry farm has always been a family affair. And the aim is to continue passing it down from generation to generation. My father started the company in 1956. He bought the land and my brothers and I helped him plant and get the business going,” Reenders told Country Folks Grower. “We started with 30 acres, working part time at the farm and the rest of the time in the construction industry.” The initial property was a blank slate that the Reenders men planted with Jersey, Blue Crop and Blue Ray blueberries. While they had a tractor to help with prepping the soil, most of the planting work was done by hand. Today, two of the brothers, Ken and Lawrence co-own the business with Ken’s sons Michael and Steven and Lawrence’s son Bruce. Together, they operate the original 30acre parcel. They also oversee production in many different fields
Brian Hilldreth poses for a photo next to the harvester. Photos courtesy of Reenders Blueberry Farms
filled with enough blueberry varieties to keep the operation open from early July through the end of August. “This year, because we had such nice weather for a few weeks in early spring, we expect the berries to be ready by the latter part of June,” said Reenders. “Some years our season runs through the middle of September.” Situated alongside U.S. 31, a major road-
way that runs north and south through Michigan, Reenders Blueberry Farms is in the perfect place to attract travelers. If the large U-pick signs don’t catch the attention of passersby, the vast collection of antique tractors and steam engines displayed at the front of the property surely will. According to Reenders, his relatives have acquired a myriad of old farm machinery over the
Reenders Blueberry Farms carries a full line of value-added items ranging from jam, honey, syrup, blueberry pies, blueberry muffins, muffin mixes and candy. They also carry Michigan souvenirs and blueberry-infused air sprays, seasonings, spreads, dips and replica Reenders toy semi-trucks.
years. They have also amassed an impressive assortment of household items from bygone eras. “We have a large red building here that is filled with all sorts of antiques,” noted Reenders. “In the summertime, it is open every day for people to walk through at no cost. It’s one of the unique things that draws people here.” People also come from far and wide for the experience of picking their own produce. They can fill their buckets with blueberries in the company’s West Olive fields, or they can buy them by the box at the retail store. Along with fresh blueberries, Reenders carries pre-picked fruits like raspberries, cherries and peaches — all supplied by local growers. The company also has a full line of value-added items ranging from jam, honey, syrup, blueberry pies, blueberry muffins, muffin mixes and candy to Michigan souvenirs and blueberry-infused air sprays. Canned fruits and vegetables, gourmet flavored caramel corn, a large selection of seasonings, spreads, dips and replica Reenders toy semi-trucks are among the many other products sold there. It takes a lot of coordination to manage such a multitiered business. There’s enough to do that the family and staff are busy year round. “In the fall, we plant cover crops and do some
of our new bush planting then too, because we have more time than in the spring,” said Reenders. “Throughout the winter, our younger generation and a crew of pruners prune bushes, chop up any brush and replant in spaces where other bushes have died out. We also do maintenance work on tractors and other equipment in the winter.” By spring, it’s time to ground spray for weeds and apply fungicides to the blueberry bushes. Fertilizing comes next.
Then, some employees busy themselves cutting grass and roto-tilling between rows while others tend to the retail outlet and customers over the summer months. “Lawrence and I are supposed to be retired, but we’re still here enjoying the farm along with our sons, grandsons and granddaughters, and our wives, who also work here in the summers,” said Reenders. “We expect the business to stay in the family for a long time yet.”
Workers line up at the end of the day to place what they’ve picked into the bins.
Blueberries are checked for quality as they are carried to the packing area on the conveyor. On the left, Nate Reenders and Eric McKay, on the right is Ross DeYoung and Josh Loftis.
Congressmen witness ‘historic’ devastation in western Michigan orchards LANSING, MI — Had it not been so overwhelmingly heartbreaking it might have almost passed for humorous. After the first few stops on a tour of his weather-ravaged apple and cherry orchards May 25, Berrien County fruit grower Rodney Winkel posed the same question to his guests, which included several local fruit farmers and a member of Congress: “Where to next?” The answer was the same every time: “It doesn’t really matter,” Winkel said with an out-of-place chuckle. “No matter where we go, there’s nothing to see — there’s really nothing out there — not a peach, not a cherry, not an apple.” The degree to which western Michigan orchards have been wrecked this spring has most people in and near the agriculture industry talking in extremes, but even words like “disaster,” “catastrophic,” “devastated” and “decimated” seem inadequate after witnessing the situation firsthand. That was the intent of the farmers and tour organizers who hosted a foursome of congressmen throughout western Michigan this week in Leelanau, Berrien and Kent counties, where fruit cultivation is as much a part of the local culture as the Lake Michigan shoreline itself.
July 2012 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Page 3
discussion after the tour of Send’s orchard found involved pondering the proverbial big picture far not a single viable cherry. more than usual. Agriculture’s roots run deep in “What would you do if you lost 80, 85, 90, 95 or Michigan communities, and its branches extend far100 percent of your family’s income for a year?” said ther than many everyday consumers realize. Ben LaCross in opening the post-tour discussion. Apple growers fear for the survival of the packagHis orchards in nearby Cedar also suffered “com- ing facilities that supply the cardboard boxes in plete devastation,” as have those of the scores of which their fruit is packaged. Preparing to import cherry growers filling every chair and standing two fruit from the Middle East and Europe, cherry rows deep at the back of the room. See Congressmen page 3 “The next 15 months will be the worst economic times cherry growers will have ever known,” said Suttons Bay grower Don Gregory. Both congressmen pledged their support for the pending disaster declaration, and listened to farmers’ pleas for better risk management options for specialty crops, such as crop insurance, to be incorporated into the next farm bill. Both Camp and Benishek were in attendance because a reapportionment of their districts later this year will transfer several counties in the region from Camp’s District 4 to Benishek’s District 1. “I look forward to trying to be as helpful as possible,” Camp said, with Benishek adding that they would work with Michigan Farm Southwest Bureau (MFB) and other agencies Leelanau County cherry grower Jeff Send, at left, shows Rep. “This was truly historic. It’ll take a for guidance in making well- Dan Benishek, center, and Dave Camp the effects of bacteridecade to overcome this,” said Jon informed decisions about aid al canker on cherry trees in a part of his orchard he’s dubbed Hinkelman, who grows hundreds of efforts. “Death Valley.” acres of juice grapes for Welch’s near Photos courtesy of Michigan Farm Bureau Watervliet. “Last year we had our West third largest crop ever, with an averHopping out of his pickup truck age of 150 clusters per vine. This in a dense orchard of lush-looking year we’ll be lucky to get 30. apple trees in northeastern Kent “It won’t be economical to harvest,” County, fourth-generation apple he said, noting that it’s the first year grower Mike Wittenbach This Kent County appletree he’s questioning the value of even announced, “I’m blessed. I’m is lush and looks perfectly attempting it. “Each operation will healthy, but with no fruit on blessed to have this much fruit.” have to decide what they’ll go after.” board, purely vegetative In his case, “this much fruit” Listening carefully and clearly growth could run rampant means only a quarter of his usual upset by what he was — and wasn’t and make it necessary for crop, but that’s far more than — seeing, Rep. Fred Upton (R-St. unusual summertime prun- almost any other apple farmer in Joseph) pledged his support to the ing. Unburdened branches the state could say this week. dozen or so farmers in earshot. “We have 225 acres of apple that grow too much, too fast “I’ve supported every farm bill in may not be able to support trees, producing 9,000 to 10,000 my tenure,” he said, emphasizing the weight of fruit next year. bins in a normal year,” Wittenbach that he’ll urge Sen. Debbie Stabenow explained. “This year I’m hoping for (D-Lansing) and her Senate Agriculture Committee 2,000 to 2,500.” to offer specialty crop growers better risk manageThe group that convened at his orchard For the first time in his farming career, Jon Hinkelman, at ment options in their newly proposed farm bill. Wednesday afternoon included several local right, is debating whether it will even be worth harvesting Upton added that he’ll also back a federal disaster apple growers, industry officials, a local apple what promises to be a meager crop of juice grapes this year. declaration that would make low-interest “bridge” packer and U.S. Rep. Justin Amash (R- Explaining his plight to Rep. Fred Upton, Hinkelman characloans available to growers, enabling them to limp Kentwood). Only one person in the crowd terized this spring’s devastation of western Michigan fruit through what everyone agrees is the worst outlook could claim knowing a living apple grower who crops as “truly historic.” for Michigan fruit crops since 1945. experienced a similar crisis in 1945 — brought on by a similarly brutal spring, but cushioned Northwest by the crop and livestock diversification typiTwenty minutes outside Traverse City, Jeff Send’s cal of Michigan farms seven decades ago. cherry orchards weren’t spared from Mother Since then farmers have maximized the Nature’s rage just because a horticultural research unique combination of soil, water and climate facility is right across the road. Wet, heavy snow that makes western Michigan so well-suited broke thousands of branches in late winter. Then for fruit and vegetable cultivation. The 14 two weeks of summerlike temperatures in March Lower Peninsula counties that stretch the tricked everything into budding four to six weeks length of Lake Michigan have become the ahead of schedule. A brutal April inflicted more than state’s “Gold Coast,” and boast an agriculturtwice as many damaging frosts and freezes than al diversity unparalleled in the eastern U.S. normal. Water-gorged buds were frozen dead, mak- and second only to California. ing the trees themselves vulnerable to bacterial “But this is just going to be a devastating canker. year,” said Dawn Drake, who manages the “I call this Death Valley now,” Send said to a tour apple division of the Michigan Agricultural group Tuesday afternoon about a low-lying orchard Cooperative Marketing Association, an MFB so devastated in April that he’s likely to pull up sev- affiliate. “It’s just rocked the infrastructure to eral rows of young trees that probably won’t survive. its core.” Gathered with farmers at Jon Hinkelman’s farm near The group included dozens of area growers, MSU Watervliet, Rep. Fred Upton pledged to support risk managehorticulture experts and U.S. Reps. Dave Camp (RFruitless ment options in a new farm bill and a federal disaster declaMidland) and Dan Benishek (R-Crystal Falls). They It’s those far-reaching and still unknowable ration to help fruit growers reeling from historic weather devreturned to the research station for a roundtable long-term consequences that have everyone astation.
Kathy La Scala joins Lee Publications PALATINE BRIDGE, NY — Lee Publications announces the addition of Kathy LaScala to its sales and marketing team. In her role as Digital Media Manager, Kathy will focus on digital product development for the family of Country Folks publications, which serve a variety of agriculture markets. In addition, Kathy will be a part of the sales team, providing agriculture focused companies a platform of regional and national opportunities to extend multi-channel communication and marketing efforts. Prior to joining Lee
Kathy LaScala joins Lee Publications.
Publications, Kathy was a national accounts manager at Vance Publishing. She brings extensive experience in sales, strategic position-
ing, marketing and project development to the team. A native New Yorker, Kathy earned her bachelor’s degree in animal science, with a focus on dairy, from Cornell University. Please join Lee Publications in welcoming Kathy to the Country Folks team! Lee Publications produces Country Folks, Country Folks Grower, Country Folks Mane Stream, Wine & Grape Grower and Small Farm Quarterly, along with a line of publications reaching the construction and quarry market.
Cover photo courtesy of Reenders Blueberry Farm Luke Reenders works the harvester at Reenders Blueberry Farms.
Country Folks The Monthly Newspaper for Greenhouses, Nurseries, Fruit & Vegetable Growers (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: $22. 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 V.P., General Manager ....................Bruce Button, 518-673-0104 ....................bbutton@leepub.com V.P., Production ................................Mark W. Lee, 518-673-0132 .........................mlee@leepub.com Comptroller .....................................Robert Moyer, 518-673-0148 ....................bmoyer@leepub.com Production Coordinator ................Jessica Mackay, 518-673-0137 ..................jmackay@leepub.com Editor ...........................................Joan Kark-Wren, 518-673-0141 ...............jkarkwren@leepub.com Page Composition .........................Allison Swartz, 518-673-0139 ....................aswartz@leepub.com Classified Ad Manager ...................Peggy Patrei, 518-673-0111 ...................classified@leepub.com Shop Foreman ..........................................Harry DeLong
Page 4 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • July 2012
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Governor requests federal disaster assistance for Michigan farmers LANSING, MI — Gov. Rick Snyder has requested federal disaster assistance from U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Sec. Tom Vilsack for the farmers in Michigan counties who are facing substantial crop losses due to extreme weather conditions. Fruit crop losses were particularly impacted by high temperatures followed by freezing temperatures. Other weather conditions, including excessive snow, blizzards, high winds, hail, tornadoes, flooding, excessive rain and lightening that occurred between Jan. 1 and May 11 have also impacted farms and are part of the disaster declaration request. “Our farming community members are looking at large crop losses — currently estimated at $223.5 million. Michigan’s food and agriculture producers have a substantial impact on the economy and it is important those farmers have access to additional resources, such as low-interest loans,” said Snyder. “We will be working closely with our state and federal partners to provide assistance to Michigan’s farmers, food processors, and fresh market producers to help keep their businesses moving forward during this difficult time.” Seventy-two counties in both the Upper and Lower peninsulas have experienced severe weather, which has been most devastating to the state’s
fruit and asparagus crop production. MDARD is working with the USDA-Far m S e r v i c e Agency (FSA) to monitor the damage and its impact to Gov. Rick Snyder growers and the fresh and processing food industries. FSA is expecting to compile and complete crop damage estimates by July 1. USDA-FSA is the agency responsible for compiling the official crop loss statistics and administering the federal emergency farm loan programs. Original crop loss estimates must be verified from harvest yield data and if losses of 30 percent or more are confirmed, the disaster request will be granted. The disaster request will give eligible state producers access to USDA-FSA’s low-interest emergency loan program for up to 100 percent of their weather-related agriculture production losses. For more information on the federal emergency farm loan programs, visit the USDA-FSA website at www.fsa.usda.gov.
Congressmen from page 3 processors foresee struggling with international trade duties, just to stay in business in the heart of Michigan’s “Cherry Capital.” They all worry about their products losing valuable shelf space in stores, and losing a seasonal labor force that may or may not come, and may or may not have work to do here. And with that many fewer local children in their communities come fall harvest, the potential affect on local school districts poses yet another unknown. Back down in Berrien County, grape grower Hinkelman fears for the very landscape. He and other Gold Coast
farmers all know peers who have pulled out orchards, plowed down vegetable fields and instead planted corn, which is less risky and easily covered by existing crop insurance options. Hinkelman knows that’s an option for him as well, but refuses to consider such self-inflicted heartbreak. “Fruit cultivation is vital to the identity of all of west Michigan. It’s vital that we preserve it,” he said. “This land, this soil, it’s a gift. You can’t grow these crops just anywhere.” Source: Michigan Farm Bureau, AgriNotes & News, May 25, 2012
AD SALES REPRESENTATIVES Bruce Button, Ad Sales Mgr . . . . . . . bbutton@leepub.com . . . . . . . . . . .800-218-5586, ext. 104 Dan Wren, Grower Sales Mgr . . . . . . . .dwren@leepub.com . . . . . . . . . . . 800-218-5586, ext. 117 Jan Andrews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jandrews@leepub.com . . . . . . . . . . . 800-218-5586, ext. 110 Dave Dornburgh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ddornburgh@leepub.com. . . . . . . . . . 800-218-5586, ext. 109 Laura Clary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . lclary@leepub.com . . . . . . . . . . . . .800-218-5586, ext. 118 Steve Heiser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . sheiser@leepub.com . . . . . . . . . . . 800-218-5586, ext. 107 Tina Krieger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . tkrieger@leepub.com . . . . . . . . . . . 800-218-5586, ext. 108 Ian Hitchener . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ihitchener@leepub.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 802-222-5726 Kegley Baumgardner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . kegleyb@va.net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 540-255-9112 Kathy LaScala . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .katelascala@gmail.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 913-486-7184 Wanda Luck / North Carolina . . . . . . . . . .luck@triad.rr.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336-416-6198 (cell) Mark Sheldon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . marksh500@yahoo.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 814-587-2519 Sue Thomas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .suethomas@nycap.rr.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 949-305-7447
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Fourth-generation apple grower Mike Wittenbach at right, considers himself “blessed” to have a quarter of his usual crop to show U.S. Rep. Justin Amash, center.
Today’s Marketing Objectives By: Melissa Piper Nelson Farm News Service News and views on agricultural marketing techniques. Targeted seasonal marketing Marketing strategies change throughout the seasons, but in summer a unique target audience dynamic emerges. You may see your customer base shift heavily to family and senior adult participation with different buying habits and amounts of disposable income. Adjusting your seasonal market-
ing plans to attract and establish these new customers should be an important phase of your overall marketing plan for the year. In the summer, families are seeking new and interesting places to visit and activities that engage both children and adults. How you plan your marketing depends on where and how you sell your product. If you
sell at your own farm, this may be the time you arrange for farm tours and other activities that offer families and senior buyers an interesting outing time during the day. Combining activities with education is important, too. Offering healthy cooking demonstrations, children’s healthy eating activities, and information about farming and the local
NE W CONSTRUCTION O R R E N O VAT I O N. . .
economy, turns the visit into a teaching moment. If you are a farmers’ market vendor, ask your market association to include kid’s activities into the market day and provide information booths that address family and senior resources. Local hospitals, health care groups, service agencies and public service providers welcome the opportunity to reach out to these target groups. And, families and seniors appreciate the opportunity to visit with local farmers as well as make connections with community resource providers. Summer buyers appreciate “how to” information including recipe ideas, samples, and small give-away items they can take home with them. Farmers’ market surveys have shown that buyers who get an idea of how to cook something will buy more of it, or try a different product than they have in the past. Samples give buyers a taste test
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farm stands that display a variety of colors, textures and abundance. Vendors may think this type of display marketing has little to do with actual sales, especially when they have an established customer base, however just as in supermarkets, displays attract attention and create interest. If you hire extra help during the summer, or have additional family members in the mix, ask them to help you plan ways to attract new buyers. Take advantage of more people on the ground to create displays and activities that require more help than you might have during other times of the year. Also think about inventory and what buyers are seeking in the summer. Customers like to bundle products with whatever else goes along with them. If you sell berries, do you also sell shortcake or cream to complete a dessert? Packaging dry soup components in a jar to sell with fresh vegetables completes a dinner idea, as does a small package of vegetables with a cut of meat for a slow cooker stew. Small giveaway products allow customers to take home more than just a product. A refrigerator magnet with your farm name and number invites families and others to return or contact you again. Active incentives are even better — a coupon for a return visit brings customers back throughout the season. Special events throughout the summer also offer an activity as well as the opportunity to shop. Targeted marketing changes throughout the seasons, and if you adapt and respond to the mix of established and new customers, you will position your business to prosper even with a changing audience. A little creativity, some extra hands, and a willingness to change things up a bit will make summer more than a brief interlude of seasonal sales. The above information is presented for educational purposes and should not be substituted for professional legal or business counseling.
July 2012 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Page 5
R E TA I L G A R D E N C E N T E R or C O M M E R C I A L P R O D U C T I O N. . .
of what they can expect and allow people to decide on the spot if they want the same product or something different. This lessens “buyer’s remorse” and the potential loss of customers. If you do plan to offer samples though, follow your local and state health and inspection guidelines for food safety. Senior adult buyers will generally buy more of a variety of summer farm products, but less of each variety. They may be cooking for one or two people and not require a full bundle of goods. Think about how you present your product for sale and how this fits into the summer buyers you meet. Making seasonal adjustments to meet customer needs helps you target and retain specific customers. The summer season is the perfect time to use your abundant produce, flowers or other goods to create attractive displays. Buyers appreciate and are drawn to
Page 6 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • July 2012
Streamlined trade of organic products between United States and European Union begins WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that organic products certified in the United States or European Union may now be sold as organic in either market, as trade opened up on June 1, under a new U.S.-EU equivalency partnership. Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan signed formal letters creating the partnership in February, along with Dacian Ciolo, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, and Ambassador Isi Siddiqui, U.S. Trade Representative Chief Agricultural Negotiator. “This partnership will open new markets for American farmers and ranchers, create more opportunities for small businesses, and result in good jobs for Americans who grow, package, ship, and market organic products,” said Merrigan. “In the months ahead, USDA will continue to work hard to expand opportunities for all U.S. products, including organics. Equivalency arrangements such as this are critical to growing the U.S. organics industry — they require careful negotiation to ensure that we maintain existing U.S. trade policies while ensuring that U.S. agricultural products will compete on a level playing field in world markets.” The United States signed a similar partnership with Canada in July 2009, and additional equivalency arrangement conversations have begun with South Korea, Taiwan and Japan. Previously, producers and companies wanting to trade products on both sides of the Atlantic had to obtain separate certifications to two standards, which resulted in a double set of fees, inspections,
and paperwork. The partnership existing now eliminates these significant barriers, which is especially helpful for small and medium-sized organic farmers. During negotiations, both parties conducted thorough on-site audits to ensure that their programs’ regulations, quality control measures, certification requirements, and labeling practices were compatible. “This agreement provides economic opportunities for certified organic farmers as well as additional incentives for prospective farmers,” said Miles McEvoy, National Organic Program Deputy Administrator. “We look forward to working with our European Union counterparts to support organic agriculture.” Although there are slight differences between the United States and European Union organic standards, both parties individually determined that their programs were equivalent, thereby allowing the agreement that opened up trade today. The exception has to do with prohibition on the use of antibiotics. USDA organic regulations prohibit the use of antibiotics except to control invasive bacterial infections (fire blight) in organic apple and pear orchards. The European Union organic regulations allow antibiotics only to treat infected animals. For all products traded under this partnership,
certifying agents must verify that antibiotics are not used for any reason. The United States and the European Union will continue to have regular discussions and review each other’s programs periodically to verify that the terms of the partnership are being met. Later this year, representatives from both markets will compare the USDA organic wine standards to the recently published Euro-
pean Union wine standards and determine how wine can fit into the trade partnership. In the interim, traded wine must meet the production and labeling requirements of the destination market. The arrangement covers products exported from and certified in the United States or the European Union only. All products traded under the partnership must be shipped with an organic import cer-
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Beat the heat this summer by Anna Meyerhoff, Farm Safety Educator, NYCAMH When summer heats up and farmworkers are exposed to long days of working at high temperatures, it’s very easy to become dehydrated. When our bodies lose too much water, we are no longer able to cool down by sweating, and our bodies get overheated. Dehydrated workers can become disoriented, weak or dizzy, and may suffer a heat-related illness if they do not get help quickly. Symptoms of heat illness may include: • Headache and dizziness • Profuse sweating • Intense thirst • Nausea, vomiting or fatigue • Muscle cramps • Loss of consciousness
In case of heat stress, the victim should immediately be moved to a cool place and fanned. Applying cool water, wet blankets or ice packs can help lower the victim’s body temperature, and drinks of cool water or a sports drink are also recommended. If the victim does not start to feel better quickly, seek medical attention. These tips can help you beat the heat this summer! 1. Drink lots of water. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty! It is better to drink small amounts of water frequently — before, during and after work — rather than drinking large amounts less often. Field workers need to drink plenty of water when they are working hard, more if it is hot and muggy. Sports drinks help replace salt and electrolytes lost from sweating.
2. Wear the right clothing. Wear light-colored, cotton clothing to help keep you cool. Avoid darker colors and heavier fabrics that absorb the sun’s rays and trap heat. A wide-brimmed hat and Z87 safety sunglasses can also help you stay cool. 3. Take breaks in the shade. When it’s hot out, you need to rest more often to avoid getting sick from the heat. Take short breaks in a cool, shaded area and drink some water. 4. Work smart. Don’t overdo it during the hottest time of the day. Instead, schedule heavier tasks for early morning or late afternoon when it’s cooler. 5. Avoid alcohol, caffeine and sugary drinks. They can dehydrate you more. Remember, taking care of yourself, getting enough sleep, staying hydrated, and eating well can keep your body in good shape and help you stay healthy and strong while working. Take care and stay safe this summer!
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Issue
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What went right on youth farm labor proposal by Lynne Finnerty You know the saying, “…and the crowd goes wild!” often uttered after someone shoots a basketball straight into the net? When the Labor Department announced recently that it was withdrawing its proposal to limit the types of farm work that minors
could do and whose farms they could work on, the response from farm country was instantaneous. Farm families had scored the winning basket. The crowd went wild! The sense of relief was palpable. “This is great news!” someone commented on the American Farm Bu-
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reau Federation’s page on Facebook. “Many farms, including our own, are family run and it should be the decision of the parents of the children working on the farm whether they are old enough to work. We are thankful for this decision as I’m sure many are!” “Grassroots efforts work!” said another. The Labor Department’s proposal would have barred anyone under 16 years old from using power -driven equipment, in addition to other restrictions, and limited the parental exemption to farms that are wholly owned by a parent. After Farm Bureau and others pointed out that the proposed rule could make it illegal for young people to use even a battery-powered screwdriver and
FOCUS ON AGRICULTURE American Farm Bureau Federation
did not take into account the way that many farms are organized nowadays, with ownership shared by several family members, the Obama administration withdrew it. DOL said the decision was made in response to thousands of comments expressing concerns about the effect of the proposal on small, family-owned farms. It’s tempting to just sit back and relish this victory. But it’s important to look at what really worked, just as a winning team will review video of the game. The first thing that worked was that all of agriculture used the same playbook. The administration didn’t get conflicting messages from different farm groups or agricultural
sectors. Everyone came together behind one rallying cry: the child labor rule had to go! Second, farmers and ranchers never gave up. Even after submitting more than 10,000 comments on the proposed rule and after the comment period ended, farmers and ranchers kept expressing their opposition on social media websites, in newspaper and magazine articles and even on Capitol Hill. The din from farm country was relentless, much like the noise one might hear at a basketball game when the fans are letting their team know that they’re behind them all the way. Finally, farmers told their personal stories about how the proposal
would affect their farms and their families. Some harked back to when they were young and learned important life lessons by doing farm work — lessons that helped them become better farmers and responsible adults, lessons that they want to impart to their own children. Even if someone didn’t grow up on a farm, he could probably relate to that. Farmers talked about shared values and made a connection with the public. So, what should we set our sights on next, and how can farmers and ranchers apply the lessons learned to win more victories? Game on! Lynne Finnerty is the editor of FBNews, the American Farm Bureau Federation’s newspaper.
on key oversight roles. Estimates show the market for U.S. organics sales to the EU could grow substantially within the first few years of this arrangement. Today, more than two-thirds of U.S. consumers buy organic
products at least occasionally, and 28 percent buy organic products weekly. U.S. agriculture is currently experiencing one of its best periods in history thanks to the productivity and resourcefulness of our
producers. Overall, American agriculture supports 1 in 12 jobs in the United States and provides American consumers with 83 percent of the food we consume, while maintaining affordability and choice. Strong agricultural exports contribute to a positive U.S. trade balance, create jobs, boost economic growth and support President Obama’s National Export Initiative goal of doubling all U.S. exports by the end of 2014. For additional details on the trade partnership, please visit www.ams.usda.gov/NO PTradeEuropeanUnion or contact the National Organic Program at 202-720-3252. The National Organic Program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture facilitates trade and ensures integrity of organic agricultural products by consistently implementing the organic standards and enforcing compliance with the regulations.
Trade from 6 organic integrity from farm to market. The European Commission’s Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development and the USDA National Organic Program — which oversees all U.S. organic products — will take
Page 8 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • July 2012
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Agriculture Secretary Vilsack makes statement on newest forecast for U.S. farm exports WASHINGTON, D.C. — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack made the following statement regarding USDA’s thirdquarter forecast released May 31 showing U.S. farm exports reaching the second-highest level
on record at $134.5 billion in fiscal year 2012: “With the release of today’s most recent export forecast, we can expect American agriculture to remain a bright spot in our nation’s economy in the months to come,
supporting more than 1 million American jobs in communities across our country. Since 2009, our farmers and ranchers are set to deliver three of the four highest levels of U.S. agricultural exports in our nation’s history.
In fiscal year 2012, the latest forecast sees $134.5 billion in U.S. farm exports, the second highest level ever and $3.5 billion greater than the previous forecast. The reason for this success is the productivity
of our farmers and ranchers, as much as President Obama’s leadership on trade. Since 2009, USDA has aggressively worked to expand export opportunities and reduce barriers to trade, helping to
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push agricultural exports to historic levels year after year. Last year, the President insisted that we get the agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama done right, forging better deals for America’s workers and businesses that led to strong bipartisan support in both houses of Congress. Today, the agreements with South Korea and Colombia are in effect, delivering greater returns for U.S. businesses. In 2010, the President committed to double U.S. exports in five years and, two years later, we are on pace to meet that goal. In the latest forecast, the overall pace of exports is surging, led by a 5.1-million-tons increase in the volume of bulk exports over the February forecast. Consumer-oriented products in particular are soaring through the first six months of the fiscal year, up 15 percent over the first 6 months of 2011. While wheat and soybeans are expected to perform well, it is American-grown high-value products that are performing the best, with the forecast increasing again for horticultural products (particularly tree nuts) and livestock products. Moreover, exports to Canada and Mexico are both forecast up this quarter to new records, respectively, while exports to China are up $1.5 billion due to demand for cotton, pork, dairy, poultry, and tree nuts. “These figures indicate how demand for the American brand of agriculture continues to soar worldwide, supporting good jobs for Americans across a variety of industries such as transportation, renewable energy, manufacturing, food services, and on-farm employment. And as American agriculture continues to achieve a nearly unparalleled level of productivity, this success story will continue, helping to strengthen an American economy that’s built to last.” The latest export forecast data is available at www.fas.usda.gov under the Quarterly Agricultural Export Forecast link.
Anticipation: Tomato genome becomes fully sequenced – paving the way for healthier fruits and vegetables Boyce Thompson Institute, located at Cornell University, leads U.S. arm of international consortium ITHACA, NY — For the first time, the genome of the tomato, Solanum lycopersicum, has been decoded. It becomes an important step toward improving yield, nutrition, disease resistance, taste and color of the tomato and other crops. The full genome sequence, as well as the sequence of a wild relative, is jointly published in the latest issue of the journal Nature (May 31, 2012). Specifically, the genome was sequenced from the “Heinz 1706” tomato. The publication caps years of work by members of the Tomato Genomics Consortium, an international collaboration between Argentina, Belgium, China, France, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, United Kingdom, United States and others. James Giovannoni, a scientist at the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research (located on the campus of Cornell) and the U.S. De-
partment of Agriculture, leads the U.S. tomato sequencing team, which includes researchers at several institutions. The wild tomato (Solanum pimpinellifolium) genome sequence was developed at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Consortium researchers report that tomatoes possess some 35,000 genes arranged on 12 chromosomes. “For any characteristic of the tomato, whether it’s taste, natural pest resistance or nutritional content, we’ve captured virtually all those genes,” said Giovannoni. The sequences of these genes and their arrangement on the chromosomes are described in the Nature article, “The tomato genome sequence provides insights into fleshy fruit evolution,” which is information that allows researchers to move at a quicker pace and plant breeders to produce new varieties with specific de-
sired characteristics. “Tomato genetics underlies the potential for improved taste every home gardener knows and every supermarket shopper desires and the genome sequence will help solve this and many other issues in tomato production and quality,” said Giovannoni. Now that the genome sequence of one variety of tomato is known, it will also be easier and much less expensive for seed companies and plant breeders to sequence other varieties for research and development, he added. Whereas the first tomato genome sequence came at a cost of millions of dollars, subsequent ones might only cost $10,000 or less, by building on these initial findings. To provide access to the gene sequences of the tomato and related species, Boyce Thompson Institute scientist Lukas Mueller and his team have created an interactive website (www.solgenomics.net).
Page 10 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • July 2012
Advanced Learning Retreat offers inside look at successful retail farm North American Farmers’ Direct Marketing Association (NAFDMA) will bring its seventh annual Advanced Learning Retreat (ALR) to Tanners Orchard in Speer, IL, Aug. 17-20. The ALR is an exclusive event designed to give attendees an opportunity to advance their own farm direct marketing business by brainstorming and learning with like-minded peers in facilitated small group settings. Tanners Orchard is an 80-acre retail and agritainment farm. The market and bakery are among the most successful on the continent. It is known for homespun traditional appearances up front, with progressive and up-todate management operations behind the scenes. The farm is also adding to its agritainment activities. A hard freeze in April damaged the apple crop, changing the entire outlook for 2012. However, the ALR is designed for the marketing side of busi-
ness, so attendees will see firsthand what can be done in an adverse production year. Jennifer Beaver, a key member of the ownership at Tanners Orchard, is excited about hosting the ALR event. "I am sure everyone who attends will take a few ideas home and I hope they leave one here for us. The folks who will attend are some of the best in the country at what they do so it will be a learning experience for all of us. We open in late July so by Aug. 17 we will be ready and raring to go." Among the education session topics are management, marketing, displays, food service, and bakery operations. There will also be sessions focused on the agritainment business, including on how Tanners Orchard handles over 77,000 people on Saturdays and Sundays in September and October. Complete details can be found at www.nafdma.com/ALR2012.
In the United States, Boyce Thompson Institute scientists Zhangjun Fei and Joyce Van Eck contributed to the sequence and its analysis. Other U.S. institutions involved: Cornell University, Colorado State, University of Florida, University of Oklahoma, University of Georgia, University of Arizona, University of Delaware, Montana State, University of Tennessee, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and the USDA. The sequencing of the tomato genome has implications for other plant species. Strawberries, apples, melons, bananas and many other fleshy fruits, share some characteristics with tomatoes, so information about the genes
and pathways involved in fruit ripening can potentially be applied to them, helping to improve food quality, food security and reduce costs. “Now we can start asking a lot more interesting questions about fruit biology, disease resistance, root development and nutritional qualities,” Giovannoni says. Tomatoes represent a $2 billion market in the United States alone. The USDA estimates that Americans consume, on average, more than 72 pounds of tomato products annually. The sequencing would not have been possible without the work of Cornell’s Steven Tanksley and Boyce Thompson’s Greg Mar-
tin in the 1990s. Tanksley, Martin and other Ithaca scientists developed genetic maps and other molecular tools for tomatoes to study mechanisms of disease resistance, and those tools ultimately paved the way for the consortium’s sequencing efforts. Tomato genome and sequencing research in the United States was supported by the National Science Foundation and the USDA. The Boyce Thompson Institute is located on the Cornell campus, and it was founded by William Boyce Thompson in 1924. It is a private, non-profit institution that explores fundamental aspects of plant biology to positively impact society.
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tain the public and educate people to farming. Agritourism includes farm tours for families and school children, interactive outdoors and/or educational activities, hands-on chores, u-pick produce, hay or sleigh rides, petting zoos, festivals, hunting trips and overnight stays in a bed and breakfast.
Agritourism operators have a lot of things to consider when inviting the public to visit their farm, including health and safety for their guests, staff and family. Protecting children and adults from injury on the farm, along with providing proper facilities and sanitation to prevent the spread of pathogens,
takes careful planning, preparation and continuous quality control. The National Children’s Center, working with a broad group of stakeholders, has developed health and safety guidelines and easy-to-use checklists specific to children to help agritourism operators manage health and safety on the farm.
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In 2011, the Agritourism Health and Safety Guidelines for Children 2011 Edition was released. An online version can be forund at www.marshfieldclinic.org /nccrahs. Also available is Agritourism Policies and Procedures Checklist Guide. This guide will help agritourism operators and workers prepare and plan for emergencies, prearranged visits by groups, documentation, supervision of children, proper hand-washing, animal contact, traffic and parking, fires, tractors and display equipment, locations for barriers and fencing, pest control, and hayride operations. This checklist guide will help create, revise, or add content to the farm’s own policies and procedures.
Another guide is the Agritourism Worksite Walkthrough Checklist Guide that will help operators check the physical operation’s preparedness for emergencies, communication with guests, animals and hand-washing, fires, tractors and display equipment, walkways and structures, barriers and fencing, pest control, food handling, recordkeeping, along with hayride and corn maze operations. This checklist will help operators and workers perform a hazard identification walkthrough of the agritourism worksite to view and correct hazards before visits by guests. For more information visit National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety at www.marshfieldclinic.org/nccrahs.
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Conducting farm and ranch tours Appropriate planning is essential if you want to present a positive image of your farm and of agriculture as a whole, and to be well prepared for a group visit. Farm tours should not, generally, be conducted in an ad hoc manner. It is important to think about what kinds of images you want your visitors to take with them when they leave (impressions, experiences, knowledge, facts, products). Here are some considerations to take into account when assessing your state of readiness for a farm tour: • When is the best time of year for you to provide tours? Is the weather generally good at that time of year? Are unsightly chores like manure spreading or machinery cleaning occurring during that time? • Will you charge a fee to offset the time and labor expended on the tour and to provide an economic return? If so, what will be your fee schedule? • Will you offer products to eat at the end of the tour? If so, check with your local health department regarding regulations concerning your ability to feed guests. • Can visitors safely tour your facility? Remember, safety is your responsibility! • Is your farm relatively clean and in good repair? Do you practice good pest and waste management programs? Are you prepared to answer probing questions about your practices? • Will your tour present a positive image of agriculture as a whole? Are there opportunities to demonstrate resource sensitivity, for example by providing habitat for wildlife such as hedgerows, ponds for waterfowl, etc. • Is your farm accessible to persons with disabilities? If not, you may need to make this clear before the tour. Preparation • Provide a site for commemorative photo opportunities. • Develop rules for photography. You need to decide whether visitors can take pictures of everything they
see or only in certain areas. Consider providing a specific location for group/family commemorative photos where pictures can be taken beside a farm sign, farm product, or some other piece of memorabilia. • Be sure you have given adequate attention to hygiene. Assess the adequacy of your bathroom and hand washing arrangements, especially if visitors will be handling animals before they eat. • Provide for adequate amounts and locations of garbage cans in the eating areas. • Public Relations: Call your neighbors to let them know about the planned tour. • Esthetics: Ensure that dead and injured animals or discarded products will not be on display during the tour or visible to your guests. The tour schedule and presentation • Develop a tour program and a verbal presentation that can be modified to fit the interests and backgrounds of the audience. • Post signs that clearly outline safety requirements. • View your operation through the eyes of a visitor. Point out the obvious and explain the reasons behind specific operations. • Emphasize a theme throughout the tour (for example, recycling, sustainable agriculture, food quality, animal welfare, agriculture and the environment, and conservation). • Discuss your production systems, following the path of products from conception to consumption; from seed to tomato sauce, from cow to milk and cheese, from lamb to wool. Talk about the diverse markets your products serve, including byproducts. • Select three to five points of emphasis that you want to reinforce throughout the tour. What would you like guests to have learned by the end of your tour? Whenever possible, make it an interactive, hands-on, experience. For example: If you are tour-
ing an apple orchard, show pictures or point to trees in different stages of growth. Describe the production cycle. How much it will produce at peak yield (relate the yield to something your audience can understand, such as “as much as two children weigh”). Discuss why you grow apples here (soil, weather, and water). Describe the steps the product goes through before reaching the market. Explain the challenges and uncertainties you deal with when producing apples (pests, changing regulations, labor force issues, market). But don’t bore your audience with your pet peeves. They are there for recreation, relaxation, and education. • Have safe, organized, hands-on opportunities for children (touch the seeds, lambs, the warm pipelines in the milk barn and the cool milk tank, put feed samples in a bucket for touching, etc.). For younger children (pre-school to 3rd grade), use body language to accompany your verbal explanation to help them learn and keep them involved. • How many people can you comfortably accommodate in a group and still conduct an effective tour? Practice the tour with other staff who will also be leading groups. Organize the tour so different groups will not get mixed up. • Practice the tour program with a person who is not involved in your operation and get their feedback. • Walk your tour. Check off how long it takes. Is the terrain level and well drained? Tour contact • Picnic facilities must be adequate if provided. • Ascertain the general age and abilities of the members of the tour in terms of the approximate number of adults and children and why the
group wants to visit your farm. Establish a comfortable ratio of chaperones to children and youth if you feel it is necessary. • Discuss parking and provide directions to parking facilities. • Suggest clothing that enhances safety, for example closed-toe, low heel shoes and comfortable clothing. Suggest people bring hats and sunscreen in the summer, and warm clothing in other seasons. • Discuss meals. Will the group be eating on your property? What will meals cost? Are your picnicking facilities adequate, if that is an option? Briefing the group • Greet your visitors on the bus if they arrive by bus. Some tour buses have a PA system that you might use to address your audience. • Introduce yourself and firmly but politely establish expectations regarding conduct and behavior (appropriate for the age group). • Remind visitors that your farm is a working, production-oriented operation, not an amusement park. • Children should be advised to: walk, remember that rocks stay on the ground, stay with the group, be good listeners, and raise their hands when they have questions. • Prepare visitors for regular farm environmental hazards such as odors, flies, dust or loud noises. However, to the extent that you can, take steps to mitigate these environmental irritants. Conducting the tour • Greet your guests when they arrive. If you are addressing a large group, consider using a microphone or the tour bus PA system • Walk at a pace appropriate to the group’s size and age.
Tours 13
Tours 12 from A3 • Have a responsible person at the rear of the group to assist with keeping the group together. • Discuss what the group will see
before entering a noisy area. • Children should be encouraged to repeat new words and concepts as you explain them.
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• Be sure to explain any agriculture terms that may be foreign to your guests. Think of ways to relate concepts and terms to everyday life, for example, feeder mixer wagons are blenders on wheels, etc.). • Answer only questions about what you know and limit your comments to your farm. Avoid ideological debates with guests or customers. Concluding the tour • Allow plenty of time for questions. • Review the main concepts you introduced and refer to the key theme(s). For children’s groups, use a fill-in-the-blank method, encouraging the children to participate, thus reinforcing the information. • Samples of the product (empty containers, pictures, or actual products) provide a great ending. Provide
information on how/where they can purchase your product. • Escort the group to the bus or parking area, thanking them for their visit. Encourage them to return. Post-tour review • Ask for an evaluation from the tour contact. What did the visitors like? What would help the group to better assimilate the information? What suggestions do they have for improving the tour? • Establish and update a file of these notes. Review this feedback information with other tour staff before the next scheduled tour. For more information visit http://sfp.ucdavis.edu/agritourism/factsheet1.html Source: California Small Farm Program
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Page 14 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • July 2012
Senate Committee Farm Bill good for young farmers Ben LaCross, a young fruit grower and Farm Bureau member from Michigan, recently urged Congress to pass the Senate Agriculture Committeepassed farm bill this year. Speaking at a press event on Capitol Hill on behalf of the American Farm Bureau Federation, LaCross said without the bill, crop losses could be catastrophic, especially for beginning and young farmers. LaCross said that due to various weather conditions impacting farms this year, his state has lost an estimated 90 percent of its apple crop, 85 percent of its grapes, 95 percent of its peaches and 85 percent of its cherries. “If the committee’s farm bill were in existence today, I would have the opportunity to cover more of my crops under crop insurance, using new programs that would provide better coverage at a lower cost,” said LaCross. “It would also provide the ability to use more realistic production numbers by increasing the ‘yield plug’ in years like this one, when my production is going to be almost zero. Importantly, the bill also increases crop insurance assistance to beginning farmers. “In a normal year, my farm would produce 4 million pounds of cherries. This year, we will be lucky to harvest
40,000 pounds — only 1 percent of my normal production,” continued LaCross. “Crop insurance helps keep families like mine in business.” The Senate farm bill also continues the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program, which offers education, training, outreach and mentoring programs to ensure the success of the next generation of farmers. Further, it increases access ato capital and prioritizes the needs of beginning farmers to ensure they have access to programs like the Environmental Quality Incentives Program — a program that is critical to farmers and ranchers striving to be good stewards of the land and trying to meet tough environmental mandates. Lastly, the bill encourages older farmers to help beginning farmers get started in the business by providing two extra years of Conservation Reserve Program participation to retiring farmers who transition their expiring CRP land to beginning farmers. “The Senate Agriculture Committee’s 2012 farm bill legislation would be very helpful to me personally and other fruit and vegetable producers in Michigan,” said LaCross. “But, more importantly, it is a good bill for young and beginning farmers and ranchers.”
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oz., 22 mil premium ripstop translucent fabric, come complete with fabric clips for attaching. Four-sided ventilation is made simple with roll-up sides and Growers Supply's exclusive "Twist-ofthe-Wrist" Roll-Up Assembly. Growers Supply is the leading manufacturer
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July 2012 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Page 15
See Us At The OFA Show, Booth #2516
Page 16 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • July 2012
Farwest Show announces seminar lineup for 2012 PORTLAND, OR — Officials from the 2012 Farwest Show have announced the docket of professional seminars for this year’s event, according to Farwest Show Director Allan Niemi. “Farwest seminars are designed to provide some of the most valuable professional development in the nursery, landscape and garden center businesses,” Niemi said. “And this year’s lineup is one of our best in a decade.” Among the 45 speakers conducting 29 seminars throughout all three days of the show, highlights include award-winning e-mail marketer and humorist Michael Katz, who will speak on “E-Newsletters that Work;” nursery industry experts Mark Krautmann, Keith Warren and Nancy Buley fill out a panel on “The Wide World of Maples;” customer -retention pro Anne Obarski will present “New Xpectations of Customer Service in 2012;” garden center business consultant Sid Raisch will speak on “Inventory and Price Strategies for Healthy Margins — The Merchant Advantage;” horticulture professors Dr. Raymond Cloyd will conduct a seminar on “Pesticides and Biological Control: Are These Two Strategies Compatible?” and Dr. Charlie Hall will talk on “Cost Accounting — How to Make the Most Out of Your Bottom Line.” New features for 2012 and focuses on the genus Acer “Everything that Farwest attendees love about the show will be back this year,” Niemi said. “We’ll have an excellent selection of nursery tours, a full docket of seminars, our showcase featuring close to 50 new plant varieties, a new Retail Marketplace, and for 2012 our genus focus will be on the Acer.”
From petite Acer palmatums to stately shade trees, many different species and cultivars will be installed in special displays at this year’s Farwest, whose host, the Oregon Association of Nurseries (OAN), plans to showcase the breadth of Acer plants grown in the region for use in residential, municipal and commercial landscapes. “We want to inspire and educate attendees and persuade our industry to see the design value the Acer family brings to the landscape,” OAN director of marketing Ann Murphy said. Various Acer attributes, including different forms (shrubs, specimen shade trees, singleand multi-stem, low and high grafts), shapes (vase, broad, columnar, weeping, etc.), bark color and texture, different leaf size and shape, and a mix of leaf color will be featured. “We intend to showcase Acer species, crosses and cultivars from small to large growers, encouraging as many Farwest Show exhibitors to participate as possible,” Murphy said. This year’s show will also include two days of nursery tours, networking events, 30 hours of seminars, a New Varieties Showcase with nearly 50 new plants, a New Products Showcase, a Demo Stage, and a Retail Marketplace offering gift items geared to garden centers. Tours for 2012 Scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, Aug. 21-22, this year’s three tours are themed: “Gen(i)us Acer,” “In the Shadow of Mt. Hood,” and “New Plant Trials.” “We’ve always structured our tours to serve all the major subsets of our industry-retailers, growers, landscape pros and plant buyers,” Niemi said. “This year is no exception, and the tours cover a substantial geographical area of
Oregon’s nursery and horticultural industry.” “Gen(i)us Acer,” which will take place on Tuesday, Aug. 21, complements the two educational displays on the show floor and includes stops at five different nurseries. “In the Shadow of Mt. Hood,” to be held on Wednesday, Aug. 22, will feature small, medium and large conifer and shade tree growers, a bare root production nursery and a cedar box and retail display manufacturer. “New Plant Trials,” also on Aug. 22, will include stops at annual and basket growing operations and The Oregon Garden and its 15 trial gardens. A top Portland garden center and one of Oregon’s most innovative and perhaps the country’s largest florist azalea nurseries will be visited to round out the experience.
Far West 17
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Far West from 16 Tours travel on luxury motor coaches and include lunch, beverages and snacks. Tours leave the Oregon Convention Center promptly at 8 a.m. and return by 6 p.m. The 2012 Farwest Show will take place Aug. 23-25 at the Oregon Convention Center, in Portland, OR. To register for any of the tours, visit http://farwestshow.com/nurserytours. For the full schedule of 2012 Farwest seminars visit www.farwestshow.com/seminarschedule.shtml. For more information, visit www.oan.org or call 503-682-5089. The Farwest Show is produced by the Oregon Association of Nurseries (OAN), a trade organization that represents and serves the interests of the ornamental horticulture industry. Any
revenue realized by the OAN is reinvested into the industry through education, research, marketing support and government relations. For registration and more information about the 2012 Farwest Show seminar schedule, nursery tours, show hours and other features, visit www.farwestshow.com or call 503-682-5089. The Oregon Association of Nurseries, based in Wilsonville, represents more than 1,100 wholesale growers, retailers, landscapers and suppliers. Oregon’s ornamental horticulture industry is among the state’s largest agricultural commodities, with annual sales of $676 million. Oregon’s nursery industry is a traded sector; nearly 75 percent of the nursery plants grown in Oregon are shipped out of state.
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Page 18 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • July 2012
Grower education is paramount at OFA Short Course
COLUMBUS, OHIO — The soil conveyors, pot materials and plant nutrition products found on the trade show floor are some of the newest technology available for the greenhouse growing trade, but when it comes down to the premier aspect of the OFA Short Course, the educational programming is what sets this show apart from all others. The 2012 OFA Short Course, the largest horticulture event in the U.S., is set for July 14-17 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio. As is tradition, show organizers have gathered a lineup of experienced and respected speakers for the event’s four days of horticulture sessions, tours and workshops. Coming from academia, allied trade businesses, consulting firms, as well as directly from the greenhouse, these experts will share their knowledge of production, disease and nutrition management, media, crops and variety selection — all in order to help greenhouse growers prepare and succeed in the coming seasons. A Sampling of Sessions This year’s Grower Solutions programming offers educational opportunities for greenhouse owners, managers and growers. From the latest disease outbreak to gaining insight into the industry’s current and future drivers of change, attendees will leave Short Course with the know-how to address their specific operational and production concerns. More than 35 education sessions and workshops will be available for those in the greenhouse-growing segment of the horticulture industry. A sampling of sessions and speakers includes: • Impatiens Downy Mildew: What’s a Grower/Landscaper to Do in 2013? Presented by Dr. Allen Hammer (Dümmen USA), Ken Harr (Syngenta Flowers Inc.,) and Dr. Mike Klopmeyer (Ball Horticultural), 10:30 a.m., Saturday, July 14; • Mealybug & Scale Management. Presented by Dr. Raymond Cloyd
(Kansas State University), 1 p.m., Saturday, July 14; • Tough Perennials for Tough Landscape Settings. Presented by Rita Randolph (Randolph’s Greenhouses), 4 p.m., Saturday, July 14; • Plants a Savvy Grower Can Position & Make a Lot of Money. Presented by Terri Cantwell (Bates Sons & Daughters), Garry Grueber (Cultivaris Europe), Nathan Smith (Golden State Bulb Growers), and Lloyd Traven (Peace Tree Farm), 1 p.m., Sunday, July 15; • Greenhouse Applications of Light-Emitting Diodes. Presented by Dr. John Burr (Purdue University), Dr. Roberto Lopez (Purdue University), Dr. Cary Mitchell (Purdue University), and Dr. Erik Runkle (Michigan State University), 2:30 p.m., Sunday, July 15; and • Biocontrol Hits & Misses. Presented by Suzanne WainwrightEvans (Buglady Consulting) and Rich Densel (Van Vugt Greenhouses), 9:15 a.m., Tuesday, July 17. In addition, there are a number of opportunities for incisive discussions on the greater challenges facing the horticulture industry. This year’s Summit topic, Value, Relevancy & Authenticity of the Horticulture Product, aims to present the industry’s current drivers with discussions to follow on how to then implement a strategic plan. The annual Town Meeting subject matter will focus on Putting the Steak Back in the Sizzle, in which the audience will try to figure out how to put some meat back on the bones of horticulture. These hard-hitting, focused discussions are one of the trademarks of Short Course.
Catch the Keynotes Two keynote presentations will get the greenhouse trade thinking about how they can address the future. On Sunday, July 15, Joe Lamp’l (aka joe gardener®) will speak about ways to find and influence the ever elusive consumer in today’s market. You can see and hear Lamp’l on “Fresh from the Garden” on DIY Network, GardenSMART on PBS, and his latest series, Growing a Greener World, also on national public television. Lamp’l also shares his knowhow on NBC’s Today show and ABC’s Good Morning America. His key question: Are our products, services, and marketing messages relevant and even reaching our target markets? Catch Joe’s insights Sunday, July 15, at 8 a.m. On Monday, July 16, Sam Kass, White House assistant chef and senior policy advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives, will bring his passion for gardening and growyour-own edibles to Short Course attendees in the second keynote presentation. His message speaks directly to those in the horticulture industry who make fresh fruits and vegetables possible. Kass will bring an enthusiastic message about gardening and planting home-grown fruits, herbs and vegetables. This spring, several OFA member companies, including breeders and garden centers, launched new or expanded offerings in the edible plant category to meet the increasing demand by consumers. This is good news for the industry and supports an effort to improve the health and well being of kids and adults.
Kass said, there is a “… national conversation that has been started about the need for all of us to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables and ensuring that everyone has access to fresh produce in their neighborhoods — key components of the First Lady’s Let’s Move! initiative which is an effort to tackle the problem of childhood obesity in this country.” Gardening is an integral part of the program. Both events are open to all. OFA Short Course expanded trade show sells out Even with increasing the square footage of exhibition space in the Columbus Convention Center, the OFA Short Course trade show is sold out and a waiting list has been established. More than 550 companies will occupy nearly 1,500 exhibit spaces in the 7-acre trade show. With so much to see, show organizers have arranged “Trade Show Interactive” sessions that will lead attendees through the floor and to vendors dealing with Pest Management Resources, Lighting, Growing Media, and other specific topics. “The trade show brings buyers and sellers together in an affordable location to make business connections, to share ideas, and to work together for mutual success. We expanded the trade show floor because more companies wanted to exhibit, or current exhibitors needed to
expand,” said Michael V. Geary, CAE, OFA’s chief executive officer. “We see this as a sign of increasing confidence in the economy and the health of our industry. Furthermore, Short Course is the first event of the year that will showcase new plant varieties, and products and services. People want to attend because it’s a premier trade show that has everything you need for your business in one place; and it’s a great place to exhibit because this is where the industry comes to do business.” The 2012 OFA Short Course offers more than just the trade show. The four-day event includes 140 educational sessions, keynote presentations, several networking opportunities and
tours. Attendees will come from the United States and nearly 25 other countries. Grower Tour A full-day grower tour on Saturday, July 14, allows visitors to talk shop, quite literally, in three nearby growing operations. Covering a range of mostly grower to mostly retailer, these operations can shed some light on what business and growing tactics are being used by grower peers. In addition, bus conversations provide a great method for critiquing what works — and what doesn’t. Tour stops include deMonye’s Greenhouse, Meadow View Growers, and Darby Creek Growers. Register for the 2012 OFA Short Course at ofa.org/shortcourse.
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Fickle spring takes toll on Indiana fruit growers FORT WAYNE, IN (AP) — Indiana orchard owners have been hit hard by wildly fluctuating spring temperatures, but farming experts and retailers say it’s too soon to know how the damage to crops will affect prices or supply this fall. Many plants began to bud ear-
ly after parts of the state saw several 80-degree days in March. But freezing temperatures in April killed many of those buds and have left some orchards without the crop they expected. Randy Bruick of Advanced Tree Technology in New Haven tells the Journal Gazette
(http://bit.ly/NeY2a2 ) he lost about half his apple crop. He says the cold snap wreaked the most havoc he’s seen in 30 years of growing fruit. Tom Creswell of Purdue University’s Plant and Pest Diagnostic Laboratory says damage to crops is widespread across the state.
www.cfgrower.com Retirement Auction for Walters Farms
Fri., July 13th @ 10:30 AM Zimmerman Rd and Fly Rd (Mud Street), Beamsville, Ont. (farm is sold, owners retiring from farming) Sale to consist of Winery Equipment, Tractors, Vineyard Harvesting Equipment, Late Model 20 ton excavator, float and flat bed trailer, mini excavator/trencher. Collector vehicles plus some household and antique items.
Directions: From QEW exit Ontario St. Beamsville south to King St. E. to Mountain St. south (first lights east of Ontario St.), than south to Fly Road (Mud Street first stop), take Fly Road west to first road on right (Zimmerman Rd.) right to sale site. Watch for signs. Partial List to Include: Case CX 210 Excavator, 2004 model Q.A. 4 ft bucket 6500 hrs. one owner machine in good condition, Case D-H4 trencher/mini excavator with new engine, 20 ton goose neck float, 2-40 foot flat bed trailers (Fruehauf, Brantford) certified in good condition. Tractors and Vineyard Equipment: Ford 2600 gas 700 hours orig one owner, Ford 5600 dsl with front hydraulic remotes, Ford Super Dexta dsl. 1971 Chisolm Ryder 4 W.D. harvester (with many parts). Chisolm Ryder Sickle Bar Hedger Conversion, 2-hydraulic Tote Lift dump wagons (narrow) 38” and 28” tires, A.C. 4000 lb propane forklift/ 3 stage mast, Lansing Bagnall elec dual wheel tow motor with rotary head and side shift.
Large quantity steel “T” posts and press, treated grape posts, plastic yellow grape boxes. 14-4 ton steel grape bins with plastic lids, 10 plastic Macro 34 fruit bins, 8 1 ton steel bins. 5’ Land pride box scraper. New Trane 5XE 1000 5 ton A/C unit, 1965 Groh Mahogany 16 ft lapstrake boat with V4 OMC I/O motor sells with trailer. KNIGHT 12030 Spreader with narrow wheel base (ex condition). Agro Trend 6’x4’ tandem dump trailer (atv size). 8 ft front mount snow blade. Front mount hyd post pounder, Laurin tractor cab with A/C (fits Ford 5600) Winery equipment: 5 ton Vaslin grape press, High capacity destemmer with 15 hp elec motor, Titanus continuous twin screw press, Rossi 8’ elevator/dejuicer, Velo 15 plate juice filter, Pasteurizer 60 ft (15x4) 3” s.s., 2-3000 gal S.S. tanks, 14-1, 500 gal (US) plastic upright tanks, 8750 gal (US) plastic upright tanks, 500 agl transfer tanks, 300 gal transfer tanks, 4-1000 ltr totes etc. Note all tanks clean and used for grape juice only. Quantity of unused 12”x4” clay drainage tile. Classic vehicles: 1949 GMC 3 ton stake orig. running, 1965 T Bird/390, 1979 T Bird/302 1979 Fairmont, 1968 Ford Bronco chassis with new fiberglass body. 16 ft flat bed float trailer, 10 ft utility trailer, 20 ft heavy duty hyd cylinder rebuild table, unused 8’x7’ door, 3” Rupp pump with 1.5 hp (220 vl) with hose, 200 gal slip in fuel tank, 200 gal fuel tank with elec pump. Good selection modern and older household items, glassware, china etc.
Terms: Payment in full prior to removal of merchandise. All taxes apply. Cash Visa Mastercard or Debit. Washrooms and lunch booth on premises. Auctioneers: Nello Romagnoli and Jim McCartney For info and pictures www.nelloromagnoliauction.com
NELLO ROMAGNOLI AUCTION SALES, SMITHVILLE, ONT 905-957-7283
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July 2012 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Page 19
Tufline vineyard disc, I-H vineyard disc, I-H 7ft 12 run grain drill with grass seed and fert. and press wheels (good shape) Ford 6 ft. finishing mower, 6 ft Bush Hog mower, Bush Hog 6’ to 9’ hydraulic adjust flail mower, Cosmag flail mower with hydraulic width adjust., Wifo double tooth 3 pth subsoiler, Massan mole subsoiler, Ford 6’ blade, 7’ 3 pth blade, Danhuser post hole auger with 9” auger, Thomas 3 pth rotary grape hoe, Clements rotary grape hoe, 3pth vine/tree planter, Ferguson 3 pth one way discs, Vicon 1400 kg 3 pth fert spreader, Slawson and Mead hedger, Ellis front mount brush rake, 2 row canopy vineyard sprayer, Triumph 5’ sickle bar mower, 5’ arena vator with rolling basket, 10 ft and 5 ft spring tooth cult., Ford 2 bottom plows.
www.aaauctionfinder.com
Page 20 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • July 2012
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Number / Classification 35 Announcements 50 Applicators 80 Auctions 110 Bedding Plants 120 Bees-Beekeeping 130 Bird Control 155 Building Materials/ Supplies 165 Business Opportunities 210 Christmas Trees 235 Computers 330 Custom Services 415 Employment Wanted 440 Farm Machinery For Sale 445 F a r m M a c h i n e r y Wanted 470 Financial Services 500 For Sale 505 Forklifts 510 Fresh Produce, Nursery 515 Fruit Processing Eq. 530 Garden Supplies 535 Generators 570 G r e e n h o u s e Plugs/Cuttings 575 Greenhouse Supplies 580 Groundcover 605 Heating 610 Help Wanted 680 Irrigation 700 Lawn & Garden 805 Miscellaneous 820 Nurseries 840 Nursery Supplies 855 Orchard Supplies 910 Plants 950 Real Estate For Sale 955 Real Estate Wanted 1035 Seeds & Nursery 1040 Services Offered 1130 Tractors 1135 Tra c t o r s, Pa r t s & Repair 1140 Trailers 1155 Tree Moving Services 1165 Trees 1170 Truck Parts & Equipment 1180 Trucks 1190 Vegetable 1205 Wanted
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WRITERS WANTED Country Folks Grower is looking for self-motivated free-lance writers to contribute to their monthly horticulture trade paper.
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Sheared d & Naturall Christmass Treess up p to o 12'+ Balsam and Fraser Fir
CEDAR R POSTS POSTS: 7', 8', 12' 4x4 POSTS: 8', 9' RAILS: 12'6" (pheasant fencing) 16" shingle block
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Potted Liners Flowering Shrubs Evergreens Natives Boxwood Grasses Web site: www.appnursery.com Email: liners@appnursery.com Phone: 1-877-743-4733 Fax: (717) 597-9073 Chambersburg, PA 17201
Liners Available For Immediate Shipment Nursery Stock LARGE VARIETY of Evergreens, Flowering Trees, Shrubs & Natives in larger sizes. Pre-dug trees available. 700 acres of quality field grown material. 40 years experience. Roger Coffey & Sons Wholesale Nursery P h : 8 2 8 - 7 5 9 - 7 1 5 7 Fa x : 828-758-9285 email: sales@rogercoffeyandsons.com www.rogercoffeyandsons.com
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JUL 9-10 “Are You Crazy?” Retail farm market bus tour of eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania sponsored by Ohio State University Extension and Penn State Extension. Registration $255 for single occupancy, $210 for double occupancy. Information:http:// go.osu.edu/Krz http:// go.osu.edu/Krz or 412-4732450. JUL 13 Urban Agriculture Cleveland tour of four successful urban farms. Free. Information: kowalski.124@ osu.edu or 216-429-8200, ext. 127. JUL 14-17 OFA: 2012 ShortCourse Greater Columbus Convention Center, Columbus, OH. Call 614-487-1117 or e-mail ofa@ofa.org. On Internet at http://ofa.org/shortcourse info.aspx JUL 18 Beekeeping Webinar Planning Now for Winter Preparation, 9-10 am. Free. Information: ellsworth.2@ osu.edu mailto: ellsworth.2@ osu.edu or 330-263-3723. JUL 19 Drip Irrigation Field Night OSU South Centers Endeav-
or Center, room 165, 1862 Shyville Road, Piketon, 6-9 p.m. Cost is $5. Information: 740-289-2071, ext 132. JUL 24 Land for Your Farm Business Boston Store, 1548 Boston Mills Rd., Peninsula, OH. 69 pm. Contact Countryside Conservancy, 330-657-2542 ext.222. On Internet at www. cvcountryside.org/farmers/ farm-business-planningworkshops.php JUL 26 On-farm Vegetable Market Green Thumb Farm Market, 3-5:30 p.m., 45869 Southland Road, New Bremen. Tour and details on using high tunnels. Information: greenthumbproduce@ hotmail.com or 419-753-2456. Field Crops Day Northwest Agricultural Research Station of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, 4240 Range Line Road, Custar. Free. Information: 419-2572060. JUL 30 - AUG 10 2012 Michigan Garden Plant Tour Various locations throughout lower Michigan. On Internet at http:// planttour.hrt.msu.edu
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SAF outreach to Congress opens doors Amidst election year politics and a packed Congressional agenda, the Society of American Florists (SAF) has met personally with several members of Congress and their staffs to make a case for more access
to credit for micro-business owners — thanks to the efforts of several retailers, wholesalers and growers. More than 100 SAF members wrote their representatives and senators in April and
May, asking them to cosponsor the Restore Main Street Credit’s Act, H.R. 4293, which would remove restrictions on lending to Main Street businesses for credit union commercial lending. Once
those letters hit, the “doors started opening,” said SAF Senior Director of Government Relations Corey Connors, who was able to meet with the offices of reps. Dan Benishek (RMI), Jim Costa (D-CA),
Billy Long (R-MO), Steve Israel (D-NY) and senior staff for Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee’s ranking member Olympia Snowe (R-ME). “When (members of
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Run your ad for added emphasis on your equipment and service! Display ads can run in black & white, spot color or 4-color process. Call your Sales Rep or Dan Wren at 800-218-5586 ext 117, or e-mail dwren@leepub.com. Ad deadline is 9/13/12. V Agtourism-Agritainment V Alternative Energy V Apparel/Promotional Items V Associations V Auctions V Barns and buildings V Berries V Carts and wagons V Christmas items, other V Christmas trees V Education V Employment/Human Resources V Equipment-fruit & vegetable
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Congress) hear from constituents, they start paying attention,” said Connors. “They know there’s a lot more riding on an issue when they hear from the people who voted them into office.” Connors said overall reception to H.R. 4293, which would open up loans for Main Street businesses without costing the taxpayer anything, was positive. But he said it will take many more letters and many more meetings to keep the issue top-ofmind with legislators. “We need to keep telling lawmakers how critical access to credit is to your survival,” he said. “They need to hear those very personal stories of struggles and stymied growth that happen when you can’t get a line of credit or a loan,” he said. Other industries representing small businesses support the bill through the National Main Street Business Coalition, started by SAF in January to push improved access to capital and tax reform. The Main Street coalition has the backing of more than 150,000 businesses in five industries in addition to floriculture: convenience stores, retail appliance dealers, bakers, newspapers and toy retailers. Connors acknowledged it’s a “tough” Congress with election year politics slowing legislative movement, but “we just have to continue to work at it so it stays on their radar.” He urges SAF members to help “open more doors” for a discussion of H.R. 4293, by sending a message to your member of Congress asking them to support it. “Every letter written gets us closer to improving access to affordable loans,” Connors said.
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by Sally Colby Jon Loveberry planted his first Christmas trees shortly after he retired 11 years ago and started selling trees just six years ago, but his business is growing every year. “I’ve always wanted to have a tree farm,” said Loveberry, who says that his wife and kids supported the idea. “I was just going to have trees, draft horses and a wagon or sleigh and take people back to get a tree.” However, Loveberry’s Tree Farm turned out to be more than what he first planned. “We’ve grown every year,” he said. “Word gets around. We do things that a lot of other tree farms don’t do.” Loveberry’s first planting was in 2001, and the Quincy, MI, farm opened in 2006. However, Loveberry started bringing in
Greatt Pricess onn Wreathh Framess
trees from the start to build a customer base. “When you start from nothing, you have to get people to come in,” he said. “I had a few Scotch pine to sell, but most were brought in.” Loveberry continued to bring trees in to sell until his own plantings were ready for harvest. Today, Loveberry grows trees on about 20 acres, and offers six fir varieties including the popular Douglas fir, along with several spruce varieties including Norway, White and Blackhill. Loveberry also has pines but is phasing them out in favor of more popular trees. Trees are sold by size in two-foot increments. “There are different prices for different species,” said Loveberry. “The Fraser fir is the most popular tree, but it’s more difficult to grow and takes longer to grow, so we get a little more for that. People also like the Canaan
and Douglas fir.” Loveberry also has some young Concolor firs that are popular. “People love those — if they buy one, they always want another. It’s a beautiful tree — they’re phenomenal for holding needles.” Since he has limited acreage, Loveberry interplants new trees rather than clearing entire blocks. “People seem to like that,” he said. “They can go into a given area and see different trees. Most of the Fraser firs are in blocks by themselves because they like certain soil conditions, but I’ve interplanted some of those too. They’re doing well in some areas and not well in other areas.” Loveberry says he has lost trees due to recent drought conditions, but feels fortunate that he hasn’t lost as many as other growers. Most trees are sold as choose and cut, although some cut trees
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July 2012 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • Page 25
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are available on stands for people who prefer selecting a tree that way. “On our heavy weekends, I’ll have 40 to 45 trees and we’ll have to replenish them,” said Loveberry. “Toward the end of the season, I’ll only have a few up there, so if someone wants a certain tree, I’ll go out and cut it for them.” One of the big draws to Loveberry’s is the horse-drawn wagons available to take people to the fields. “A lot of people from metropolitan areas have never been around a draft horse,” said Loveberry, who uses a team of Percherons. “Kids come out and see that, and it’s really unique to them. It looks like I might have to get another team, and that’s good.” Customers are provided with hand saws to cut trees, then trees are loaded onto wagons. Another draw is chestnut roasting, which is done in the fireplace in the gift shop. “We put chestnuts in a roasting pan or over a fire outside,” said Loveberry. “It’s a Christmas tradition that many people have heard of but haven’t experienced. We also have a Santa Claus who comes in the first two weekends in December for several hours each day, and we offer pictures with Santa. On the weekends that Santa is here, we have a local gal who comes in to sing Christmas carols on the porch of the cabin.” The gift shop on the premises was the idea of Loveberry’s wife Virginia. “She wanted to have a gift shop,” he said. “She dabbles in antiques and buys a lot of things at garage sales, which she brings home to fix up to look almost like new. The
PostScriptPicture Tree,Fir
C H R I S TMA S S E CTI O N
PostScriptPicture Tree,Fir
Christmas tree marketing 101 in 2012 by Sally Colby As Christmas tree growers are scouting, spraying and planning the upcoming season, some are wondering whether there will be a glut of trees that will make this year’s marketing more challenging. Rick Dungy, public relations manager for the National Christmas Tree Association (NCTA), says there’s no way to track how many trees are in the field. “Trees are not an annual yield crop,” said Dungy. “You can’t go out in the field and know that ‘x’ number of trees are ready for harvest, and you don’t know what buyers will want. Once year they might want 6’7’ trees, and the next year they may want more 5’-6’ trees. That changes your inventory and how you count it.” One factor that makes tracking even more difficult is that trees are harvested at a wide range of heights. “I’ve had growers tell me that the most popular tree they’re harvesting now is a 3’ to 4’ table top tree.” Dungy mentioned the USDA ag census as the closest measure of trees in the country, but that census is only conducted every 5 years. “The last census was done after the 2007 harvest and came out in spring of
2008,” said Dungy. “Previous to that, the census was after the 2002 harvest season, so we’re only looking at a picture of time every five years.” Dungy says the 2002 census revealed that there were just over 21,000 farms growing Christmas trees for the cut tree market, and the 2007 census showed just under 17,000 farms. He noted that this
change could be due to the fact that many smaller, diversified farms weren’t counted. Information about the number of consumers purchasing live or cut trees vs. artificial tree can be found on the NCTA website. Data is compiled from consumer polls, which Dungy says are completely different from the numbers in the USDA ag
census. Dungy noted another factor that makes it difficult to estimate the number of trees is the variety of terms used in surveys to determine trees grown on farms: dug tree, potted tree, B&B, rootball tree, living tree, replant tree. “It’s hard to put all of that nomenclature in a question where everybody knows what we’re talking about,” said Dungy. Although weather events can impact a geographical segment of the nation, weather probably isn’t a major factor in overall tree numbers. Dungy cited the 2006 late spring frost in western North Carolina. “New growth had already come out, and all of that wilted back,” he said. “Trees that had frost damage had to be sheared back and weren’t sold that year. But they recovered and were sold the following season.” Dungy says that within the past three to four years, he has seen a noticeable increase in consumers saying they want more choices and options. “Not just in trees,” said Dungy,
Marketing 27 Consumers are asking for more choices in height, shape and needle size when they shop for Christmas trees. Photo by Sally Colby
Page 26 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • July 2012
Loveberry from 25 first year, that’s all we had in there, but we’ve evolved into a lot of different items. We have some Amish-made cabinets in there, and homemade items like mittens and hats.” Customers can purchase coffee or candy labled with the farm name as well as hot chocolate and mulled cider. Loveberry’s also offers farmmade grave blankets, centerpieces and roping. Loveberry spends a lot of time in the fields, scouting and watching for signs of disease. “Douglas fir get Swiss needlecast, but I’ve corrected that,” he said. “We’ve also had balsam twig aphid which affects the Fraser fir and balsam fir.” Unless a particular disease or insect becomes a serious threat, Loveberry watches and waits to spray so that natural predators are preserved. “I’m out there a lot so I see what’s going on,” he said. “I’m mowing once every two
weeks, and I’m constantly in there to spray the weeds between trees.” Like other Christmas tree growers, Loveberry has benefited from the Michigan Christmas
Tree Association. “It’s a tremendous organization,” he said. “The people in it are just wonderful. When I first started, I’d have been lost without those people. I did some things
wrong before I was in touch with them, but that’s how you learn.” Visit Loveberry’s Christmas Tree Farm online at www.loveberrystreefarm.com.
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Marketing from 26 “but in the way trees look, how they’re sheared, whether the tree is fat or skinny, the taper, open or dense, needle type and options as to how to get the tree home and experience it. Some Christmas tree
farms are recognizing that there is a group of customers they could get if they offer a new way of buying a tree. These services aren’t new, but seem to surge in popularity every few years. That includes de-
livery services, buying online and pre-tagging. Instead of having to go pick up a tree and put it on their car, the customer is willing to pay to have the farm bring it to them.” Dungy added that although
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and what kind of demands they have.” Social media marketing is becoming more important, whether it’s a website, smart phone app or Facebook. “Businesses that have websites can draw attention, but a website alone cannot ensure more cus-
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tomers,” said Dungy. “Smart businesses are figuring out what that is, whether it’s a website with a good story, or describing what they offer. It comes down to understanding your market who they are and what kind of buying experience they want; from the customer initially learning about the farm to handing money to you. It’s all about building relationships with customers. That’s how you build brand loyalty.” Dungy says a lot of farms are finding success with Facebook. “Facebook is especially useful for farms that tell their story year round rather than trying to cram everything in a short time right after Thanksgiving,” said Dungy. “They have photos of people putting seedlings in the ground, they’re telling the story about planting trees, and showing how crews are out shearing trees. Facebook is an opportunity to tell your story in little snippets all year round.” Dungy added that Facebook is particularly useful for farms that have multi-season operation such as orchards, farm stands or PYO operations. Growers should remember that ‘one-sizefits-all’ doesn’t apply to Christmas trees. “Do some market research, and know who your customer is and what they want,” said Dungy. “Market research must be ongoing, because what is true one year won’t necessarily be true the next. It’s a consumers’ market, and they’re driving the demand for more variety and more choices. If you try to tell consumers what they should or shouldn’t like, you’re in the wrong business. You have to do the research, listen to your consumers and meet their demands. Growers and retailers who are listening are the ones who are starting to capture new markets and potential customers.” Visit the National Christmas Tree Association online at www.christmastree.org.
Page 28 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MIDWEST • July 2012
Asiatic garden beetle causing damage to Ohio corn WOOSTER, OHIO — A relatively new pest to Ohio field crops is causing concern for some northern Ohio farmers, an Ohio State University Extension entomologist said. Some growers have reported finding Asiatic garden beetle grubs that have caused some stand losses, said Ron Hammond, who also has an appointment with the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. What’s surprising about this is that the grub, which is a species that is more associated with being a minor pest in turf, now appears to be much more damaging to crops than most other grubs, he said. “The Asiatic garden beetle is a new problem that’s been recently identified in certain parts of Ohio,” Hammond said. “The grub is now considered very aggressive in its feeding habits.” The Asiatic garden beetle was introduced to the U.S. in the 1920s on the East Coast and has since made its way across the country, he said. The grubs were recently associated as a newer corn pest in northeast Indiana and southwest Michigan from 2006 to 2008, but always in sandier soils and following soybeans. Some fields in Ohio meet those conditions, Hammond explained. “We’ve gotten a number of calls from farmers up north who are saying that they’re having serious problems with the grubs,” he said. “This is definitely a growing concern for farmers.” The grubs feed on corn roots in the spring, causing stand reductions. Much of the damage Ohio growers have reported was in corn following soybeans, Hammond said. Asiatic garden beetle grubs are smaller than other grubs such as true white grubs and Japanese beetle grubs, Hammond said. The main characteristics to identify Asiatic garden beetle grubs are the enlarged maxillary palps on the side of their mouthparts, he said. While growers should scout their fields for the grubs, there really isn’t much that can be done to mitigate the grubs once they’ve begun feeding in
the soil and causing stand reductions, Hammond said. Because this is a relatively new pest, there aren’t any rescue treatments available, which is usually the case with other grub issues. One way to monitor for the number of Asiatic garden beetle adults in a
field is to observe dead beetle carcasses around brightly lit canopies and ornamental plantings. Elevated numbers can lead to a greater chance of Asiatic garden beetle white grub feeding damage. “None of the infested fields over the years appear to have been com-
pletely protected by the various seed treatments,” he said. “The grubs have to be managed prior to planting with a soil insecticide if growers already have them in the soils in their fields. “The only action growers could take would be replanting if necessary.”
Asiatic garden beetle grubs are causing concern for some northern Ohio farmers. The arrow in the inset photo is pointing to one of the enlarged maxillary palps on the side of the grub’s mouthparts — the main characteristic in identifying the pest. Purdue University photos
Supplement to Country Folks GROWER
PAGE 1
SUMMER EDITION • July 2012
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July 2012 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MARKETPLACE • Page 2
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SUMMER EDITION • July 2012
MARKETPLACE Do summer intern and apprentice programs work? by Sanne Kure-Jensen Hands-on learning is the best way to find out if you are suited to farm life. “The USDA says labor costs can be up to 18 percent of production expenses. To improve profits, you need to be more efficient or you need to reduce your labor costs.” said Amanda Brown of the UMass Extension Vegetable Program. Interns and Apprentices may be cheaper, but you will spend more time training them and supervising beginners. You must determine if the reduced cost can be offset with more production overall. Brown shared her
farm experience working with students while speaking at the Beginning Women Farmer Conference at UMass, Amherst, MA. She distinguished between Interns and Apprentices and their appropriate compensation. Legal definitions Brown offered these legal definitions according to the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division and the Washington State Department of Agriculture, Small Farm and Direct Marketing Handbook but stressed that all growers should check with their state Labor Departments for local regula-
tions before seeking certain types of farm labor. An Intern can be unpaid if ALL of these qualifications are met. The Intern • Is enrolled in accredited educational institution like a college, community college or university • Benefits from training as they would at the educational institute • Pays the educational institution to be in the program
• Receives academic credit for their work. • Is not replacing paid employees, but work with them • Is not promised a job at the end of the internship The accredited educational institution is exempt from paying wages, Unemployment Insurance tax and is required to provide a safe work environment. The
Intern 6
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Page 3 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MARKETPLACE • July 2012
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July 2012 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MARKETPLACE • Page 4
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SUMMER EDITION • July 2012
MARKETPLACE
SUMMER EDITION • July 2012
MARKETPLACE
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Page 5 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MARKETPLACE • July 2012
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July 2012 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MARKETPLACE • Page 6
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SUMMER EDITION • July 2012
MARKETPLACE Intern from 3 employer providing training must not derive immediate advantage from interns’ actions. Generally, there is no minimum wage requirement for agricultural laborers as long as they are not engaged in processing value added products or selling. An Apprentice receives a personal education plan proposed and approved under state/federal law. Apprentices can potentially create this training/research plan for the next year’s Apprentice as part of their seasonal project. An Employer of Apprentices must: • Have an Employer Identification Number (EIN) • Pay at least minimum wage with merit raises • Pay workers compensation insurance for work-related injuries • Pay Unemployment Insurance tax • Provide safe work environment • Provide set number of hours of instruction annually An Employee is subject to scheduling by the employer and the employer must: • Have an Employer Identification Number (EIN) • Pay wages • Pay workers compensation insurance for work-related injuries • Provide safe work environment • File payroll tax forms There are volunteer resources such as World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF). Their website lists interns and apprentices looking to earn their room and board. Each state has slightly different definitions, rules and per diem rates. Be sure to check with your local Department of Labor for applicable regulations. Selection criteria How to select (applications and interviews) and how best supervise Interns and Apprentices • Have written application • Ask why interested in
farming, background and experience, academic training and success • Have current or past workers interview new recruits • Maintain consistent labor standards across farm • Check references; ask “Would you hire them again?” Policies and procedures Communication is critical in all working environments. Be sure you set clear expectations: hours, responsibilities and pay/or not. Create and make available an Employee Handbook with expectations, grievance procedure, wages, hours/schedules, breaks, NO smoking and educational contracts/ learning plans. Brown and conference participants recommended that all staff cell phones be turned in to supervisors during working days and returned only at lunch breaks and after the work day. Emergency calls should be directed to supervisors or to the farm office. She also recommended a no headphone policy to improve safety and encourage human interaction. To further this goal, she has students interact with buyers in person (not via email or by phone) and make deliveries. Post and follow an organizational chart with names/rolls. Cross train people; swap tasks weekly and have students be responsible for different tasks or areas. Be sure to meet regularly (daily and/or weekly). Mix in some fun along with the drudgery of weeding and hoeing. Post “Done” list of accomplishments not just the “To Do” list. Always develop and share a Plan B. If the team runs out of things to do, finish early or has crop failure, what is next thing on the “To Do” list or backup plan? Resources Brown recommended these links and references for more information and finding applicants: • U.S. Department of Labor: www.wagehour.
dol.gov or call their helpline at 866-487-9243. • World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) lists available interns, apprentices and openings: www.smallfarms.org • National Sustainable Agricultural Information
Service (ATTRA) offers a directory of sustainable farming internships, apprenticeships and onthe-job learning opportunities at www.attra.org • Agricultural, nursery and landscape jobs and internships at www. GreenJobsNE.org.
• “The Organic Farmer’s Business Handbook: A Complete Guide to Managing Finances, Crops, and Staff - and Making a Profit” by Richard Wiswall includes recommendations for hiring and training apprentices.
Brown also recommended watching “Digital_nation,” a 90 minute Frontline report on the changing way people interact, for a better understanding on the way today’s students think and act.
MARKETPLACE Gardner Pie Company is dedicated to baking and selling only the very best pies. We use only the finest and freshest ingredients and adhere to time-honored, old-fashioned recipes. Located in Akron, OH. we’ve been family owned and operated since 1945. We provide a wide variety of quality pies to farm markets, in-store bakeries, and the food service industry. For ordering information call: 330-245-2030
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PAGE 1
SUMMER EDITION • July 2011 Supplement to Country Folks GROWER
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SUMMER EDITION • July 2012
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July 2012 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER MARKETPLACE • Page 8
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SUMMER EDITION • July 2012
MARKETPLACE Kurt Zuhlke & Assoc. Inc.
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