Midwest
MSU Extension, media reports optimistic about Michigan blueberry harvest
Blueberry harvest continues in Michigan. According to a July 30 report from Michigan State University Extension Fruit Educator Mark Longstroth, growers were still harvesting Bluecrop and other early midseason varieties. Harvest of Jersey has begun. Hand-harvest crews... more »
Ag labor firm AgHelp receives support to expand services
Agtech company AgHelp (aghelpusa.com) has been accepted into the 2019 Techstars Impact Accelerator Program. According to a news release, AgHelp has built a marketplace for agricultural employers, workers, and support services to connect on any... more »
Early apple outlook appears good
The total 2019 U.S. fresh and processed apple production was estimated at 267.2 million 42-pound boxes, at the Premier Apple Cooperative meeting in Syracuse, New York, on June 25. The forecast indicated a 9% rise... more »
Action, empathy urged for stressed growers
Headlines for years have repeatedly announced crisis levels of farm stress, but a surplus of spring rain in some U.S. regions has made this season particularly concerning. In the Midwest, growers have had less time... more »
Michigan treasury providing farmers relief when applying for loans
Michigan farmers who sustained devastating crop losses due to this spring’s heavy rain and flooding can now receive relief when applying for low-interest loans, according to the Michigan Department of Treasury. The state Treasury Department... more »
Biological control of brown marmorated stink bug in Michigan
Brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), an invasive pest from Asia, has by now established across most of Michigan since its first detection in 2010. You can find them in all sorts of habitats from woodlots... more »
Michigan Ridge growers visit southwest neighbors
The Michigan Pomesters took their annual RidgeFest tour on the road Aug. 1, traveling from Sparta to southwest Michigan to learn about differences in climate, equipment and organic apple growing. Farms visited were Molter Produce... more »
$12M in produce-processing projects planned in Michigan
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Director Gary McDowell recently announced some food processing projects that will be awarded funds under a competitive grant program. The $1.8 million in grants for the 20... more »
