Fruits

Registration for apple bloom workshop now open

The All About Apple Bloom: Pollination, Blossom Blight and PGRs Workshop is designed for apple growers focused on bloom-time issues. This workshop will be held Thursday, March 17, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Michigan... more »

Multispecies mating disruption pursued in cranberries

Cranberry producers face a common dilemma when spraying their crops with insecticides: the prime time to spray to eliminate cranberry fruitworm is when the adult moths are in flight – during bloom. But that’s the... more »

IFTA post-conference tour: Day 2

On the second day of the International Fruit Tree Association’s (IFTA) post-conference tour to northwest Michigan, the bus stopped at Williams Orchards in Cedar to see Greg Williams’ high-density sweet cherry plantings. Most of the... more »

Harvest technology curbs labor woes

Michigan apple grower Steve Tennes has seen his attempts to grow his farm’s production numbers crimped by ongoing labor concerns. His foray into finding a solution to those challenges was bolstered this past growing season... more »

IFTA post-conference tour: Day 1

A busload of people traveled north from Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Feb. 11, to get a feel for the fruit industry in the northwest corner of the state’s Lower Peninsula. The tour was part of... more »

2016 Michigan spring peach meeting scheduled for March 1

Peach growers are always looking for ways to improve their profitability. Michigan State University Extension’s 2016 Michigan Spring Peach Update is the best annual meeting in Michigan to learn about this crop. This one-day meeting... more »

USDA Specialty Crop Grant opportunities available for Michigan businesses

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) announced new opportunities for Michigan businesses through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program from the USDA Ag Marketing Services. The grant funding is contingent on the... more »

IFTA continues precision-based conference

The International Tree Fruit Association’s (IFTA) Annual Conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan, continues Thursday with a full array of educational programming for the more than 400 attendees. The IFTA Orchard Tour Feb. 9 on The... more »