Craig Romary, Environmental Programs Specialist with the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, joins Carol to discuss the benefits of specialty crop growers registering with DriftWatch and Bee Check on the NDA website. •DriftWatch-BeeCheck Handout & links (bit.ly/NDAfwinfo) •FieldWatch User Guide (https://fieldwatch.com see under “Resources”) •Proact…

Dr. Kristine Lang, Extension Consumer Horticulture Specialist at South Dakota State University, joins Carol to discuss the benefits and pitfalls of using shade cloth with high tunnels to control temperature. If you have more questions regarding this research, please reach out to Dr. Lang directly at kristine.lang@sdstate.edu or check out her websit…

Nicole Stoner, Extension Educator for Horticulture in Gage County, joins Carol to discuss Japanese beetles, a threat on the horizon, and integrated pest management (IPM). You can learn more about Nebraska Extension at http://extension.unl.edu For Nebraska Extension Horticulture, Landscape, and Environmental Systems information go to https://communi…

This week, Ruth Chantry with Common Good Farm, Sydney Sehi, and Edgar Hicks with Nebraska Grange, joined Carol to talk about their operations and what they wished they would have known when they started out in production. You can learn more about Nebraska Extension at http://extension.unl.edu For Nebraska Extension Horticulture, Landscape, and Envi…

Jessica Groskopf, Women in Agriculture Director with Nebraska Extension, joins Carol to discuss upcoming programs for women across the state & country. If you have more questions regarding Women in Agriculture programs, please visit their website at wia.unl.edu. You can learn more about Nebraska Extension at http://extension.unl.edu For Nebraska Ex…

Dr. Katja Koehler-Cole, Extension Educator for Soil Health Management, joins Carol to discuss integrating cover crops into your growing system. If you have more questions regarding cover crops, please reach out to Dr. Koehler Cole at kkoehlercole2@unl.edu. You can learn more about Nebraska Extension at http://extension.unl.edu For Nebraska Extensio…

Ian Peterson, Extension Educator in Dodge County, joins Carol to discuss utilizing hydroponics to grow microgreens in Nebraska. You can learn more about Nebraska Extension at http://extension.unl.edu For Nebraska Extension Horticulture, Landscape, and Environmental Systems information go to https://communityenvironment.unl.edu/ To provide comments …

Stacy Adams, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Department of Agronomy and Horticulture Extension Specialist, joins Carol to discuss utilizing hydroponics to grow produce in Nebraska. Coldframes, High Tunnels, and Greenhouses: Choose a Growing Structure Best for You. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/agronomyfacpub/1358/ High Tunnel Design, Site Developme…

Stacy Adams, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Department of Agronomy and Horticulture Extension Specialist, joins Carol to discuss utilizing hydroponics to grow produce in Nebraska For more information regarding Stacy Adam's interests click here. You can learn more about Nebraska Extension at http://extension.unl.edu For Nebraska Extension Horticultu…

Dr. Christian Stephenson, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Department of Agronomy and Horticulture researcher, joins Carol to discuss current and upcoming research in fruit and vegetable production. For more information regarding Dr. Stephenson's research interests click here. You can learn more about Nebraska Extension at http://extension.unl.edu Fo…

Dr. Sam Wortman, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Department of Agronomy and Horticulture researcher, joins Carol to discuss current research in fruit and vegetable production. For more information regarding Dr. Wortman's research interests click here. You can learn more about Nebraska Extension at http://extension.unl.edu For Nebraska Extension Hort…

In this episode, Benjamin McShane-Jewell, Rural Prosperity Nebraska Extension Educator, joins host, Carol Waters, to discuss the new Nebraska Farmers' Market Handbook published in cooperation between the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension, Buy Fresh, Buy Local, The Center for Rural Affairs, and USDA. Check out the Nebraska Farmers' Market Han…

This week, Brach Johnson, Urban Conservationist with Nebraska Natural Resources, joins our host Carol Waters to discuss programs available to small acreage producers through NRCS. EQIP Urban Mythbusters pdf: https://www.cultivatekc.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/NRCS-EQIP-Urban-Myth-Busters-Fact-Sheet-5_22-V11-508-reviewed.pdf To contact Brach John…

In this episode, Sarah Smith, Farm-to-School Specialist with the Nebraska Department of Education, and Benjamin Jewell, Rural Prosperity Nebraska Extension Educator, join host, Carol Waters, to discuss how producers can work with their local schools to provide healthy fruits and vegetables to school-aged children through the Farm-to-School program.…

In this episode, John Porter, Urban Agriculture Extension Educator and Program Leader for Horticulture, Landscape, and Environmental Systems, joins host, Carol Waters, to discuss what policies producers need to be aware of and how to effectively advocate for policies in their own communities. To learn more, check out the following links: For more i…

Cindy Brison, Extension Educator in Douglas-Sarpy County, joins Carol to discuss Cottage Food Laws in Nebraska. For more information regarding Cottage Food Laws for producers please follow the links below: Nebraska Extension's Cottage Food Laws Education site at https://foodsystems.unl.edu/cottage-food-law and Nebraska Department of Agriculture Pur…

This week's guest, David Lott, discusses some considerations for scaling up from a hobby gardener to growing for markets. For more information on growing for farmers' markets, check out the publication "Getting Started--A vendor's guide to successful sales at farmers' markets" at https://food.unl.edu/documents/FM%20English.pdf. You can learn more a…

Welcome to Nebraska Grows, a podcast for commercial fruit & vegetable producers to learn the latest researched-based information from Nebraska Extension. You can learn more about Nebraska Extension at http://extension.unl.edu For Nebraska Extension Horticulture, Landscape, and Environmental Systems information go to https://communityenvironment.unl…

In Season 3, episode 13 of "What's Killing My Kale," Annie talked with Seth Wannmeuhler, a graduate research assistant at University of Minnesota, about kiwiberries. Seth has become an expert on kiwiberries through is research the last several years in which he seeks to develop a new hardy kiwiberry variety that produces well in Minnesota. In addit…

In Season 3 Episode 12 of What's Killing My Kale, Natalie talked with Inga Meadows, Extension plant pathologist at NC State University, about disease management in organic tomatoes. It's nearly impossible to avoid disease issues in tomatoes, but there are ways to preventatively manage them, even in organic systems. In this episode, Natalie and Inga…

In Season 3 Episode 10 of What's Killing My Kale, Natalie talked with Dr. Brent Loy, emeritus professor of plant genetics and cucurbit breeder extraordinaire at the University of New Hampshire. Every year we hear about fruiting in flowering issues in cucurbit crops towards the middle of the summer. Many of the strategies to prevent this from happen…

In Season 3, episode 9 of What's Killing My Kale, Natalie talked to Dr. Paulo Pagliari, an associate professor of soil science at the University of Minnesota, about nutrient management in wet soils. Though this spring has been relatively dry, our climate is becoming wetter overall, and we may still see heavy rainfall and flooding this season. In pr…

In Season 3, episode 8 of What's Killing My Kale, Natalie talked to Local Extension Educators Claire LaCanne (Rice & Steele Counties) and Shane Bugeja (Le Sueur and Blue Earth Counties) about their recent trials to measure soil biological activity. Photo: Claire LaCanne With increasing interest in soil health over the years, at-home trials such as …

Spotted wing drosophila damage on tart cherry. Photo: Annie KloddIn Season 3 Episode 5 of What's Killing My Kale, Annie talked with Gigi Digiacomo, a research fellow in the Department of Applied Economics. They discussed Digiacomo's recent findings about how spotted wing Drosophila (SWD) has impacted the Minnesota berry industry, and weighed the ec…

Spotted wing Drosophila on a raspberry. Photo: Charlie Rohwer, UMNIn Season 3 Episode 6 of What's Killing My Kale, Annie talked with Dr. Mary Rogers, an Assistant Professor studying organic food production systems in the Department of Horticulture. They discussed recent research findings from Dr. Rogers team, as well as other farms and researchers …

In Season 3 Episode 4 of What's Killing My Kale, Annie talked with Aaron Wills from Little Hill Berry Farm. They discussed how climate change is impacting fruit production, and strategies for adaptation. This is the fourth and final episode in a mini series about how climate change is impacting our ability to grow fruits and vegetables in MN. You c…

In Season 3 Episode 3 of What's Killing My Kale, Natalie talked with Erin Johnson and Ben Doherty from Open Hands Farm. They discussed the ways that they have noticed the impacts of climate change on their farm, and strategies they're using for adaptation. This is the third episode in a mini series about how climate change is impacting our ability …

We are back with another season of What's Killing My Kale! In Season 3 Episode 2, Annie talked with farmer Laura Frerichs from Loon Organics farm about how climate change is affecting their ability to grow vegetables, and adaptation strategies. This is the second episode in a mini series about how climate change is impacting our ability to grow fru…

We are back with another season of What's Killing My Kale! In Season 3 Episode 1, Natalie talked with Kenny Blumenfeld, Senior Climatologist with the DNR about how our climate has changed over the last 100 years, and projections for the future. This is the first episode in a mini series about how climate change is impacting our ability to grow frui…

Author: Natalie Hoidal. Interviewee: Yolanda Chen In episode 26 of What's Killing My Kale, Natalie talked with Dr. Yolanda Chen, a professor at the University of Vermont. Yolanda has been studying Swede Midge on the East coast, where it has been a devastating disease of cole crops. In particular, her research has focused on organic management strat…

Author: Natalie Hoidal. Interviewee: Angie Ambourn In episode 26 of What's Killing My Kale, Natalie talked with Angie Ambourn, supervisor of the MDA's pest detection unit. Angie's team has been studying emerging insects and diseases in community gardens across Minnesota, and they've recently detected Swede Midge in gardens across the Twin Cities. S…

Author: Natalie Hoidal. Interviewees: Julie Weisenhorn and Nathan Hecht In episode 25 of What's Killing My Kale, Natalie talked with Extension Educator Julie Weisenhorn, and recently graduated horticulture master's student Nathan Hecht. Both Julie and Nathan have been studying how flowering plants near fruit and vegetable plots impact pollination a…

Author: Natalie Hoidal. Interviewee: John Loegering. In episode 24 of What's Killing My Kale, Natalie talked with wildlife biologist John Loegering about vertebrate pest management. They discussed a four pillar IPM approach to wildlife management both in packshed areas and in fields, and talked about balancing the competing interests of supporting …

Author: Natalie Hoidal, Interviewee: Anthony Hanson In episode 23 of our fruit and vegetable podcast What's Killing My Kale? we talked to Anthony Hanson, an Extension post-doc who has been creating degree day maps for various insect pests in Minnesota. Anthony explained how fruit and vegetable growers can use these maps to help make pest management…

In episode 21 of our fruit and vegetable podcast What's Killing My Kale? we talked to Courtney Tchida, farm manager at Cornercopia student organic farm. Courtney has been trying various weed management methods over the years, and has recently been experimenting with solarization using standard plastic as well as used billboards (as in billboards fr…

In Season 2, Episode 2 of our fruit and vegetable podcast What's Killing My Kale? we're talking all about transplants with Alissa Jacobsen, a farmer who currently works at Open Hands Farm in Northfield. Alissa has worked on many farms at different scales and with different types of markets and goals. We covered a wide range of topics including: Tra…

Moongold apricot flowers, 5/7/19. Photo: Annie Klodd.In Season 2, Episode 1 of our fruit and vegetable podcast What's Killing My Kale? we take a deep dive into fruit bud injury with Dr. Amaya Atucha of University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Atucha has a wealth of knowledge on this topic, so it made for a fascinating and useful conversation that we th…

In episode 18 of our fruit and vegetable podcast What's Killing My Kale? we talked to Linda Chalker-Scott, a horticulturalist with Washington State University. The internet lays many claims about the benefits of numerous "alternative" or "natural" remedies for pest management and plant health. How do we know which methods are backed up by science, …

In episode 17 of our fruit and vegetable podcast What's Killing My Kale? Annie and Natalie discuss pesticides labeled for use in organic systems. In this episode, Natalie discusses the importance of thinking about pesticide safety on all fruit and vegetable farms, including organic farms with organic pesticide products. She also lays out the result…

Author: Annie Klodd. Any farmers applying compost, manure, or straw should keep in mind that while these inputs have many benefits for vegetable production, they can also be modes of spread for weed seeds. Fortunately, there are ways to minimize the amount of weed seeds that appear in compost and manure and then end up on the field. Photo: Chryseis…

For our September series of "What's Killing My Kale?", we caught up with some of our Extension IPM experts to discuss the main 2018 growing season pest pressures and how to prepare for 2019. In this episode, we discuss weeds with Annie Klodd. You can listen to the podcast here or on iTunes.By University of MN Extension, Annie Klodd, Natalie Hoidal