West Lafeyette, Ind. — The Purdue School for Back Yard Fruit Growers will take growers through "Adventures in Backyard Fruit Production" in a series that offers opportunities to learn about modern fruit production practices.

The school will take place from 9:30-11:30 a.m. EST on March 4, 11, 18 and 25 and April 1, with a sixth session to be announced. The program will be held at 25 sites around the state using Webinar broadcasts. Participants also have the option to access the sessions from home via a high-speed Internet connection.

Each day will feature a two-hour session that covers a topic important to fruit growers. The agenda includes:

• March 4 - Session 1: Assessing personal goals and learning how and where to begin fruit production.
• March 11 - Session 2: Growing tree fruit such as apples, pears and peaches.
• March 18 - Session 3: Growing small fruit such as grapes, strawberries, red and black raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries.
• March 25 - Session 4: Harvest, storage, preservation and use of fruit.
• April 1 - Session 5: Overview of crop protection using pest management and discussion of organic fruit production.

Session 6, on a date to be announced, will be a hands-on workshop in pruning and training fruit led by local Extension educators.

Purdue presenters include associate professor Peter Hirst and professor Bruce Bordelon, Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture; Linda Souchon, educator, Purdue Extension Johnson County; Rick Foster, professor and Extension coordinator for pest management, Department of Entomology; and Janna Beckerman, assistant professor, Department of Botany and Plant Pathology.

Participants also will hear advice from successful fruit growers. Richard Hayden, professor emeritus, will introduce the series with a historical perspective on fruit culture and provide background on the basics of successful fruit culture.

Roy Ballard, educator, Purdue Extension Hancock County, said the series will be especially beneficial for beginning growers.

"We want to make sure they have the right plants for their site and for their needs and that they plant them in a way the plants will thrive," Ballard said. "It's important that growers appreciate not only the many joys of home fruit production, but also the occasional challenges, limitations and responsibilities."

Ballard said the school also will provide information for more experienced growers, such as varieties of fruit available for Indiana culture and pest control considerations. Private applicator and commercial pesticide applicator credits will be available.

The school is sponsored by Purdue Extension and North Central Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education.

Registration is $50 per person for all sessions or $15 per person for an individual session. The fee includes all handouts and resource materials. A $10 per person late fee will be added after Feb. 26.

For more information regarding program content, available viewing sites or how to register, contact your county Purdue Extension office or Ballard at (317) 462-1113, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

West Lafayette, Ind. — Although dairy producers can expect less milk when switching from conventional to organic production, they may be able to cut some costs on expensive feed, according to Purdue University studies.

Using U.S. Department of Agriculture data that includes information specific to organic dairy producers, a team led by Joseph Balagtas, an assistant professor of agricultural economics, found that organic dairy producers produce about 13 percent less milk compared to peers using conventional production methods. He said that knowledge is critical for dairy producers who might be interested in going organic.

"It's important to know that if you adopt organic technology, you're going to produce less milk," said Balagtas, whose results were published in the American Journal of Agricultural Economics. "Our research provides producers with a baseline measure of the production loss from switching to organic."

Dairy producers must meet stringent protocols to be certified organic. Cows cannot receive antibiotics or hormones, feed must be certified organic and herds must have access to certified organic pastures.

"Those production restrictions decrease yields," Balagtas said. "Organic farmers have to milk their cows less frequently, for example, to prevent mastitis because they can't treat it with antibiotics. That results in less milk."

The information on reduced yields on organic dairy farms also is important to the ongoing debate about alternative production systems.

"Organic production methods are currently less productive than conventional methods," Balagtas said. "A dramatic shift toward organic production would result in higher prices for milk."

In another study published in the Journal of Agricultural & Food Industrial Organization, Balagtas' team found that those organic producers could cut as much as 22 percent of production costs if they grow their own feed, though the same isn't true for conventional producers.

"Conventional farms are increasingly purchasing their feed. Modern conventional dairy farms save costs by purchasing key inputs and focusing on milk production," Balagtas said. "It's relatively easy to find conventional feed. With organic, that's not the case. There are fewer people doing that, and that means the price is higher."

Organic dairy producers cannot use feedstock that has been grown with pesticides and other chemicals, making it more expensive. And since there are fewer organic growers than conventional, sourcing organic feed typically means increased transportation costs for dairy producers.

"If you're located in a climate that permits it, you can reduce costs by growing your own organic feed," Balagtas said. "Establishing organic crop production is costly, but this research says that over time you would pay off that investment."

The studies used data from the USDA's 2005 "Agricultural Resource Management Survey on Dairy Costs and Returns Report" in which dairies in 24 states were surveyed. Nearly 300 organic farms and 1,200 conventional farms were used for the analysis.

"Organic is a fairly new industry, and we're still learning about the production and marketing challenges. But it's the fastest growing segment of the dairy industry," Balagtas said. "For the first time, we have a good picture of the organic dairy industry."

Balagtas said comparisons were based on producers of a similar size in the same region using similar technology and management practices.
The research was supported by funding from the USDA Economic Research Service as well as Purdue. Balagtas said further research would focus on ways organic dairy producers could lower their costs.

Corinne Alexander, a Purdue associate professor of agricultural economics, and Carlos Mayen, a former Purdue doctoral student, collaborated with Balagtas on the study.

West Lafayette, Ind. — An annual conference for fruit and vegetable producers will address a cornucopia of production-related issues, including a daylong workshop on food safety.

The Indiana Horticultural Congress takes place Jan. 19 through 21 at the Wyndham Hotel (formerly the Adam's Mark), 2544 Executive Drive, near Indianapolis International Airport. Purdue University Extension and the university's Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture are among the event sponsors.

"A broad range of topics will be covered that are very timely in their importance to the industry," said Bruce Bordelon, Purdue Extension grapes and wine specialist. "There is a full-day session on good agricultural practices and good handling practices for fresh fruit and vegetable growers that will cover U.S. Department of Agriculture third-party food safety audits and similar issues. There also will be full-day sessions on agritourism and high tunnel production."

In addition to agritourism, the Congress program includes concurrent sessions on vegetables, tree fruits, grapes, farm marketing and processing tomatoes. Presentations on melons and pumpkins, bees and pollination of cucurbits, pest management, wholesale markets, and nutrient management also are planned.

More than 60 sessions and workshops are scheduled. Speakers include Purdue Extension specialists, industry professionals and representatives of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, USDA and commodity organizations.

An accompanying trade show features more than 50 exhibitors.
Other Congress sponsors include the Indiana Horticultural Society, Indiana Vegetable Growers Association, Indiana Farm Market Association, Indiana Raw Products Conference, Indiana Wine Grape Council, Indiana Winery and Vineyard Association, Hoosier Organic Marketing Education, Illiana Watermelon Association and Purdue's Center for New Crops and Plant Products.

Registration is $50 for members of sponsoring organizations and $55 for non-members. Additional people from the same farm operation and spouses are $40. Lunches, banquets and accommodations at the Wyndham Hotel are extra.

For a complete Congress agenda and registration brochure, visit the event Web site, or contact Tammy Goodale of Purdue's Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture at (765) 494-1296, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Food Network's Iron Chef America features produce from the White House vegetable garden as the secret ingredient in its first competition of 2010.

Bloomington, Ind. — The Local Growers Guild is sponsoring a 2010 Winter Guild Gathering & Expo, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 9, at Harmony School, 909 E. 2nd St. The Winter Guild Gathering offers a variety of workshops for both small growers and home gardeners, and an opportunity to learn many techniques for improving production as well as better management skills.

This year the WGG includes an expo of farms, supporting business and organizations and visitors will be able to talk with professionals in the local foods community and learn about products and service. Reserve a booth or download a reservation form at the Web site.

This year’s topics include:

• Soil Testing for Better Crops with Jeff Evard of LIFE Certified Organic Farm
• Fruit Trees & Berry Bushes with Keith Uridel of Hazelbrake Farm & Andy Hamilton of Musgrave Orchard
• Direct Marketing & Distribution Techniques with Blaine Hitzfield of Seven Sons Farms
• Bringing More Local Foods into your Kitchen with Katie Zukof of the Local Growers Guild & Muddy Fork Farm
• Grants & Funding Sources for Small Farms with Debbie Trocha of the Indiana Cooperative Development Center and Jerry Hay of the USDA
• Apprenticeships: Are they right for you? with Tiga Wertz of the Local Growers Guild
• Regenerative Agriculture with Trees & Perennials with Rhonda Baird of the Indiana Forest Alliance and the Bloomington Permaculture Guild

Visit the Web site for a full description of workshops, reservation forms and more. Fees: Local Growers Guild members: event $25, booth $20, both $30; non-member: event $35, booth $25, both $45.

For more information, please contact Katie Zukof, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or (812) 333-8287. 

The Local Growers Guild is a cooperative of farms, retailers and community members dedicated to strengthening the local food economy in Southern and Central Indiana through education, direct support and market connections.