Grower Northwest 5.12

May 2012

Western n Edition

Section One of One

GROWER

Volume e6 Number r6

$2.50

Serving All Aspects of Commercial Horticulture

Greenhouse • Nursery • Garden Center • Fruit & Vegetable • Farm Markets • Landscapers • Christmas

WSU researchers moving apples from orchard to hard cider culture ~ Page 4

New Leaf Greenhouse ~ Page 2

Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Value Added / Specialty Foods. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Melissa Piper Nelson

Today’s Marketing . . . . . 5

Page 2 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER WEST • May 2012

New Leaf Greenhouse focuses on the future

by Kelly Gates When the growing business was moved from a five-acre parcel of land in Hillsboro, OR, to a 128 acre site in Cornelius, OR, in 1998, New Leaf Greenhouse literally turned over a new leaf. The size of the operation expanded dramatically. So did its efficiencies, with better shipping spaces, a multifaceted production facility and other improvements to boot.

According to Martha Steele, assistant operations manager and daughter of New Leaf Greenhouse founder Ginger Steele, the relocation was much needed. But it was quite challenging.

“We started moving during the off season and planted and sold a whole new crop in the middle of the process,” said Steele. “We reconstructed many of our old greenhouses on the new property. We also built a new production barn, a new office and a new retail space, too.”

By the time the transition was over, the company had somehow maintained its existing schedule. Its choice perennials, organic vegetative starts, planters and hanging baskets were ready when wholesale customers’ orders needed to be shipped. And, when retail customers wandered through the doors at the new facility to purchase plants that spring.

New Leaf owner Ginger Steele, her daughter Martha Steele, and family favorite pet Chi. Photos courtesy of New Leaf Greenhouse “I still can’t believe that we did all of that at the same time, but we did and we are very happy with the results,”

Constantino Guzman cleaning and trimming hebes for sale.

said Steele. “My mom put a lot of time into designing the new space based on what worked well at the original property and what didn’t.”

At the old site, there was never enough space for tractors and trucks to move about easily. So, Ginger allotted ample room for maneuvering large equipment. She also incorporated a loading dock into the mix so workers could quickly load trucks bound for retail outlets in Western Oregon and Western Washington.

The new production building was made as a multipurpose area. The barn is used for initial plantings of vegetative cuttings, plugs and seeds — depending on the variety being planted. These freshly planted items are then taken to cold or heated greenhouses to grow for a month before being brought back into the production barn for transplanting.

“Once the transplanted containers are ready, they’re sent back out to grow some more, then they are loaded into trucks for shipping,” explained Steele. “The barn was built to accommodate any number of container upgrades, which works really well for our production process.”

Many of the plants produced there are grown in 4-inch pots. If they hang around long enough to mature beyond their containers, they are transplanted into one-gallon pots, providing an added offering to customers.

Plants with similar watering needs are grouped together to allow for efficient irrigation.

Hanging baskets are drip irrigated. So are many of the gallon containers out in the fields, thanks to a grant New Leaf Greenhouse received for planting one acre of wetlands using native plants.

“Aside from these drip-irrigated plants, everything is watered by hand,” noted Steele. “Watering is the most tedious tasks here, but it’s also the most important. We have our most experienced staff do this, focusing on every plant to make sure they get the appropriate amount of water.”

Because around 90 percent of the plants produced at New Leaf Greenhouse are sold to wholesale customers, the business doesn’t carry hard goods, bulk landscape materials, chemicals and other standard garden center items.

Instead, the focus is on growing high quality plants. This is why so much attention is paid to each individual potted plant from the time it is planted until it is delivered to a

customer.

For the retail customers who rely on New Leaf Greenhouse for their plant purchases each spring, the business implemented a new payment system.

“We switched from an outdated cash register to a pointof-sale system a while ago, which has helped us tend to retail customers faster,” said Steele. “In the future, we would also like to expand our offering to include more choice perennials and more heirloom varieties of organic vegetable starts.”

The Steeles also hope to offer vegetable taste testing opportunities for retail customers. By sampling things like heirloom tomatoes grown from the vegetable plants sold in house, people are more likely to buy the exact plants the following season for their own gardens, added Steele.

Another plan for upcoming years focuses on their fundraiser programs for schools, youth groups, and other non-profit groups. The business owners hope to expand and update their winter and spring fundraising programs. They currently produce poinsettias in the winter and a variety of plants again in April and May for organizations throughout the community.

Miguel Ortiz is an assistant grower and runs New Leaf’s pest management program.

The Rothenbuhler Legacy Fighting insect damage at the turf level with pesticides while being mindful of collateral damage

An apiarist tends to his bee hives. nators that are needed to produce fruit and other foods. I think more research is needed to look at the interaction here, which is what I’m trying to do.”

Johnson is the relative “new kid on the block,” conducting research on beekeeping and on pollinator toxicology at OSU’s Department of Entomology. He is also focusing on genomics. “The genomics revolution, and the sequencing of the honeybee genome,” he says, “makes

available the tools to really understand how pesticides affect bees on a molecular level.” Authorities have been attributing the CCD problem to factors such as mites and insect diseases, environmental change-related stresses, malnutrition, pesticides and migratory beekeeping.

When asked if the problem has been narrowed down to only the “cides” with other possible causes of CCD falling by the wayside of speculation, Johnson said, “I

don’t think that at all, actually. These are important studies but I don’t think they get to the root of what’s causing Colony Collapse Disorder. Even if you banned all of these pesticides I don’t think you would see a major improvement in the health of honeybees in this country. It’s still the varroa mites, a formidable parasite of honeybees, and the viruses and the other pathogens are still major players. They have banned so many of these pesticides in Germany and France and they still have problems with all these other bee problems that we have here as well.”

So what does the future hold for bee research in Ohio? “I was hired by Ohio State to ‘reclaim the Rothenbuhler Legacy,’” says Johnson, “which is what the job advertisement was seeking.”

Dr. Walter Rothenbuhler was a bee researcher at Ohio State and a “giant in the world of bee research. He was an exceptional scientist because his work was not only scientifically important but of practical use to beekeepers as well. He was the first to show that behavior in animals can have a genetic basis, a monumental finding when it was published in 1964. That work happened to be on the inheritance of hygienic behavior in bees — a topic that has grown substantially in importance since the 1960’s. Living up to the Rothenbuhler Legacy, I intend to pursue research that is both scientifically and practically important. My work is honey bee toxicology, which is of practical importance given the pesticides that bees encounter both out in the landscape and inside the hive. Rothenbuhler worked with the beekeepers doing research that was effective at so many levels, just groundbreaking basic research. And he was still working with the beekeepers to solve everyday beekeeping problems. The range of his research was simply impressive, something I can aspire to.”

Ever mindful of the pesticide dichotomies, Dave Shetlar says that “Neonicotinoids are worthless on caterpillars, but this one is great on caterpillars.

And we can apply it any time from the first week of April and get season-long billbug, white grub and caterpillar control.” Although the product was initially much more expensive than the alternatives, the price is coming down, he added.

New report out on impact of nicotinoids on honey bees

by Dr. David Biddinger, Penn State Fruit Research and Extension Center Entomologist A possible link between neonicotinoids and honey bee die-offs has led to controversy across the United States and Europe.

Beekeepers and environmentalists have expressed growing concern about the impact of neonicotinoids, concern based on the fact that neonicotinoids are absorbed into plant tissue and can be present in pollen and nectar, making them toxic to pollinators.

In response to requests from

growers for an update on the issue regarding bee colony decline and possible connections to neonicotinoid use, I have summarized a recent white paper I co-authored with the Xerces Society.

Major Findings Several of these insecticides are highly toxic to honey bees and bumblebees.

Neonicotinoid residues are found in pollen and nectar consumed by pollinators such as bees and butterflies. The residues can reach lethal concentrations in some situations.

Neonicotinoids can persist in soil for months or years after a single application. Measurable amounts of residues were found in woody plants up to six years after application, but so far, only with nonfoliar applications at much higher rates than normally used in orchards.

Untreated plants may absorb chemical residues left over in the soil from the previous year.

Products approved for homeowners to use in gardens, lawns and on ornamental trees have manufacturer-recommended application

rates up to 120 times higher than rates approved for agricultural crops.

There is no direct link demonstrated between neonicotinoids and the honey bee syndrome known as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). However, recent research suggests that neonicotinoids may make honey bees more susceptible to parasites and pathogens, including the intestinal parasite Nosema, which has been implicated as one causative factor in CCD.

New report A4

May 2012 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER WEST • Page 3

by Stephen Wagner Dave Shetlar, better known as The Bug Doc, from Ohio State University Extension, is helping turf managers to fight bugs by going green. “There’s concern about exposure to pesticides,” said Shetlar. “Residents are calling for minimizing use of pesticides, and when they are needed, to use the least toxic available. With insecticides, we have some new technology that allows us to meet those expectations.”

Shetlar compares the use of neonicotinoids — nicotine-based insecticides that affect insects’ central nervous system — with a newer chemistry, anthranilic diamides. When neonicotinoids (pronounced neo-nick-o-tin-oids) came on the market, they were seen as less toxic alternatives to some other insecticides, but their real advantage was that they provided a long window of opportunity for grounds managers to use them. Instead of having to apply insecticides between mid-July and early August they could be applied as early as May. However, neonicotinoids have been linked with the precipitous decline in the honey bee population, according to Shetlar. That alone is a good reason to investigate the new class of insecticides, anthranilic diamides. DuPont is the first company to develop one of these insecticides, under the trade name Acelepryn.

Anthranilic diamides affect how calcium works in the muscle tissue of insects and other arthropods, including centipedes and white grubs, giving the bugs severe muscle cramps — effectively undermining their life cycle. Since calcium is used so much differently in humans and other mammals, anthranilic diamides are the least toxic type of insecticides available — “practically nontoxic,” Shetlar said.

“It’s the same old problem with insects and honeybees,” said Ohio State University assistant professor Reed Johnson as he discussed the role of insecticides and pesticides in Colony Collapse Disorder. “Insecticides are compounds that are designed to kill insects.

Insect pollinators are insects. These insecticides will kill them. So it is important to look at the interaction between these insecticides and the pollinators, because growers who are using the insecticides are using them to kill insect pests.

But they may also be harming the polli-

WSU researchers moving apples to hard cider culture MOUNT VERNON, WA — Where can hard cider connoisseurs roam the countryside, traveling from estate to estate and sampling the artisan crafts of local producers?

Western Washington will be the venue for such activity, if Washington State University researchers have their way.

Their goal is not just improvement of production and harvest techniques, but creation of a “hard cider culture,” with thriving producers and ardent consumers.

Carol Miles of the WSU Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Center (NWREC) in Mount Vernon is leading a team that has identified two of the objectives necessary for establishing a Washington hard cider culture.

First, researchers need to evaluate the characteristics of apples and their juice to determine their suitability for

cider making in the Pacific Northwest.

Second, they need to automate harvest with machinery in order to make cidering economically feasible.

The character of cider apples All apples are not created equal.

Some, like Gala and Honeycrisp, are scrumptious when eaten out of hand.

These staples of the grocery basket, however, are not particularly suited for fermenting into hard cider.

Instead, cider making requires bittersweet apples, such as Dabinett and Chisel Jersey, and bittersharp varieties, including Kingston Black and Brown Snout, to add desirable flavors and mouth feel. These varieties are used by traditional cideries in England and France, but are little known on this side of the Atlantic.

The starting point of this project is the hard cider apple orchard at the

Page 4 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER WEST • May 2012

Cover photo courtesy of WSU Vegetable Horticulture Department Mechanical harvesting cider apples at WSU Mount Vernon NWREC.

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NWREC. Planted in the 1970s, it has expanded to around 60 varieties, thanks to plantings by research scientist Gary Moulton.

Miles and her colleagues will analyze juice from 50 varieties of the research orchard’s apples. They will select four candidates to make cider for further evaluation. They will collect these varieties from five regional commercial orchards, analyze the juices and compare the results.

Miles also will assemble a cider sensory evaluation panel to help producers evaluate and understand their own products. Cideries can use this information to produce different styles of cider, as some consumers prefer a sweet cider while other tastes tend towards more robust, astringent ciders. Sensory data also can help educate consumers about different cider varieties.

Mechanical harvest The second part of the project is to reduce labor costs by refining mechanical harvesting of apples.

“Harvest is one of the primary costs of cider making,” said Miles.

To mechanize the harvest in the system Miles is testing, trees first must be grafted to strongly dwarfing rootstocks and trained in trellis rows, so that trees grow in “walls,” rather than branching out in all directions. The low fruiting wall makes it possible for a repurposed raspberry harvester to drive along the rows and knock apples out of the trees and onto a conveyor belt.

Mechanical harvesting bruises apples, but Miles has found that bruising appears not to affect cider quality, even if the apples are stored for up to two weeks.

There are additional hurdles that must be overcome for mechanical harvesting to work efficiently on a commercial scale.

For instance, researchers will alter the way trees are trellised, providing support while still allowing enough motion to shake fruit

New report

from the branches.

Since apples are much heavier than raspberries, researchers will increase the force of the “beater bars” that knock fruit off the trees. They also will change configuration of the conveyor belt so the apples don’t jam the line.

The economics of hard cider Cider offers the potential for apple growers to diversify their orchards, profitably utilize apples that can’t be sold as fresh fruit and gain another source of income. At the same time, cider apple growing requires fewer inputs, such as pest-control chemicals, since superficial blemishes don’t harm an apple’s cider quality.

Raspberry harvesters are busy in the summer, but sit idle in the fall during apple harvest, so raspberry growers can earn revenue by using their expensive harvesters to pick apples. Some Pacific Northwest hard cider producers import juice for their cider, so increased regional cider apple production would keep money in the local economy.

“Long term, we want to create a critical mass of cider producers that will attract customers from around the region and country,” said David Bauermeister, executive director of the Northwest Agricultural Business Center and one of the collaborators on the project. “Washington producers have developed a really robust wine industry in the warmer parts of the state and are looking to create a cider industry in the cooler parts of the state.”

As cider apple grower and research collaborator Drew Zimmerman pointed out, hard cider is the fastest growing category of the alcohol beverage industry. With WSU’s scientific research and outreach, the state of Washington and the growers of its iconic apples will be well positioned to take advantage of this trend.

For more information on WSU hard cider research, visit http://extension.wsu.edu/maritimefruit/Pages/Ci der.aspx.

Continued from A3

Many neonicotinoid pesticides that are sold to homeowners for use on lawns and gardens do not have any mention of the risks of these products to bees, and the label guidance for products used in agriculture is not always clear or consistent.

Additional Comments Note that most of these studies were done on honey bees and most from seed treating crops that are not bee pollinated. As expected, neonicotinoids as insecticides can kill bees, but not all are the same, with Assail and Calypso being safer. We have a study we are submitting soon showing significant synergism of neonicotinoids on bees when they are tank mixed with SI fungicides like Nova that can complicate the situation in fruit. Most of the problems are centered around the seed treatments, injections and homeowner uses at rates much higher than allowed in orchards.

For tree fruit, I would summarize by

cautioning never to use clothianidin or thiamethoxam (Actara) prebloom, or post-bloom until all the blossoms are gone. Eighty percent petal fall still means 20 percent bloom and, for growers relying on wild bees, this can really wipe them out. Pre-bloom, I would only recommend Assail or Calypso at pink and early pink, if possible. Clothianidin is a more toxic breakdown product of thiamethoxam.

Never use Assail at bloom, even though it is legal. Synergism with Nova can make it 15 times more toxic than when it is used by itself. One other lab study shows up to 1,000 times synergism of Calypso with an SI fungicide tank-mixed. Other fungicides do not appear to synergize, although mancozeb and captan to a lesser extent can be toxic to wild bee larvae that feed on the pollen. Imidacloprid can only be used post-bloom, but that means when all petals are off.

Source: Penn State Extension

Voice of the customer Most businesses understand the importance of finding out what their customers like about a product, or what must be done to meet customer needs. Using advertising responses, online survey systems, in-store interviewing services, couponing, and other feedback mechanisms are also almost universal as well. The real question for many businesses is what to do with the information once you have gathered it?

Using customer feedback represents a potential trapping point unless a business has already planned the next steps. Depending on the information gleaned, would your business be ready to re-tool if necessary, change packaging, include more user-information, extend a growing season, add more labor, change hours of operation, or develop new marketing incentives?

An owner or manager should plan for these types of changes, depending on the voice of the customer and what he or she says about the product. Another issue is how quickly a business is able to respond to necessary changes and how that will be communicated with customers.

National pizza chain stores are producing commercials on a daily basis

By: Melissa Piper Nelson Farm News Service News and views on agricultural marketing techniques. talking about how they are responding to customer feedback — better pizza crusts, more cheese, better toppings, shortened delivery times and online ordering and tracking.

Just a month ago, a major national department store advertised its new logo and strategy to lower prices daily instead of competing with other stores which feature weekly specially themed sales.

As consumers we recognize these changes as businesses responding to customer feedback in a very competitive environment. We could order pizza or shop at any number of department stores, but we gravitate to those operations that seem genuinely interested in what we have to say about their product or way of doing business. If our feedback was not important to them, they would continue to operate as they think works best for them. Profitable businesses, however, know that customer response dictates the playing field.

Agricultural-based businesses are competing with other food, fiber and

service stores that do listen and respond to the voice of the customer.

While we may have produced the same product for generations and sold it the same way as our parents and grandparents, owner-operators see customers trending to the new and rapidly changing way in which they make decisions about purchases.

With many new and easier ways to get customer feedback, businesses are able to use this information to make changes along the way that keep them competitive and able to either adjust to target audiences, or seek new customer bases in their communities.

Making sure you are gathering feedback, deciding how best to use the information and responding in a meaningful way, signals to your customers that you value their opinions and feedback and that their voice is important to you as a producer.

The above information is intended for educational purposes and should not be substituted for professional business and legal counseling.

Malfunctioning greenhouse unit heaters can cause crop problems

by Thomas A. Dudek, Michigan State University Extension Now that the greenhouse season is in full swing, more space is being utilized and heaters that have not been used for a year are

being fired up. Keep the following in mind as you open up more growing space.

Crops grown in greenhouses that utilize natural gas or propane fired unit heaters can be susceptible to ethyl-

ene injury. Ethylene is an odorless, colorless gas that acts as a plant hormone. Plants are very susceptible to ethylene injury at levels from 0.01 to 1 PPM or more. No other air pollutant causes a greater

range of symptoms than ethylene gas.

Symptoms range from shedding or shattering of flower petals, misshapen or malformed leaves and flowers, thickened stems, leaf yellowing or chlorosis,

stunted plant growth, flower bud and leaf abortion to epinasty or twisting.

The effects on greenhouse crops will vary with the plant species and growth stage, temperature, length of exposure and the concentration of the ethylene. I have noted plant injury symptoms more often in plastic greenhouses compared to glass greenhouses, due to the airtight nature of polygreenhouses.

An indicator plant to use for ethylene is a tomato plant. They are highly sensitive and will twist or wilt when exposed to ethylene.

Tomatoes will exhibit injury within 24 hours if ethylene is present.

To avoid ethylene injury, unit heaters need proper ventilation and intake of fresh air from the outside. One square inch of vent cross section (of outside air) for every 2,500 Btu’s of heater output is recommended. Consider using a laundry dryer vent hose as a fresh air intake. Thus, if you have a 125,000 Btu heater,

you would need an 8inch diameter fresh air inlet pipe that would give you the 50 square inches you need. The newest high efficiency heaters have fresh air intake systems as part of the installation kit.

Also, unit heaters need to be maintained so that the heater itself is running properly, and the distribution tube, vent stack, ventilation louvers and fuel line are all functioning correctly.

Make sure the burner flame is clear blue. Yellow or orange flames represent impurities or a wrong setting.

Most plants will recover from ethylene injury. However, those plants that bloom once (like lilies, tulips and hyacinths) that have been exposed to ethylene when they were in the flower bud stage will likely not bloom.

Remember, ethylene is an odorless, colorless gas that is a harmful pollutant to your greenhouse crops.

Source: MSU Extension News

May 2012 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER WEST • Page 5

by Melissa Piper Nelson Customer feedback stands as one of the most important business tools.

Known in marketing strategies as the voice of the customer, feedback uncovers problems, generates new ideas and helps meet production objectives. Businesses that fail to utilize the power of feedback may produce a product or service, but never fully connect with their target audiences.

Before the Internet and social media opened new lines of communication between buyers and sellers, obtaining good customer feedback represented a more complex and costly system of market research tactics, such as hiring third party analyses organizations to develop surveys, focus groups and point of sale interviews.

Today, even small businesses are able to tap into new feedback mechanisms like online quick survey sites, information exchange services and informal response accounts that pinpoint rapid-fire customer feedback. While these more immediate feedback centers may not produce the formal results gleaned through more scientific research methods, they do offer a window into customer likes, dislikes and trends.

Today’s Marketing Objectives

Health care — what’s going on, what’s next?

Page 6 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER WEST • May 2012

by Craig Regelbrugge The United States Supreme Court heard oral arguments the week of March 26 in the cases challenging the constitutionality of aspects of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).

There were six hours of presentations over three days. While the Court traditionally takes a break over the summer months, and a decision is possible in late June, there is no guarantee the justices will issue their opinion then. The Court is considering a series of constitutional questions: • Whether Congress had the power under

Article I of the Constitution to enact the minimum coverage provision.

• Whether the suit brought by respondents to challenge the minimum coverage provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is barred by the Anti-Injunction Act. • Does Congress exceed its enumerated powers and violate basic principles of federalism when it coerces states into accepting conditions that it could not impose directly by threatening to withhold all federal funding under the single largest grant-in-aid program, or does the limitation

on Congress’s spending power that this Court recognized in South Dakota v. Dole, 483 U.S. 203 (1987), no longer apply?

• May Congress treat states no differently from any other employer when imposing mandates as to the manner in which they provide their own employees with insurance coverage, as suggested by Garcia v. San Antonio Metropolitan Transit Authority, 469 U.S. 528 (1985), or has Garcia’s approach been overtaken by subsequent cases in which this Court has explicitly recognized judicially enforceable limits on Congress’s power

to interfere with state sovereignty.

• Does the PPACA’s mandate that virtually every individual obtain health insurance exceed Congress’s enumerated powers and, if so, to what extent, if any, can the mandate be severed from the remainder of the Act? • Whether the PPACA must be invalidated in its entirety because it is non-severable from the individual mandate that exceeds Congress’ limited and enumerated powers under the Constitution.

• With respect to the Anti-Injunction Act (AIA), it was passed in 1867.

It currently

states: “No suit for the purpose of restraining the assessment or collection of any tax shall be maintained in any court by any person, whether or not such person is the person against whom such tax was assessed.” What this means is that you have to wait until a tax is paid and then file suit for a refund or to stop enforcement. If the penalties in PPACA are “taxes,” then the Supreme Court could opt to “kick the can down the road” since the penalties do not begin until 2014 and the first penalties would actually be paid in 2015.

• Of the questions be-

fore the Court, perhaps the most interesting from the small business community’s perspective is, if the individual mandate is found to be unconstitutional, does the rest of PPACA have to be invalidated because the rest of it depends on the individual mandate?

If the Supreme Court rules the individual mandate is unconstitutional, but also decides it is severable, the employer mandates would stand.

This summary was produced by the American Nursery & Landscape Association in collaboration with the Small Business Legislative Council.

National Organic Program rule amends list of allowed, prohibited materials The National Organic Program published a final rule in the Federal Register to amend the use of materials in organic crop production and processing. These changes, reflected in the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances, will be effective on March 15.

Incorporating feedback from public comments, the rule will allow the use of four new substances in the production or processing of USDA organic products: • Microcrystalline cheesewax, used to hold moisture in logs growing organic mushrooms.

• Acidified sodium chlorite, used to sanitize food and food contact surfaces.

• Non-organic dried orange pulp (in multiingredient organic products), if organic orange pulp is not commercially available.

• Non-organic Pacific kombu seaweed (in multi-ingredient organic products), if organic Pacific kombu seaweed is not commercially available.

The rule will also pro-

hibit the use of bleached non-organic lecithin, a component of vegetable oils.

Lecithin is often used as a natural mixing agent (emulsifier) or lubricant in commercial food production. The rule will clarify an allowance for de-oiled non-organic lecithin in organic food processing if the organic form is not commercially available.

The final rule, which includes the full regulatory text detailing the allowance and prohibition of these substances, is available at www.regulations.gov (search for keyword NOP-10-0079; NOP-09-02FR).

The changes to the National List published in the final rule were

recommended by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB).

This citizen advisory board is responsible by law to advise the National Organic Program on what substances should be allowed and prohibited in the production and handling of USDA organic products.

NOSB members must consider specific criteria when voting to allow or prohibit a substance, including demonstrated need for the substance and its impact on human health and the environment. In specific cases, including three substances addressed in this rule, the NOSB also determines if a substance is available in organic form on a scale large enough to

support organic agriculture.

The National List is a subpart of the USDA’s organic standards that identifies synthetic substances that may and nonsynthetic (natural) substances that may not be used in organic production. The Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 and

National Organic Program regulations specifically prohibit the use of any synthetic substance in organic production and handling unless the synthetic substance is on the National List.

The National Organic Program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture facilitates trade and en-

sures integrity of organic agricultural products by consistently implementing the organic standards and enforcing compliance with the regulations.

For further information about the final rule, contact Melissa Bailey, Ph.D., NOP Standards Director, at 202-720-3252.

Irrigation energy efficiency checklist and tips • Do the sprinkler nozzles on your center pivot provide a uniform application pattern along the full length? Have the sprinkler heads and nozzles been on the pivot more than seven years?

Have you checked nozzle sizes on the center pivot to make sure they match the nozzle sizes listed in the sprinkler package printout from your dealer?

• Do you annually check for pipeline leaks, missing nozzles, and nozzles that are not rotating properly?

• If you have an engine powering the pump, do you change the oil and filter according to manufacturer recommendations? Do the pump and motor or engine receive regular annual maintenance?

• Do you record the static and pumping water levels in the well every year?

• If you have iron in the irrigation water, do you chlorinate the well each year?

• If you have an electric motor, can you subscribe to controlled electric rates (off-peak) from your electric supplier?

Facts and actions: irrigation • Use of a consistent method of irrigation scheduling can often reduce energy use by 7 to 30 percent. Using an ET -based irrigation scheduling

system can ensure you are not under or overwatering the crop.

• The average life expectancy of a sprinkler head is about seven to 10 years. The diameter of the sprinkler head nozzle is very important for uniform water application; and the nozzle diameter can grow with use, especially if there is sand or grit in the water. Poor application uniformity increases water pumping time and therefore energy use. Replace broken sprinkler heads as soon as possible.

Do a “can test” to check the uniformity of the application pattern. Repair all leaks on the center pivot as soon as you notice them.

• Buried pipelines rarely leak, unless they were not pumped out before winter. However, above ground pipelines frequently have worn gaskets and up to 30 percent of the water can be lost before it gets to the discharge point.

Replace leaking gaskets and plug any holes in the pipeline.

• The drawdown in a well increases if the screen becomes plugged. Increased drawdown greatly increases pumping costs. Screens become plugged due to mineral incrustation or from iron bacteria. Mineral incrustation occurs over time. By measuring the static and

pumping water levels each year, the increase in drawdown can be measured and corrective action taken. Iron in the water usually means iron bacteria are present in the well. Annual chlorination will control the iron bacteria.

• Maintain pumps regularly, including proper greasing and filling oil reservoirs every year. Adjust packing glands and adjusting impellers on deep well turbines regularly for efficient pump operation. Replace diesel engines with electric motors — that can have significant cost savings, depending on the price difference.

• Most electric suppliers offer controlled (off-peak) electric rates for irrigation pumping systems. Using offpeak power rates can reduce pumping costs significantly when compared to regular power rates. However, off-peak rates should not be used with high-value crops like potatoes and onions. Talk with your electric supplier to determine if off-peak power rates would work for your operation. Typically, offpeak use will require a well capacity of 1,400 gpm on a 130-acre center pivot or the capacity to irrigate in 100 hours per week. It works best for deep-rooted crops like corn or soybeans.

Source: www.extension.org

Washington Nursery and Landscape Association has new executive director Longtime Washington State Nursery & Landscape Association

(WSNLA) staff member and communications director, Breanne Chavez,

has been selected as the organization’s new executive director.

Chavez has more than 12 years of leadership and management experience in the non-profit sector and two years of communication experience in the private sector. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Central Washington University and is a graduate of the Non Profit Leadership Institute program at South Puget Sound Community College.

Chavez has managed and implemented effective communication and member programs, developed and produced publications and events, supported industry leg-

islative efforts and has been committed to the overall mission of the organization. She is a member of the American Society of Association Executives and Nursery and Landscape Association of Executives.

“Along with her professionalism and history with WSNLA, Breanne brings enthusiasm, ideas and inspiration. As WSNLA moves into this new chapter, we are committed to continue to remain relevant to our membership and industry in our ever changing world,” said WSNLA President Scott Ramin of

Still Waters Aquatic Nursery in Mount Vernon.

The executive director is the chief executive officer of WSNLA, reporting to the Board of Directors and is responsible for the organization's consistent achievement of its mission and financial objectives.

The maintaining of effective relations internally and externally through effective communication and technology is critical in fulfilling the purpose of this position.

The transition to the new leadership went into effect on April 1.

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May 2012 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER WEST • Page 7

by Tom Scherer, Extension Engineering, Associate Professor, North Dakota State University and Carl Pederson, Energy Educator, North Dakota State University Agricultural irrigation is an energy intensive operation. Pressurized irrigation systems, especially center pivot sprinkler installations, use a high flow rate pump and require a large electric motor or engine. The major causes of increased energy use are associated with pipeline leaks, engine and pump efficiency and well maintenance. Poor uniformity of water application can also affect energy use by increasing pumping time. On center pivot systems, the major causes of poor water application uniformity are sprinkler nozzles that are worn or sized wrong, missing sprinkler heads, and leaking boots. Using a consistent method of irrigation scheduling during the growing season can optimize water application.

Questions to ask • Do you have a good procedure to determine when to irrigate and how much water to apply? Do you use evapotranspiration- (ET) based irrigation scheduling? Do you know how to estimate soil moisture by feel and appearance?

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Loan prospects widen during Congressional Action Days

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to commercial members.

Schrader, a fruit and vegetable farmer and veterinarian before he was elected to Congress and joined the House Small Business and Agriculture committees, told CAD attendees he identifies with the risks small businesses take.

“When you go to your banker, or talk to folks here in Washington, D.C., you might as well be from Mars in some cases,” Schrader said.

“You’re always the last person, right, on the payroll to get paid?”

The bill, still being finalized, is called the “Restore Main Street’s Credit Act.” It differs from legislation already introduced in the House and Senate, HR 1418 and S 509, the “Small Business Lending Enhancement Act,” which would raise the cap from 12.25 percent of assets to 27.5 percent for credit unions that meet safety and soundness criteria. Schrader co-sponsors HR 1418.

Schrader described the Restore Main Street’s Credit Act to

CAD attendees as “thoughtful,” “straightforward” and “simple,” adding jokingly that it is “something that Congress people don’t have to think a whole lot about.”

Oregon retailer Doug Fick, of Broadway Floral Home and Garden in Portland, can vouch for that. He and the rest of the Oregon delegation didn’t have to make much of a pitch for the bill when they presented it to legislative aide John O’Neill in Sen. Ron Wyden’s (D-OR) office. “He read through it and said, ‘What’s the catch? Why hadn’t we thought of this before?’”

Fick said. By the time the Oregon group made it to their meeting in Schrader’s office, O’Neill had called Schrader’s deputy chief of staff to verify the simplicity of the legislation.

Fick said O’Neill was receptive to its intent.

Schrader acknowledged that bills from the minority party, currently Democrats, often don’t get beyond the introduction phase, but

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Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-OR) planned to introduce legislation to exempt very small businesses from the credit union lending cap, easing their access to capital.

The Oregon delegation makes its rounds: Andrew Green, legislative counsel for Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-OR, talks with, from left, Shirley Lyons, AAF, of Dandelions Flowers & Gifts in Eugene, Doug Fick of Broadway Floral Home and Garden in Portland and Martin Meskers of Oregon Flowers Inc. in Aurora. size have not been disaid the Restore Main attendees.

Neither HR 1418 nor S rectly helped by previStreet’s Credit Act “might just be some- 509 would guarantee ous attempts to address thing that (Congress) credit unions would in- the problem, such as can pass.” He pointed crease loans to mi- the “Troubled Asset Reout that another bill he crobusinesses, Connors lief Program,” and the sponsors (HR 4121, the said. Schrader’s propos- “Small Business Lend“Early Stage Small Busi- al, on the other hand, ing Fund.” ness Contracting Act”) would direct the Nation“We sustain local tax recently emerged from al Credit Union Admin- bases,” Connors said. the House Small Busi- istration to issue guide- “We contribute to the recommending economy in different ness Committee with bi- lines what percentage of a ways,” yet cash flow is a partisan support.

SAF Senior Director of credit union’s loan port- challenge due to the Government Relations folio should be made up sales peaks and valleys Corey Connors said ex- of microbusiness loans. of the floral industry, so SAF took the issue to florists need access to empting microbusinesses from the cap, instead Capitol Hill through the capital. of increasing the cap — National Main Street “A lack of available which the banking in- Business Coalition it credit risks stalling a dustry opposes — might formed in December, nascent economic recovhave greater chances of which represents more becoming law. Schrader than 150,000 business- ery,” Schrader said in a echoed that sentiment, es belonging to the Na- letter to other potential Unlike saying that exempting tional Association of co-sponsors. medium and large busi“really small businesses Convenience Stores, Refrom any lending cap” is tail Bakers of America, nesses, which have bean approach that won’t North American Retail gun to get loans, small Association, businesses are “still suf“scare our bank Dealers American Specialty Toy fering,” Schrader said. friends.”

Association Banks often aren’t inter“Huge conglomerates Retailing unfortunately drive a and National Newspaper ested in loaning relativelot of what’s happening Association. ly small amounts to very Connors told CAD at- small companies, he on Main Street — or not, as the case may tendees that independ- said, but credit unions be,” Schrader told CAD ent businesses of their are “excited” about doing business with them.

If retail florists, growers and wholesalers aren’t already credit union members, it’s likely they could fairly easily join one, Connors said.

The act “looks like a modest change,” Schrader told CAD attendees, yet “it could make a huge difference for you. It could open up another avenue for you to make sure you can Gett mid-week k updatess and d online get all the opportunities classifieds,, pluss linkss to o otherr you can to have access agriculturall organizations. to credit.”

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May 2012 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER WEST • Page 9

The Society of American Florists push for more access to capital for floral industry and other microbusinesses made a big stride March 20 when Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-OR) announced he will sponsor a bill that would allow credit unions to extend more loans to companies with fewer than 20 full-time employees.

During a breakfast at SAF’s Congressional Action Days, just before attendees left for their appointments with legislators, Schrader shared the news of his support for the bill, soon to be introduced in the House.

The bill would exempt certain brick-and-mortar “Main Street” businesses from the cap in current law that limits credit unions to loaning a maximum of 12.5 percent of their total assets

Page 10 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER WEST • May 2012

What’s so special about Pomona’s Universal Pectin?

Submitted by Mary Lou Sumberg, Partner, Workstead Industries Pomona’s is a unique pectin because it jells well with low amounts of any sweetener. With Pomona’s, I’m free to make cooked jam and jelly and freezer jam sweetened to my taste. I usually sweeten with honey or agave or xylitol (or a combination), but other possibilities are sugar, stevia, fruit juice concentrate, or any artificial sweetener. Pomona’s is different from other pectin because its jelling power is activated by calcium (comes with the Pomona’s), not by sugar content. Regular pectin requires jam or jelly to be 55-85 percent sugar to set firmly.

Pomona’s is also different because it contains no sugar or preservatives - it is 100 percent citrus pectin - and because it allows me to double or triple batches as well as to make small batches. I love Pomona’s because it gives me complete control and allows my jam-making creative juices to flow. To top it all off, Pomona’s is economical - one box makes 2 to 4 batches.

Whether you are a seasoned or a first-time jam maker, you are likely to fall in love with Pomona’s once you try it, just like I did.

Often strawberries and rhubarb are the first fruits of summer. Together they make a truly tasty, tart and sweet, luscious cooked jam. I enjoy this jam with toast and low-fat cream cheese for breakfast.

Cooked Low-Sugar or Honey StrawberryRhubarb Jam This recipe is written to be made with Pomona’s Universal Pectin.

Ingredients 2 cups mashed strawberries 2 cups cooked rhubarb (chop rhubarb, add a little water, cook until soft, measure) 2 Tablespoons lemon juice 1/2 to 1 cup honey or 3/4 up to 2 cups sugar 2 teaspoons calcium water (included in the Pomona’s box) 2 1/2 teaspoons Pomona’s Pectin powder Directions 1. Prepare fruit and measure into saucepan with lemon juice.

2. Add 2 teaspoons calcium water to the fruit (see Pomona’s directions for making calcium water) and stir well.

3. Measure sugar or cold/room temperature honey into separate bowl. Thoroughly mix 2 _ teaspoons of pectin powder into sweetener.

4. Bring fruit to a boil. Add pectin-sweetener mixture to fruit and stir vigorously 1 to 2 minutes while cooking to dissolve the pectin. Return to boil and remove from heat.

Fill jars and process 10 minutes using the water bath method. Makes about 5 cups. Lasts about 3 weeks once opened.

Another favorite recipe for early-ripening cherries.

Cooked Low-Sugar or Honey Sweet Cherry Jam This recipe is written to be used with Pomona’s Universal Pectin.

Ingredients 4 cups pitted, chopped, and mashed sweet cherries 1/4 cup lemon or lime juice

ANLA, Lighthouse urge professionals to speak out on bills The American Nursery & Landscape Association (ANLA) and the Lighthouse national grassroots project have two new grassroots alerts posted.

The first is in support of Senate and House resolutions disapproving of the Department of Labor’s devastating rewrite of the H-2B temporary and seasonal worker program. The program, vital to many involved in landscape contracting and maintenance, may cease to function under the new rules.

The second alert is in support of the RESTORE Act, H.R. 4293.

RESTORE would exempt true brick and mortar businesses with 20 or fewer full-time employees from having their loans count against the business lending cap placed on credit unions. It also would require the National Credit Union Administration to issue guidelines for an appropriate amount of lending to credit worthy businesses, while ensuring for safety and soundness of those institutions. RESTORE’s

goal is to take these modest steps to ease the credit crunch that continues to affect many Main Street type businesses.

Visit www.capwiz. com/anla/home to let your elected officials know of your support for these important legislative efforts.

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100% pure citrus pectin Yes, jam & jelly can be more fruit than sweetener!

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1/2 to 1 cup honey or 3/4 up to 2 cups sugar 4 teaspoons calcium water (included in the Pomona’s box) 3 teaspoons Pomona’s Pectin powder Directions 1. Prepare fruit and measure into saucepan with lemon or lime juice.

2. Add 4 teaspoons calcium water to the fruit (see Pomona’s directions for making calcium water) and stir well.

3. Measure sugar or cold/room temperature honey into separate bowl. Thoroughly mix 3 teaspoons of pectin powder into sweetener.

4. Bring fruit to a boil. Add pectin-sweetener mixture to fruit and stir vigorously 1 to 2 minutes while cooking to dissolve the pectin. Return to boil and remove from heat.

Fill jars and process 10 minutes using the water bath method. Makes about 5 cups. Lasts about 3 weeks once opened.

If you have Sour Cherries, you don’t need to add the lemon/lime juice and you only need 2 teaspoons or pectin and 2 teaspoons of calcium water for 4 cups of mashed fruit.

Optional: to soften firm fruit, bring to a boil with _ cup of water, simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

For more information on Pomana’s Universal Pectin call Mary Lou Sumberg at 510-526-1005 or email MaryLouSumberg@PomonaPectin.com

PO Box 878 Jefferson, NC 28640

Phone/Farm (336) 384-8733 Fax (336) 384-8734 Cell (336) 877-0386

You and your customers can make jams & jellies from fresh or frozen fruit sweetened to your taste.

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Good agricultural practices improve food safety

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health awareness increases, Americans are increasing their fruit and vegetable consumption. According to the Centers of Disease Control (CDC) in 2010, there were 48 million cases of food-borne illness with 128,000 hospitalizations

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While the GAP program is voluntary and the new act has an exemption for farms grossing under $500,00 annually, many farmers are beginning to see the need for the on-farm food safety program. Wholesale and retail buyers are starting to require GAP certification. Institutional and grocery store buyers are increasingly cautious as more food safety issues are identified.

Restaurants, institutional chefs and retailers are concerned with the safety of their patrons and customers as well as their potential legal liability.

GAP program guidelines A GAP certified grower uses common sense, food safety practices for food production and processing.

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May 2012 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER WEST • Page 11

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and 3,000 deaths.

Sadly, a large percentage of food-borne disease can be traced to fresh vegetables like leafy greens, tomatoes, melons/cantaloupes, herbs and green onions. The most common pathogens are Salmonella, E. coli 0157:H7, Shigella and Campylobacter. Many of the pathogens can survive for extended periods in dry or refrigerated produce so prevention is the best strategy to reduce contamination risk.

Farms can become GAP certified after attending training and passing a farm audit. Annual audits ensure continued GAP compliance and recertification.

The passage of the new 2010 Food Safety Modernization Act will result in the FDA introducing new regulations that focus on insuring the safety of produce.

Page 12 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER WEST • May 2012

New cherry tree highlights 100th anniversary of Japanese gift WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has released a new cherry tree variety named for former First Lady Helen Taft to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Japanese gift of cherry trees that now are a celebrated landmark of the nation’s capital.

Helen Herron Taft and Viscountess Iwa Chinda, wife of the Japanese ambassador, planted the first two of the cherry trees at the Tidal Basin in a ceremony on March 27, 1912.

The “Helen Taft” variety is part of a series of flowering cherry tree varieties being developed by the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington and named in honor of first ladies. The new variety was created by crossing a Yoshino cherry (Prunus yedoensis) with a Taiwan cherry tree (Prunus campanulata). The Yoshino parent, currently growing at the arboretum, is a clone of a tree originally planted by Chinda.

The arboretum is part of the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), USDA’s principal intramural scientific research agency.

Growing to as much as 35 feet tall and 35 feet wide over 30 years, “Helen Taft” has large, pale pink single flowers that turn darker in the center as the flowers mature. While most Yoshino flowering trees’ blossoms are white or fade to white, the “Helen Taft” flowers retain their pink color.

“Helen Taft is an invaluable addition to the cadre of ornamental cherry trees,” said U.S. National Arboretum Director Colien Hefferan. “Unfortunately, cherry trees have a narrow genetic base, especially in this country. That can make them vulnerable to attack by a single insect, disease or environmental stress.”

Ornamental cherry trees have a beauty and range of sizes and habits that serve urban gardeners well. Superior urban trees help provide energy savings, cleaner air, better storm water management, and higher property values for home own-

Helen Taft, a new flowering cherry tree, is being released by ARS to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Japanese gift of cherry blossoms to the country.

ers. Landscape plants, including ornamental trees, are a $14.3 billion-a-year industry in the United States.

“That’s what makes the arboretum’s research — expanding the genetic base by creating hybrids with species not often grown here — so important,” said geneticist Margaret Pooler, who runs the cherry tree breeding program at the U.S. National Arboretum. “Stronger, well-adapted cherries also require less fertilizer and pesticides, making them even more functional in the landscape. The arboretum fulfills an important role with its longterm breeding program to improve ornamental cherry trees.”

With 76 different varieties, the U.S. National Arboretum is home to the Washington area’s most

diverse array of ornamental cherry trees.

The U.S. National Arboretum has also helped preserve the genetic lineage of the surviving Yoshino cherry trees from the original 1912 gift by propagating 500 trees from them. The new trees were presented to the National Park Service in 1999.

“Helen Taft” is the second variety in the First Lady series. The initial, a 25-foot-tall, upright tree with dark pink, single, semi-pendulous flowers, was released in 2003 and is named “First Lady.”

Historical materials documenting Japan’s gift of cherry trees to the city of Washington, D.C., are available in the Special Collections of the National Agricultural Library and online at http://riley.nal.usda.gov/cherrytrees.html.

BioSafe Systems announces new and improved ZeroTol 2.0

ZeroTol 2.0 is used to treat and control plant pathogens on ornamental plants and turf.

BioSafe Systems introduces ZeroTol 2.0® Algaecide/Fungicide. The new labeling provides an updated active ingredient statement, an increased number of controlled pathogens and new labeling instructions for the treatment of artificial turf. ZeroTol 2.0 is used to treat and control plant pathogens on ornamental plants and turf.

ZeroTol 2.0’s active ingredients include 27 percent Hydrogen Peroxide and 2 percent Peroxyacetic Acid. Due to its fast acting oxidation process, mutational resistance of harmful organisms is not possible.

ZeroTol 2.0 is available in 2.5, 30, 55, and 275 gallon sizes. For more information about ZeroTol 2.0, contact BioSafe Systems at 888-273-3088.

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WAEF honors young minds at Mid-Columbia Science Fair WENATCHEE, WA — Ten sixth to eighth grade students were recognized by the Washington Apple Education Foundation (WAEF) for their project entries in the Food and Agriculture category at the annual Mid-Columbia Regional Science and Engineering Fair in Kennewick recently.

The students’ projects aimed to answer questions such at “What effect will interfering agents have on the crystallization of lollipops?”; “Which solar oven will generate the most watts?”; and “What is the effect of citric acid on the browning of apples?”

The winners received certificates of achievement and $40 book store gift cards.

Tree Top Inc. Process Development Scientist Sue Graf and Corporate Technical Service Manager John Baranowski judged the contest.

There were a total of 293 projects presented in the Food and Agriculture category.

“It was another big year at the science fair.

The kids are always a delight to talk with about their projects.

Project topics range from storage and preservation of apples to surveys of enzymes that act as antioxidants, and of course lots of plant growth studies. These types of projects provide students an opportunity to investigate as they start

to ask their own questions about how and why things happen around them,” Baranowski said.

The 2012 Mid-Columbia Science Fair Food & Agriculture Category honorable mention recipients are Allison Davis from Harrison Middle School in Sunnyside; Anneka Walton from Chief Joseph Middle School in Richland; Haley Coleman and Naveena Bontha from Enterprise Middle School in Richland; Molly Wireman, Kassidy Weber and Nathan Lipton from Carmichael Middle School in Richland; Emma Lascar and Elise Knudson from West Valley Middle School in Yakima and Jenna Russell from Desert Hills Middle School in Kennewick.

Sponsors of the MidColumbia Science Fair Food & Agriculture awards include Graham Packaging Company, G.S. Long Co., Larson Fruit Co., Lewis & Clark I.F.T., Puget Sound Institute of Technology, Tree Top Inc., Valley Research, Yakima Pomological Club and International Paper.

The Washington Apple Education Foundation fosters educational opportunities, encourages academic excellence and promotes awareness of the values of Washington’s tree fruit industry. For more information, contact WAEF at 509-663-7713 or www.waef.org.

May 2012 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER WEST • Page 13

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gram. BioSafe Systems develops products for the Agriculture, Animal Health, Post Harvest/Food Safety, Commercial Horticulture, Golf, Home and Garden, and Aquatics industries, BioSafe Systems will continue growing with the release of new products and solutions to meet the disease-control needs of homeowners and professionals alike.

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COLUMBUS, OHIO — Are you part of the 66 to 77 percent of growers who spray more or less pesticide than needed, leading to either money wasted or crop losses? If you don’t know, there’s one thing you can do about it, and now is the time to do it: Calibrate your sprayer.

Erdal Ozkan, an Ohio State University Extension agricultural engineer, says there’s no better time than early spring for growers to take a look at their sprayers and find out if they are delivering the proper gallons-per-acre application rate.

“If you don’t calibrate your sprayer frequently, it’s as if you were driving your car with a speedometer that doesn’t work,” said Ozkan, who is also a professor in the Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering and a researcher with the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. “You assume you know what speed you are traveling at from habit, but you are not really sure. The problem with a sprayer is that nozzles wear out with use, application rates change with different field conditions, and traveling speeds also change.

Many growers don’t take these factors into account.”

Data from Ohio and other states indicate that only one of every three to four applicators applies chemicals at rates that are within 5 percent (plus or minus) of the intended rates. Application rates within plus or minus 5 percent represent the accuracy level recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Surveys also indicate that 67 percent of applicators who calibrated their equipment before every spray application had application errors below 5 percent, Ozkan said. Conversely, only 5 percent of applicators who calibrated their equipment less than once a year achieved the same degree of accuracy.

Ozkan said growers should calibrate their sprayers in early spring and every time operating conditions (different ground surfaces, for example) change or a different type of chemical is used.

“Frequent calibration is even more important with liquid applications because nozzles wear out with use, increasing the flow rate and leading to overuse of chemicals, which impacts growers’ budgets and can lead to crop damage and contamination of groundwater and the environment,” Ozkan explained.

How to Calibrate a Sprayer Calibrating a boom sprayer, Ozkan said, is not as difficult as it sounds. It usually doesn’t take more than 30 minutes and only three things are needed: a watch showing seconds, a measuring tape, and a jar that measures ounces. The ultimate goal is to calculate the actual rate of application in gallons per acre to check for accuracy or to make adjustments as needed.

Ozkan recommends a method based on spraying 1/128 of an acre per noz-

zle and collecting the amount of chemical that would be released during the time it takes to spray that area. This particular amount of land is chosen because there are 128 ounces of liquid in one gallon, making it easy to correlate the number of ounces sprayed on that small area to the number of gallons that would be sprayed on the whole acre. For example, if you catch 15 ounces from a set of nozzles, the actual application rate of the sprayer is equal to 15 gallons per acre.

For this method to be accurate, it is important to make sure that the time used to collect the spray from the nozzles is the same that it takes to cover 1/128 of an acre. A table available at http://ohioline.osu.edu/aexfact/0520.html shows various nozzle and row spacings and the time you must travel to cover 1/128 of an acre for each spacing. For example, the travel distance for a 15-inch nozzle or row spacing is 272 feet; for a 20-inch nozzle or row spacing it’s 204 feet; and for a 30-inch nozzle or row spacing, the distance is 136 feet.

To calibrate a boom sprayer for broadcast applications using this method, follow these steps: • Fill the sprayer tank with water; • Run the sprayer, inspect it for leaks, and make sure all vital parts function properly; • Measure the distance in inches between the nozzles. Then measure an appropriate distance in the field based on this nozzle spacing, according to the table available at http://ohioline.osu.edu/aexfact/0520.html; • Drive the measured distance in the field at your normal spraying speed and record the travel time in seconds.

Repeat this procedure and average the two measurements; • With the sprayer parked, run the sprayer at the same pressure level and catch the output from each nozzle in a measuring jar for the travel time required in the previous step; • Calculate the average nozzle output by adding the individual outputs and then dividing by the number of nozzles tested. If an individual sample collected is more than 10 percent higher or lower than the average nozzle output rate, check for clogs and clean the tip, or replace the nozzle; • Repeat steps 5 and 6 until the variation in discharge rate for all nozzles is within 10 percent of the average; • The final average output in ounces you get is equal to the application rate in gallons per acre; • Compare the actual application rate with the recommended or intended rate. If the actual rate is more than 5 percent higher or lower than the recommended or intended rate, you must make adjustments.

Learn how to make these adjustments and additional information about calibration at http://ohioline.osu.edu/aexfact/0520.html.

May 2012 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER WEST • Page 15

Monthly Equine Publication covering New York, New England, Northern Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.

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Calibrate your sprayer now; do it often to save pesticides, money

Page 16 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER WEST • May 2012

Food Safety from 11 wash water sources like ponds and wells must be protected from potential fecal matter contamination by farm animals, wild animals or birds and have their quality verified by annual tests, before harvesting.

Faucets must have backflow prevention devices and/or air gaps. Reasonable efforts are made to exclude wildlife's access to streams and ponds used for irrigation.

Storage and treatment of Manure should be as far as practical from growing and handling areas (preferably downhill and downwind) and should have a physical barrier to prevent leakage, run-off or wind spread. Manure should be incorporated into the soil immediately after application. Minimize recontamination of composted manure. Fresh manure should be kept away from edible plant parts during the growing season. Equipment that contacts manure should be cleaned prior to and during harvest.

Fields workers and supervisors should be trained in and practice good personal hygiene by wearing clean clothing and shoes/boots, not smoking or eating in the work area, always keeping their hair covered, washing hands and limiting bare hand contact with fresh produce, covering open wounds with a clean bandage and wearing single-use gloves. Sick employees should be reassigned away from direct produce contact.

Field workers must have easy access to port-a-john or toilet and hand washing stations which must be regularly cleaned and serviced (soap, water, single use paper towels).

Portable toilets must be maintained and transported to prevent wastewater contaminating of fields.

Multilingual signs reminding workers of hygienic practices should be posted as needed.

Harvest Harvest storage containers must be cleaned and sanitized prior to use.

Clean containers should be kept covered until used in the field. Harvesting equipment should be clean and in good working order. Pick when produce is dry and cool. Prevent harvested produce from contact with manure or biosolids, non-potable water, workers with poor hygiene and/or dirty boots and clothing, dirty packaging or storage containers. Prevent farm livestock, poultry and pets from access to crop fields or orchards during the growing or harvest season.

Birds should not be allowed in storage areas and any nests should be removed promptly.

Packaging/Processing Most State and local regulatory authorities have licensing or regulations on Packing and Processing Facilities; check for local regulations.

In general, there needs to be a worker food safety training program

in place similar to that for field workers. Workers should practice good personal hygiene. Restrooms must be accessible, cleaned regularly and always supplied with warm water, soap and paper towels.

Approved sanitizers must be used to sanitize the whole processing area, equipment and all food contact surfaces at least once a day. Unused and new packing containers should be protected from contamination during storage. There must be a pest control system in place; and this CANNOT be a pet cat! Produce waste should be removed from the processing facility daily and stored far enough away or composted to reduce rodent and pest risk. The site and grounds should also be well maintained.

Refrigeration storage units must be maintained at the correct temperature. Keep a log with the temperature each morning and at mid-day. Do not overload refrigeration units. Ice used for cooling must be made on site with potable water. Storage areas must be clean and free of debris and contamination. Storage areas should be exclusively used for food crops and their containers. Produce must be stored at least six inches off the floor.

During washing, the sanitizer level should be monitored and the wash water changed when dirty or every few hours. Maintain a temperature no more than 10 degrees cooler than the produce, especially for tomatoes, apples, potatoes and peppers. Packing lines, conveyer belts and all other food contact surfaces should be washed, rinsed and sanitized at the end of each day.

All lighting fixtures must have shatterproof covers or be covered in mesh.

Transportation: Farm to Market Workers loading and transporting produce must practice good personal hygiene. Harvested produce should be loaded and stored to minimize physical damage, reduce risk of contamination and allow for air circulation. Vehicles must be clean and well maintained. If the vehicle is refrigerated, it must be kept at the proper temperature. Vehicles for produce cannot also be used to transport animals or animal products, chemicals, fertilizer or trash unless thoroughly cleaned and sanitized between uses.

Traceback System It is critical that farmers maintain detailed records for all produce sold by lot numbers (wholesale, farm stands, farmers markets, CSAs, etc.)

GAP certified producers must be able to trace one step forward and one step back: who bought the products and where the product came from.

Written lot tracking records should include date of harvest, field number, box number, names of pickers, packing date, shipping date, date of sale and to whom, etc. An effective

system can protect you from false association with an outbreak, minimize consumer anxiety, bad publicity and give you a competitive edge. Ask your Extension agents or GAP certifiers for referrals to farms with effective systems.

Pick-Your-Own and Farm Tour Operators Pets and farm livestock, including poultry must never be allowed in "pick your own" areas. Toilet facilities and hand-washing stations must be provided and kept clean (with soap, water and single-use paper towels) and available for customer use. Post signs encouraging customers to wash hand before picking.

Clean containers must be available for customer purchase and use. Produce picked by customers cannot be sold to others. Facilities must be available for customers to wash their hands after contact with farm animals or a petting zoo prior to entering "pick your own" area.

Retail Operations The facility must be clean, well maintained and free of litter. A farm stand's walls, ceilings and floors should be free of cracks and crevices.

Refrigeration units temperatures should be monitored twice daily and logs maintained. Only food grade containers can be used for produce. There

can be no standing water in and around the facility. Outside garbage receptacles or dumpsters should be closed and kept away from the retail operation entrances. Pets are not allowed in the retail area. For produce displayed in water, the water should be clean and changed often. All sliced produce must be wrapped and displayed on ice or in a refrigerated display case. There must be a documented pest control program in place Farmer Markets Produce should be at least 6” off the ground. On warm days, produce should be shaded and misted with a spray bottle of cool potable water for evaporative cooling. Display produce on clean ice. Store extra produce in coolers and maintain temperatures below 45oF. If possible have one person handling money and another handling produce to reduce contamination risk.

Food Defense/Biosecurity Growers and workers should be aware of the FDA's Food Defense System. To protect yourself and costumers, secure your ingredients, supplies and products to prevent tampering. Be alert to suspicious sights or behaviors and know where to make appropriate reports. For more information, see www.fda.gov/Food/FoodDefense.

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NAFDMA convention highlights Celebrate Excellence awards North American Farmers’ Direct Marketing Association (NAFDMA) has announced the winners of its 2012 Celebrate Excellence contests. The contests, held in conjunction with the annual convention, invite members of the association to submit examples of their marketing and innovative practices in various categories.

Member farms and businesses submitted items to be selected as the best in each of 10 different categories. The convention attendees were given the opportunity to review the submissions and cast a vote for the best entry. The secret ballot votes were then tabulated to determine the winners. The winners were announced during the annual Celebrate Excellence Luncheon held on Feb. 16. The luncheon was co-hosted

by Anna L yles of Mesilla Valley Maze,

Las Cruces, NM, chairwoman of the NAFDMA Membership Participation Team and Becky Walters of Walters’ Pumpkin Patch, Burns, KS. Walters is a member of the Membership Participation Team and the Celebrate Excellence Contest coordinator.

“NAFDMA brings out the best in each of us, and the Celebrate Excellence Contests prove that to be true,” Walters said. “The learning that we each gain from seeing what other farms are doing is top notch” The 2012 winners are: • Best Website: Breckland Orchard of Watton, Norfolk, UK; • Best Radio Jingle and Tag Line: Swank Farm Produce of Hollister, CA; • Best TV Commercial or YouTube Video: Tweite’s Pumpkin Patch of Byron, MN; • Best Maze Design: Coolspring

Corn Maze of Mercer, PA; • Best Brochure or Specialty Literature: Patterson Farm Market of Mount Ulla, NC; • Best New Event: Barnyard Church at Carolyn’s Country Cousins of Liberty, MO; • Best New Attraction: Carroll’s Corn Crib at Walters’ Pumpkin Patch of Burns, KS; • Best Employee Appreciation: Carolyn’s Country Cousins of Liberty, MO; • Best Something from Nothing Idea: Tweite’s Pumpkin Patch of Byron, MN; and • Best Vendor: Maize Quest of New Park, PA. The top honor for “2012 Best of Show” went to Tweite’s Pumpkin Patch of Byron, MN. Tom Tweite and his daughter, Maggie, accepted the award that rewards participation and

consistency in excellence. Every year, the contest entries from one farm stand out for making the biggest impact of participation, education and innovation. As the top winner in two categories and runner up honors in several others, Tweite’s Pumpkin Patch submitted many quality examples to this year’s contests.

The Celebrate Excellence contest categories change over time to include timely trends in general marketing as well as farm direct marketing and agritourism events. The Celebrate Excellence Program is based on three NAFDMA objectives to stimulate learning, celebrate excellence, and advance best practices. More details about the contests, including the honorable mention winners in each category can be found at www.nafdma.com.

by Jeanne Himmelein and Mary Hausbeck, Michigan State University Extension, Department of Plant Pathology

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growing annual impatiens (walleriana,), seed propagated, or vegetative double impatiens (“garden impatiens”) are on the alert for impatiens downy mildew. Producers are taking preventive measures against downy mildew from propagation through the time the plants arrive at retail. In Florida, there has been an outbreak of downy mildew infecting impatiens in both greenhouses and land-

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scapes. Initially, this disease causes the plant’s leaves to yellow. As the disease progresses, both leaves and flowers drop, leaving unsightly landscape beds.

Landscapers should know the disease symptoms and be scouting all impatiens planting this season.

Early detection is important to help prevent the disease from becoming a permanent fixture in landscape beds. It is also important to recall and assess the impatiens beds that you managed last year. How did they appear at the end of the season? If the impatiens appeared robust and healthy through the season, then it is unlikely that they were infected by downy mildew. However, if the impatiens were defoliated early (before a frost) then it could be that downy mildew was the culprit.

If downy mildew was a problem in certain impatiens plantings last year, then it is possible that downy mildew spores (i.e.,

mildew seeds) could survive the winter and cause an infection of impatiens walleriana this year. To understand the impatiens downy mildew, Dr. Mary Hausbeck’s article, “Downy mildew on impatiens: disease detected in Florida,” explains the disease and impact to impatiens in the landscape. If you suspect that beds you managed last year had downy mildew, then it would be wise to choose a different plant type to grow there for this season.

If impatiens become diseased while in the landscape, there is a preventive spray program that could be used.

Contaminated soil in garden beds must be removed or steamed at 160 degrees for 1 hour or 180 degrees for 30 minutes at the coolest spot.

Otherwise, plant an alternate annual plant species that will add color to the landscape beds or add containers to achieve the spectrum of color.

Source: MSU Extension News

May 2012 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER WEST • Page 17

Alternative choices if downy mildew infested your impatiens last year

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Page 18 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER WEST • May 2012

Get the best response from your advertisements by including the condition, age, price and best calling hours.

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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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( 800 ) 836-2888 PO Box 121, 6113 State Hwy. 5 ( ) Fax: 518 673-2381 Palatine Bridge, NY 13428 E-mail: classified@leepub.com Vegetables PRECISION PLANTER for planting seeds through plastic. The Poly Planter Does It All, www.ferrisfarm.net

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Calendar of Events E-mail announcements of your regional event(s) to: jkarkwren@leepub.com We must receive your information, plus a contact phone number, prior to the deadline that’s noted under the Announcements heading on the 1st page of these Grower Classifieds. *** MAY 3 Food safety for small scale farmers Robert J. Cabral Agricultural Center, 2101 E. Earhart Ave, Stockton. This workshop is intended for small scale growers who are selling or would like to sell produce to a wholesale market, restaurant, grocery store, school or other institution.The workshop is free, but registration is required. Please register online at: http:// ucce.ucdavis.edu/survey/su rvey.cfm?surveynumber= 8294. Read more about this food safety workshop and others at http://ucanr.org/ blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cf m?postnum=7154. For more information or questions, call 209-953-6100.

JUN 12 2012 Garden Tour Idaho Botanical Garden. All

day rain or shine. Call 208343-8649.

JUN 13 California Grown Show Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center, Long Beach, CA. The ONLY show for California Growers. If it grows in California, it’s HERE! Register ONCE and gain access to BOTH the California Grown Show and Nursery Mart.

Contact Daneé, 916-928-3900 or email info@cangc.org.

On Internet at www.cangc.org The Nursery Mart Long Beach Convention Center, 300 East Ocean Blvd., Long Beach, CA. Products for Growers, Retailers and Landscape. Register ONCE and gain access to BOTH the Nursery Mart and California Grown Show.

Contact Daneé, 916-928-3900 or email info@cangc.org.

5 EASY WAYS TO PLACE A COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER CLASSIFIED AD PHONE IT IN 1. Just give Peggy a call at 1-800-836-2888

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FAX IT IN For you MasterCard,Visa,American Express or Discover customers.. Fil out the form attached completely and fax to Peggy at (518) 673-2381 MAIL IT IN Fil out the attached form, calculate the cost,enclose your check or credit card information and mail to: Country Folks Grower Classifieds PO Box 121, Palatine Bridge,NY 13428

$9.25

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E-MAIL IT IN $14.35 $14.65 $14.95 E-mail your ad to If you have used equipment for sale,ask about our group of classified@leepub.com weekly farm newspapers that cover from Maine to North Carolina.

ON-LINE- Go to www.cfgrower.com Name:(Print)______________________________________________________ and fol ow the Place a Classified Address:_________________________________________________________ Adbutton to place your ad 24/7! City:_____________________________________St.:_______Zip:___________

FOR BEST RESULTS, RUN Phone:_____________________________Fax:__________________________ YOUR AD FOR TWO ISSUES! Cell:_________________________E-mail:______________________________ Cost for each Issue per Zone: $9.25 for the first 14 words, 30¢ each additional word.

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May 2012 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER WEST • Page 19

Fruit and Vegetable Sprayers

JUN 14 23rd Annual Duffers Classic Stonecreek Golf Club, 14603 South Stoneridge Dr., Oregon City, OR. • 7 am - Check-in • 8 am - Tee off: 18 holes (shotgun start) • 1 pm - Barbecue lunch Early registration is $99/person by June 6, 2012. Registration after that will be $109/person. (incl. greens fees, cart, and food).

On Internet at www.oan.org JUN 18-24 28th Perennial Plant Symposium and Trade Show Doubletree Hotel Lloyd Center, Portland, OR. On Internet at http://ppa@ perennialplant.org JUN 19-20 Retail Growth Solutions: A Mini-Conference for Florists Cherry Hill, NJ - Philadelphia Metro Area. Contact Laura Weaver, 800-3364743 or e-mail lweaver@safnow.org.

JUL 10 Association of Northwest Landscape Designers Portland OR/Vancouver WA. Behind the Scenes Garden Tour.

Call e-mail gardentour@anld.com.

JUL 16 Northwest Nursery Research Day Oregon Garden Resort, Silverton, OR. On Internet at www.oan.org AUG 8-11 National Christmas Tree Association Convention & Trade Show Sacramento Convention Center, Sacramento, CA. More than 350 Christmas Tree growers, wholesalers, retailers, Choose & Cut farmers and related industry members from around the world.

On Internet at www.christmastree.org/ convention2012.cfm AUG 8-12 NCTA Convention & Trade Show Sacramento, CA. Contact NCTA, 636-449-5070 or e-mail info@realchristmastrees.org.

On Internet at www. christmastree.org/ convention2012.cfm AUG 17-20 NAFDMA 2012 Advanced Learning Retreat Tanners Orchard, Speer, IL. On Internet at www. nafdma.com AUG 26-28 38th Annual FARWEST Show Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR. On Internet at www.farwestshow.com SEP 6-7 Montana Nursery & Landscape Association Fall Tour Bozeman Area. Call 406755-3079 or e-mail ED@plantingmontana.com.

SEP 11 Fall Tour Montana Nursery & Landscape Association, Bitterroot Valley, MT. Call 406-7553079 or e-mail ED@ plantingmontana.com.

Page 20 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER WEST • May 2012

Reducing insecticide use by identifying disease-carrying aphids

Plant pathologist Stewart Gray and molecular biologist Michelle Cilia examine greenhouse plants for virus symptoms.

by Dennis O’Brien In work that could cut back on insecticide use, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists have found a way to distinguish aphids that spread plant viruses from those that do not.

The researchers used protein biomarkers to

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pensive and can harm the environment, people and animals.

Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists Michelle Cilia and Stewart Gray have found they can identify disease-carrying aphids by examining the types of proteins in their cells. Cilia and Gray work in the Biological Integrated Pest Management Unit at the ARS Robert W. Holley Center for Agriculture and Health in Ithaca, NY. ARS is USDA’s chief

Greenbug aphid feeding on an oat leaf infected with yellow dwarf disease.

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Close-up of greenbug aphid, Schizaphis graminum, showing the piercing-sucking mouthparts it uses to feed and inject virus into plants.

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intramural scientific research agency, and this research supports the USDA priorities of improving agricultural sustainability and promoting international food security.

The researchers knew from previous work that for aphids to pick up and transmit viruses, the virus must be able to interact with specific aphid proteins that direct movement of the virus through the insect and back into a plant during feeding.

By studying greenbug aphids in the laboratory, they discovered that the lab-raised insects’ ability to transmit yellow dwarf viruses was linked to the presence or absence of nine biomarker proteins found in the insect cells.

They then analyzed greenbug aphids collected from cereal crops and non-cultivated fields and found the aphids consistently transmitted yellow dwarf virus only when they carried most, if not all, of the nine proteins.

Field samples were collected by ARS colleagues John Burd and Melissa Burrows at the agency’s Wheat, Peanut and Other Field Crops Research Unit in Stillwater, OK. The aphid does not need all nine proteins to spread the virus, but there are some that are essential.

The discovery in the lab was published in the Journal of Virology, and the field population study was reported in Proteomics. The findings are expected to lead to development of a test to identify potential disease vectors. Cilia and Gray also are collaborating on an expanded effort to test whether biomarker predictor proteins can be found in other insects.

Source: Agricultural Research magazine, April 2012

May 2012 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER WEST • Page 21

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differentiate between virus-spreading and virus-free aphids. The findings mark the first time that protein biomarkers have been linked to an insect’s ability to transmit viruses.

Aphid-transmitted viruses decrease crop yields and reduce the quality and quantity of fresh foods. Spraying insecticides can control aphids and reduce the incidence of some viruses, but not all aphids transmit viruses, and spraying is ex-

Page 22 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER WEST • May 2012

Invasive weeds in remote locations can be killed with solar tents Solar tents can easily, inexpensively and successfully kill weed seeds and rhizomes, eliminating the need for hauling weeds out of remote areas where the unwanted plants have taken hold, a UC researcher has demonstrated.

Research by Jim Stapleton, a UC Cooperative Extension advisor based at the Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center, was published as “Feasibility of solar tents for inactivating weedy plant propagative material” in the March 2012 issue of the Journal of Pest Science.

Stapleton, who specializes in plant pathology and integrated pest management, was inspired to conduct the study when a fire crew came upon a patch of Iberian starthistle growing along a stream in the Sierra foothills near Mariposa.

Iberian starthistle is a robust, spiny weed native to the Middle East that, left unchecked, can dominate entire landscapes.

“Crews were going through and cutting dried plants and stacking them, but the seeds survived,” Stapleton said. “If you start moving plant material around with viable seeds, seeds are liable to spread, making the problem worse instead

of better.”

Iberian starthistle is only one of many exotic, invasive plants that are capable of transforming California’s open areas into useless and unsightly tracts of land.

On rangeland, for example, such weeds diminish desirable annual rangeland feed for cattle and wildlife. Weeds can shade out native wildflowers, make recreational areas inaccessible and, in dense infestations, become a fire laddering fuel.

In the past, such weeds may have been stacked and burned, but fire danger and air quality regulations have forced land managers to find alternatives.

Stapleton adapted a

chemical-free, solar tent process he developed for nurseries, gardeners and small-scale farmers to kill weed seeds, insect pests and pathogens in the soil. The concept involves covering moist soil in containers with transparent plastic and allowing the greenhouse effect to raise the temperature in the soil to a level that kills harmful organisms. The solar tent has been found to have the same effect on invasive weeds and is particularly useful to control patches of weeds in inaccessible areas that get plenty of sun. It will not work where the climate is cold, cloudy or persistently foggy.

“You wouldn’t want to try this on a 40-acre

area,” Stapleton said.

“Eradication of weeds with solar tents is best suited for small-scale weed infestations in warm climates.”

For the research project, Stapleton constructed three replicate solar tents with concrete rubble, mulberry shoots and clear plastic tarps.

He placed johnsongrass rhizomes inside black trash bags along with about one cup of water.

The sample bags were left inside the solar tents for 72 hours.

“Regardless of where you are, regardless of financial resources, you should be able to construct a solar tent,” Stapleton said. “Most of the materials needed — rocks and sticks — are

metropolitan area, where a group of volunteers were working on restoration of the San Diego River.

For the demonstration, volunteers pulled weeds and built solar tents on a parking lot.

They invited the public to a workshop at the site a week later.

“When we pulled out the bags of treated material after a week of cooking, it was a gooey mass of vegetative material incapable of regenerating the weeds,” Bell said.

Source: Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California

Iberian starthistle is a noxious, quarantined weed in California.

Solar tents containing weeds being solarized.

Funding available for risk management education and outreach The Federal Register currently includes the following Announcement of Availability of Funds and Request for Application for Competitive Cooperative Partnership Agreements for Federal Crop Insurance Corp. (FCIC).

Risk Management Education (RME) and Outreach Partnerships Program announces its intent to award approximately $3 million (subject to availability of funds) to fund the Risk Management Education and Outreach

easy to find on site.”

Air temperature inside the sample bags rose to 158 degrees Fahrenheit.

Over the three days of the experiment, the rhizomes were exposed to temperatures 140 degrees and higher for 10 hours. None of the rhizome segments treated for three days in the solar tents sprouted. In contrast, rhizomes maintained in clear vegetable storage boxes and kept indoors for comparison all sprouted.

UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor Carl Bell, a San Diego area weed expert, tested the process in Lakeside, east of the San Diego

Partnerships Program.

The purpose of the partnership program is to deliver crop insurance education and risk management training to U.S. agricultural producers to assist them in identifying and managing production, marketing, legal, financial and human risk.

Questions may be forwarded to USDA–RMA–RME by phone at 202–720–0779, or by e-mailing RMA.RiskEd@rma.usda.gov.

More information regarding this announcement is available from the RMA Web site at: www.rma.usda.gov/ab outrma/ agreements.

The notice is also available on the Federal Register at www.gpo. gov/fdsys/pkg/FR2012-04-09/pdf/20128410.pdf All applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov and received by close of business on May 24. Hard copy applications will not be accepted.

Expert urges farmers to take lead on food safety

by Rema Rahman, Associated Press DENVER (AP) — A food safety expert told Colorado farmers recently that last year’s deadly listeria outbreak traced to Colorado cantaloupe proved that they cannot rely on third-party in-

spections to guarantee their produce is safe.

Larry Goodridge, associate professor at the Center for Meat Safety and Quality in the Department of Animal Sciences at Colorado State University, told farmers that they bear primary

responsibility for food safety.

“Each farm or processing facility has to be able to assess their own risks,” Goodridge told the governor’s annual forum on Colorado agriculture in Denver. “Everybody who produces food

has to be responsible for the safety of the food they produce. You cannot rely on third parties.

You just can’t.”

The listeria outbreak traced to Jensen Farms in eastern Colorado last year was blamed for the deaths of 32 people. It

infected 146 people in 28 states with one of four strains of the disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Jensen Farms was given a “superior” inspection rating by a thirdparty auditor just before

May 2012 • COUNTRY FOLKS GROWER WEST • Page 23

the outbreak.

Listeria generally is found in processed meats and unpasteurized milk and cheese, though there have been a growing number of outbreaks in produce.

The Food and Drug Administration does not regulate third-party auditors, and a congressional report released in January quoted the auditing company that graded Jensen farms as saying audits are not intended to improve food safety standards.

Retailers often rely on such audits in an effort to make sure food is safe, the report said.

A food safety law passed last year would boost federal inspections of growers — but the money to fund it isn’t guaranteed from Congress. Meanwhile, President Barack Obama’s proposed budget would eliminate the Agriculture Department’s Microbiological Data Program, the nation’s only program that regularly tests fruits and vegetables for deadly pathogens.

Goodridge said that growers who hire auditors often are looking for a thorough assessment of how they are running their operations — but that the auditors might instead perform generic walk-throughs.

He urged farmers to focus on sanitary practices such as keeping equipment and storage areas clean. He also urged them to educate the public on ways to safely handle produce in the same manner as consumers are advised how to safely handle meat.

The new food safety law requires the FDA to improve third-party audits of food facilities abroad that export to the United States, but it does not address domestic audits.

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