Resource CD Provides Facts and Tools for Fresh Market Vegetable Growers

Posted November 2002

A new resource CD from the University of Wisconsin provides a wealth of production and marketing information for fresh market vegetable growers. The “Fresh Market Vegetable Resource CD” includes fact sheets, reports, power point presentations and marketing materials on a range of topics.

Vegetable production. The CD includes information on integrated pest and weed management, soil and compost, weather and temperature considerations, cover crops, organic production and other related topics. Materials on the CD cover common insects and diseases affecting vegetable crops.

Healthy farmers. With all of the kneeling and squatting they do, fresh market vegetable growers risk injury. The CD includes information about labor and back saving devices that can make vegetable production easier.

Consumer outreach. Many growers sell vegetables directly to the people who will eat them. Fact sheets on the CD include nutritional information, storage and cooking tips, and other consumer information for twenty-five popular vegetables. Additional marketing materials discuss the hidden costs of commonly eaten fruit and vegetables, and encourage people to seek locally grown alternatives.

Although the materials on this CD are targeted to fresh market growers, much of the information is also appropriate for Master Gardener or community gardener training programs.

The CD was created by UW Extension and UW-Madison through the Nutrient and Pest Management Program and the Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems.

Copies of the CD cost $5 and are available through the Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems. To order, send a check payable to “UW-Madison CIAS” along with a note requesting the Fresh Market Vegetable Resource CD and the address where you would like it sent. Send you request to:

Trish Haza
UW-Madison CIAS
1535 Observatory Drive
Madison, WI 53706
(608) 262-5200
phaza@wisc.edu

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Vegetable Storage Crops Workshop

Learn how to extend your marketing season by growing and selling winter storage crops like carrots, beets, winter squash, cabbage, potatoes, onions, garlic and more. This workshop will be held on December 4 in Hudson and December 11 in Madison. For details, see the workshop flyer. Hope to see you there!


CIAS in the community

CIAS Hosts Annual Meeting of Eco-Apple Growers

On Thursday, November 12, CIAS hosted its annual meeting of apple growers engaged in its Eco-Apple pesticide reduction program. Notably, the group of 48 growers celebrated the successful completion of a six-year effort designed to reduce the use of pesticides on orchards throughout Wisconsin. During the course of the program, all reporting orchards demonstrated a reduced reliance on pesticides in favor of a diversity of IPM strategies, and some realized a near-total elimination of organophosphate applications. CIAS thanks its team of growers for their enthusiastic and committed participation. In particular, CIAS wishes to thank Dave Flannery, Wendy Schafer, Bill Stone and Anna Maenner for their fortitude in seeing this phase of the project through to a successful conclusion. UW rsearchers Dan Mahr, Patty McManus, Matt Stasiak and Teryl Roper have been critical to the project’s success. Thanks also to EPA-V and the USDA for their support and encouragement.

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