March 15 Deadline to Complete Election & Enrollment for 2021 Agriculture Risk Coverage, Price Loss Coverage Programs
Agricultural producers in Pennsylvania who have not yet elected and enrolled in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for 2021 have until March 15. Producers who have not signed a contract or who want to make an election change should contact their local U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Service Center to make an appointment. Right now, 27,456 farms have enrolled, about 91% of expected participation. See more here.
February Newsletter Available Online
The February issue of the Pennsylvania Vegetable Growers News is available here.
PA Farmland Acreage Falls, Population Rises in Prime Ag Areas
The number of acres of farmland in Pennsylvania fell by 6% between 2012 and 2017, at a time when the state’s prime farming regions are experiencing population growth that may create long-term challenges for producers.
Agricultural Viability: Avoiding Future COVID and other Disaster Disruptions
Thu., Mar. 18, 2021 at 1:00 PM
What have we learned from Covid-19 in terms of disasters? What are some best practices for companies going forward? Should employers revise policies and job descriptions? What steps can you take to protect your business? Join us for Agricultural Viability: Avoiding Future COVID and other Disaster Disruptions to learn all the answers. See more here.
Farms With No Employees Can Still Benefit from PPP
The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was created in the CARES Act in 2020 to provide forgivable loans to small businesses, including farms. Much has been made of the provisions that focus on payroll expenses. However, PPP loans are also available to self-employed farmers based on gross income. This was one of several updates provided by the Consolidated Appropriations ACT (CAA) in December of 2020. See more here.
Damping-off: Identifying and Controlling Pathogens in Transplant Production
It is extremely important to know which pathogen is causing damping-off problems and which fungicide to properly apply. The key to controlling damping-off is being proactive instead of reactive. Always refer to the fungicide label for crop use, pathogens controlled, and application rates.
Damping-off is caused by a number of important vegetable pathogens and is very common during transplant production. Damping-off can kill seedlings before they break the soil line (pre-emergent damping-off) or kill seedlings soon after they emerge (post-emergent damping-off). Common pathogens that cause damping-off include Pythium, Phytophthora, Rhizoctonia and Fusarium spp. See more here.
Understanding Protectant Fungicides (FRAC groups M01 – M11)
Protectant (contact) fungicides, such as the inorganics (copper, FRAC group M01) and sulfur (FRAC code M02); the dithiocarbamates (mancozeb, M03), phthalimides (Captan, M04), and chloronitriles (chlorothalonil, M05) are fungicides which have a low chance for fungicide resistance to develop. Protectant fungicides typically offer broad spectrum control for many different pathogens. See more here.
Clemson Researchers Develop New Technology for Fertigation
Most South Carolina vegetable growers agree that proper fertilization and irrigation are important for their crops. But just how much fertilizer is enough? Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service researchers have taken the guesswork out of this equation by creating a calculator that determines the amount of liquid fertilizer needed to fertilize through drip irrigation systems.
The Clemson Drip Fertigation Calculator is designed to help South Carolina vegetable farmers achieve the greatest returns on their investments while protecting the environment. This free web-based calculator (app), developed by Justin Ballew, Kendall Kirk, Rob Last and Zack Snipes, helps farmers make more precise fertilizer applications. The researchers say using it will help save money and increase crop productivity. See more here.
Emerging Research on Ramps: A Forest Plant With Growing Commercial Appeal
Our team is studying the importance of ramps as a forest resource to Pennsylvanians. We need your help! As the days warm in early spring, ramps (also known as wild leeks) will be helping to "green up" the forest understory throughout Pennsylvania. Ramps are a celebrated sign of spring and can be recognized by their broad, flat (and pungent) leaves which can carpet the forest floor in springtime before the forest canopy trees leaf-out. They can form extensive patches, and for some lucky forest landowners can occur "as far as the eye can see."
We are interviewing and surveying individuals who harvest ramps for personal use or for commercial sale at farmers markets or to restaurants and businesses. If you harvest ramps, personally or commercially, please email (cvp5259@psu.edu) or call (814-867-1743) Penn State graduate student Cathryn Pugh. See more here.
Value-Added Producer Grants Applications Due April 29
The Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) program administered by the USDA’s Rural Development Agency (RD), helps agricultural producers enter into value-added activities related to the processing and marketing of new products. The goals of this program are to generate new products, create and expand marketing opportunities, and increase producer income.
Some example of eligible projects include:
- Processing and packaging of produce, meats, eggs, or dairy products, including value added products like wine, yogurt, jams or sauces.
- Investments in on-farm marketing personnel, campaigns, or supplies
- Increases in process efficiencies for maintaining processing, food safety or financial records
Keys to Increasing Hydroponic Lettuce Yields
A Mississippi State University scientist is partnering with a local lettuce producer and significantly improving yields and business. Salad Days, LLC, a local greenhouse hydroponics salad producer in Flora owned by Jamie Redmond and his wife Leigh Bailey, has seen a 70 percent increase in yields and a 40 percent increase in profits in one year as a result of a partnership with Mississippi State.
After noticing decreased yields and a loss of nitrogen and potassium in their water used for the nutrient recycling system, Redmond reached out to Casey Barickman, associate research professor in the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station at MSU’s North Mississippi Research and Extension Center in Verona. Collaborating with the scientist for various projects has greatly benefitted the farm operation, Redmond said. See more here.
USDA Sets Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee Virtual Meeting
USDA has announced the Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee will hold a virtual meeting on April 6. USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service is organizing the meeting, which is open to the public. The Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee (FVIAC) will meet via webinar from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET. Meeting details and an opportunity for public comment on issues affecting the fruit and vegetable industry are available through the Federal Register notice published on Feb. 26, 2021. See more here.
NJ-Based Vertical Strawberry Grower Oishii Gets $50 Million
Oishii, the producer of a much-hyped seedless, creamy, premium strawberry grown at a Kearny, N.J.-based commercial-scale indoor vertical farm, has closed in on $50 million in funding.
The Series A funding is led by SPARX Group’s Mirai Creation Fund II, established by Toyota Motor Corp., Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. and SPARX, according to a news release. Existing investors include Sony Innovation Fund. See more here.
Former Philadelphia Wholesale Market CEO Charged with Stealing $7.8 Million
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is charging the former president and CEO of the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market, Caesar “Sonny” DiCrecchio, 60, of Voorhees, N.J., with stealing more than $7.8 million from his employer over several years before he resigned in 2018. See more here.
Nomination Deadline Nears for Fruit + Vegetable 40 Under 40 Awards
Now in its fourth year, the Fruit + Vegetable 40 Under 40 Awards will honor 40 outstanding individuals making their marks in the industry. Nominations, which are due March 18, are encouraged from all segments of the industry – men and women who are demonstrating involvement, innovation and commitment.
The 40 young professionals chosen will represent the best in the industry. The Fruit + Vegetable 40 Under 40 Class of 2021 will be honored at the Great Lakes Fruit , Vegetable & Farm Market EXPO, and recognized in the October 2021 issues of Fruit Growers News and Vegetable Growers News. See more here.
Audit Checklists Updated for Harmonized Good Agricultural Practices, GAP Plus+
The Agricultural Marketing Service is updating the USDA Harmonized Good Agricultural Practices and GAP Plus+ audit checklist. These updates become effective May 1, 2021 and will allow AMS’s GAP audit services to remain applicable and relevant for its specialty crops industry customers.
Specialty crop buyers often require rigorous third-party food safety certifications from produce growers to gain market access.The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) offers several different types of voluntary GAP audits to suppliers throughout the production and supply chain that focus on best agricultural practices to verify that fruits and vegetables are produced, packed, handled and stored in the safest manner possible to minimize risks of food safety hazards. Customers who request this voluntary audit service pay fees that cover audit and administration costs, including auditor travel time and expenses. See more here.
Asparagus Production, Management, and Marketing
Join us Wednesday, March 17, 2021, at 10:00 AM for for Asparagus Production, Management, and Marketing where Carl Cantaluppi, a retired North Carolina State Extension Agent and an expert on commercial asparagus production will discuss, variety selection, pre-plant soil preparation, best management practices, pest management, harvest techniques, and postharvest handling. The two-hour Zoom webinar is free. Further information and registration is available here.
PASA Issues Soil Health Report
Our new report offers fresh insights into how farmers can improve soil stewardship to more effectively protect ecosystems and communities, better withstand severe weather, and increase yields. Since we began our study in 2016, we’ve worked with partners including the Cornell Soil Health Laboratory, Future Harvest and the Million Acre Challenge, Penn State Extension, Rodale Institute, and Stroud Water Research Center, as well as more than 100 pastured livestock, row crop, and vegetable farmers in Pennsylvania and Maryland, to collect and analyze soil samples and field management records. See more here.
Berry Growers Facebook Group Formed
The PVGA Berry Committee has established a “PVGA Berry Growers” private group on Facebook to allow berry growers to share their successes and challenges. Since this is a private group, it will only be open to invited persons - which is all PVGA members. Furthermore, posts you make on the page will only be visible to the other members of the group, not the general public or consumers. Thus, if you want to ask how your fellow growers are dealing with customer problems, pest problems or other issues that consumers might misinterpret, you can do so on this page and it will not be seen by non-growers. The Committee’s hope is that this will become a valuable resource for berry growers to share information.
To join the group, go to your or to your farm’s Facebook page. On the top left-hand corner there will be a search box that says “search Facebook”. Type in “PVGA Berry Growers” and search. A list of groups should appear. If “PVGA Berry Growers” does not appear first, keep scrolling down until you see it. Click on the title. You will see a blue button on the right that says Join Now. Click on it. Since this is a private group you will not have access immediately. Once your join request is approved by the PVGA office, you can reach the group by searching the same way you did to join. You will be notified when there are new posts in the group.
Naturally the success of this effort will depend on you as a grower joining the group and then contributing posts and comments throughout the year.
Resources for Potato Growers Added to PVGA Website
The PVGA Potato Committee has identified a listing of potato production information that is available online. Links for the following resources are available on the PVGA website at https://www.pvga.org/potato-grower-resources/.
Commercial Potato Production in North America
Mid-Atlantic Commercial Potato Production Guide
Managing Seed Potatoes for Planting -
Penn State University Potato Research Reports .
Chip Potato Variety Trial Reports
PA Cooperative Potato Growers, Inc. – connecting buyers and growers
Assistance Needed: Sweet Corn Bird Damage Survey
This applies to all sweet corn producers. Researchers at the University of Rhode Island are currently distributing an online survey about fresh market sweet corn. If you grow fresh market sweet corn you are eligible to take this short 5-minute online survey.
Your participation and feedback are extremely valuable to the success of this research. The survey will gather information on growers’ bird damage levels to sweet corn and prevention methods used to deter bird damage. See more here.
Learn the Business of Farming
Farm Sense is an online course that helps farmers improve critical business skills. Learn how to organize and use financial records to make informed financial and production decisions. This program is open to all agricultural businesses and operations.
Participants will gain a better understanding of cash management, net worth, profit and loss, budgeting, risk management, and production planning. Also, participants will create a cash flow statement, balance sheet, and income statement, and will use these documents to determine a business's liquidity, solvency, and profitability. This course begins March 15, 2021, and ends on June 25, 2021. See more here.
Virtual 2021 Mid-Atlantic Convention Sessions Still Available
The live portion of the virtual 2021 Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention is over - but one of the real advantages of a virtual event is that you can still participate because the educational session recordings and trade show exhibits are still available on the Convention website. In fact Pennsylvania and Maryland growers can still earn pesticide credits by watching the appropriate sessions from now until March 31.
If you have not registered for the virtual 2021 Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention, you can do so here. If you are already registered, you can get back on the website here. The final program is available here.
Please note - when you register online, you must click "yes" or "no" for whether you want each state's pesticide credits. So if you are from Pennsylvania, click "yes" for PA credits and "no" for MD and NJ credits. NJ credits will not be available from the recorded sessions. See here for answers to some frequently asked questions about the virtual convention.
Benchmark Your Vegetable Farm Finances
Do you own or operate a for-profit diversified vegetable farm and sell at least some of your produce through farmers markets, farm stands, direct wholesale, or CSAs? You can now join PASA's ongoing Diversified Vegetable Financial Benchmark Study, which lets you share and compare your financial data with similar farms in the Mid-Atlantic region and beyond to develop strategies for improving your bottom line. All participants will recieve a personalized financial benchmark report and are eligible for a $100 stipend for completing the study.
Attend just one of the following virtual work sessions to participate:
- Wednesday, March 24 • 7–9 pm
- Wednesday, March 31 • 7–9 pm
These work sessions are suitable for both first-time study participants and farmers who have participated in previous years. See more here.
US Department of Labor Offers Employer Resources
The Wage and Hour Division (WHD) of the US Department of Labor enforces federal minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and child labor requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act. WHD also enforces the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act, the Employee Polygraph Protection Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, wage garnishment provisions of the Consumer Credit Protection Act, and a number of employment standards and worker protections as provided in several immigration related statutes (H-1B, H-2A, H-2B).
The Toolkit contains fact sheets and guides on a variety of topics related to agricultural employment.
Apply Now for Expanded COVID-19 Relief Programs
The application window is open through March 31 for the second round of the U.S. Small Business Administration's Paycheck Protection Program.
The program is open to businesses with fewer than 300 employees that show a 25 percent loss between comparable quarters in 2019 and 2020. Farmers and business owners can apply for the loans through a participating lender.
[However on January 28, the Biden administration USDA announced it had temporarily payments under CFAP pending a review of the program - see more here.]
In addition, USDA will allow certain producers to modify existing CFAP applications to reflect updated payment calculations. Click here for details on updated payment calculations for:
- Certain producers of specialty crops, aquaculture, tobacco, specialty livestock, nursery crops and floriculture.
- Certain producers with crop insurance coverage who grew barley, corn, sorghum, soybeans, sunflowers, and wheat.
Newly eligible producers who need to submit a CFAP application or producers who need to modify an existing one can do so through Feb. 26 by contacting their local USDA Service Center. New applicants can also obtain one-on-one support with applications by calling 877.508.8364.
From Farm Bureau Express, Penna. Farm Bureau, January 22, 2021
Farmers Market Manager Conference
Mon., Mar. 15, 2021 - Fri., Mar. 19, 2021 - 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
The Farmers Market Managers Conference is a virtual event where managers can meet and hear from fellow market managers and educators to gain skills to enhance and improve their farmers markets! Webinar topics include:
- Data Collection, Promotion, Customer Retention, and Recruiting
- Creating Inclusive Markets
- Asset Mapping to Build Community Partnerships
- Conflict Resolution
- SNAP: Best Practices and Latest Updates
Food Safety Modernization Act: Produce Grower Certification Training
The Food Safety Modernization Act: Produce Grower Certification Training webinar is for fruit and vegetable growers, and other persons, interested in learning about product safety, the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule, Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), and co-management of natural resources and food safety. The PSA Grower Training Course is one way to satisfy the FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirement (§112.22.c).
The webinar is being offered from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on
Wed., Mar. 24, 2021 - Thu., Mar. 25, 2021
Videos Available Online
Dr. Francesco DiGioia, vegetable researcher at Penn State University, created four videos for the virtual version of Ag Progress Days, They are available online as follows:
COVID-10 Website Pages
The following websites have links to various sources of information for growers relative to dealing with the coronavirus crisis:
