Doctors Writing Prescriptions for Fruits and Vegetable

Link to full article: http://bit.ly/NR0Cl3

 Gary Clary, CNN


Bad cholesterol, depression, high blood pressure; these are all conditions that often prompt a trip to the pharmacy. But now, physicians are administering a different treatment entirely: produce. Doctors at select clinics across the country are writing some obese patients "prescriptions" for fruits and vegetables.

The Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program provides daily $1 subsidies to buy produce at local farmers markets. FVRx, as it is also known, is funded through Wholesome Wave, a non-profit organization which operates from private donations. Each member of a family gets the $1 prescription so, for example, a family of five would end up getting $35 per week to spend on fresh fruits and vegetables.

To read the entire article go here.

Addison Farms Vineyard in Mountain XPress

Check out the article, Risky Agri-Business, on local Buncombe County farmer, Jeff Frisbee!  Jeff and the rest of the Frisbee family have been hard at work for the past few years planting their labor of love, Addison Farms Vineyard in Leicester.

Congratulations Addison Farms Vineyard!

Addison Farms Vineyard also received a WNC AgOptions Grant (A project of NC Cooperative Extension) in 2011.

Agriculture is the Nation's Largest Employer

In response to yesterday's post on Agricultural Degrees, I wanted to pass this message on from an outstanding Extension professional in Hendry County, Florida, Gene McAvoy. You can follow Gene on Twitter, @SWFLVegMan

"Agriculture is the nation's largest employer with more than 23 million jobs (that is 17% of the civilian workforce involved in some facet of American Agriculture).


Without it we would be hungry and naked… and would lack many other intangible benefits that American’s value - open spaces, wildlife, clean water etc. Not to mention the safest, most abundant food supply on the planet.


I encourage you to print out the attached photo and display it prominently in your shop, office, barn - share it with friends.


American’s farmers and ranchers leading the way to economic recovery."

Study Finds that Salmonella Can Enter Tomatoes Through Leaves at VERY High Concentrations

From Food Safety News November 11

Salmonella Can Enter Tomatoes Through Leaves
By Gretchen Goetz

Recently scientists have been exploring whether or not pathogens can enter fruits and vegetables through plant parts, and have found that bacteria can indeed be taken in through the roots. Now new research shows that the leaves of tomato plants are a possible point of entry for Salmonella.

A study from the University of Florida, released Wednesday by PloS ONE publications, revealed that after leaves of tomato plants were exposed to high concentrations of Salmonella, the bacteria traveled through the plant and contaminated some of the fruit.

Researchers found that 1.5 percent of tomatoes whose leaves had been dipped into a solution with a high concentration of Salmonella then tested positive for the bacteria.

However, these findings don't mean that 1 or 2 out of every 100 tomatoes in the field will be contaminated if their leaves come into contact with Salmonella. The concentrations of Salmonella used for the study were much greater than what plants would normally be exposed to, says Ariena van Bruggen, the study's lead author, a professor of plant pathology and member of UF's Emerging Pathogens Institute.

This unusually high concentration of Salmonella was necessary, says van Bruggen, in order to ensure that if the bacteria did get through to the fruit, it would be detectable among the smaller sample size of a greenhouse full of tomatoes.

"If you use a normal Salmonella concentration that you would find in the field, you would have to test say 10,000 plants or so," she explained to Food Safety News.

The take-home message, she says, is that leaf-to-tomato contamination "can happen, but the chance is low."

"That should be stressed," she notes, "so that we don't create any panic."

But the fact that such means of contamination is possible is a reminder that growers need to be careful to review safety plans, for factors such as the source of their irrigation water or wild animal encroachment, because given the quantities of tomatoes produced in America, some tomatoes in a field where thousands of leaves are exposed to Salmonella could become contaminated, notes van Bruggen.

"It's just because we consume so many tomatoes, somebody could become ill at some point," she says.

And even that small risk is reason for safety precautions. The tomato industry brings in an estimated $619 million per year, and damaged consumer confidence could have a devastating effect on producers.

In 2008 when a Salmonella outbreak was incorrectly linked to domestic tomatoes, consumers stopped buying fresh tomatoes, and growers lost an estimated $100 million.

The study also came with a kernel of good news: contaminated seeds do not seem to contaminate the plants they produce.

"Somehow seed contamination doesn't survive in the next generation," says van Bruggen, who explained that her team planted contaminated seeds harvested from the plants that acquired Salmonella through their leaves and tested the fruits they produced, finding no Salmonella.

Organic Food No Guarantee Against Foodborne Illness

By Madhu Rajaraman, NEWS21

Original Link: http://foodsafety.news21.com/2011/safety/organics

Eating organic may limit your exposure to pesticides. It may make you feel environmentally conscious. It can help support local farmers.

But scientists warn it won't necessarily protect you against foodborne illnesses. Organics, like conventionally farmed foods, can harbor dangerous pathogens including E. coli and salmonella.

A 2006 study in the Journal of Food Science did not find a significant difference in the prevalence of E. coli between organic and conventional produce. And a 2009 Kansas State University study did not find a difference in the prevalence of E. coli between organically and conventionally raised cattle.

Organic foods have caused their share of outbreaks of disease. Last winter, for example, sprouts from an organic farm in Illinois infected at least 140 people in 26 states and the District of Columbia with salmonella. And over a three-month period in 2011, a massive outbreak of a deadly strain of E. coli linked to sprouts from an organic farm in Germany killed 50 people and sickened more than 4,300 in several countries.

Organics are a big business in the U.S. Sales of organic food and beverages totaled $26.7 billion in 2010, according to the Organic Trade Association, with sales of fruits and vegetables up nearly 12 percent over 2009.

Consumers buy organic for a number of reasons, including to avoid certain pesticides, to encourage smaller farms and to support agriculture that doesn't introduce harsh substances into the environment. In a June 2011 health survey by Thomson Reuters and National Public Radio, 58 percent of respondents said they preferred organic over non-organic foods. The most popular reasons cited: to avoid toxins and support local farmers.

Despite the public's favorable perceptions, however, "the science doesn't show a difference," said David Lineback, senior fellow in food safety at the Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the University of Maryland.

Federal organic standards set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture do not include explicit requirements for food safety, nor are they intended to. The primary purpose of organic farming is not to prevent foodborne illness but to practice and promote environmentally sustainable agriculture.

"We don't purport that organic is healthier than conventional food," said USDA spokeswoman Soo Kim.

"The organic standards do not directly address issues of food safety but instead production and processing and handling methods of agricultural products," Kim said in an email. But, she added, "organic certification by the USDA doesn't preclude any operation from having to meet the food safety and environmental requirements" of two other federal bodies: the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Organic labeling standards are based on the percentage of organic ingredients in a product.

For crops, this means growing on land without the application of any prohibited substances (as defined in the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990) and without the use of genetically modified organisms, most conventional pesticides or sewage sludge, for example. Organic livestock must be raised without hormones, fed 100 percent organic feed without byproducts and given year-round access to the outdoors.

Carrie Vaughn, vegetable production manager of the recently certified organic Clagett Farm in Upper Marlboro, Md., said she believes the food safety risks are lower on her farm because of strict standards for manure composting that come with organic certification.

USDA's organic program requires composted manure to be heated to at least 131 F for a minimum of either three or 15 days (depending on the composting system) in order to reduce pathogens.

Vaughn said the close relationship she has with her buyers and their families motivates her to be vigilant about food safety in the field. "It's terrifying for me as a grower to think that I could grow something that could kill a small child," she said. "So we're careful on the farm, and we also work directly with our customers. ... If something ever happened, it would be so easy to trace that contamination back to us."

Lineback, at JIFSAN, remains skeptical of what he calls consumers' "I-know- the-farmer" attitude. That trust, he said, is rooted not in science but in consumers' feelings about food and a distrust of corporate agriculture.

There is even debate over whether organic food is more nutritious, as proponents maintain. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported in 2010 that a study of 50 years of academic articles on the topic found that organic and conventional foods are nutritionally comparable.

So, which is better for you: organic or conventional? In the end, as Lineback noted, "it's a matter of choice and what people believe."

The End of Phosphorus

From NPR

“A key ingredient in fertilizer, phosphorus is becoming more rare, more expensive -- which is stimulating some innovative ways to find more.

KAI RYSSDAL: You've heard, perhaps, of the theory of peak oil -- the idea that there's only so much crude out there to be had and when we start to run out, that's it.

There's another critical resource out there whose coming peak has gotten much less attention. But unlike oil, it has no alternative. We truly can't live without phosphorus. The vast majority of the world's supply is locked up in just one country. So how do we fight the coming phosphorus shortage?

The answer, says Marketplace's Jeff Horwich, lies not in our stars, but -- quite literally -- in ourselves.

Phosphorus binds our DNA together. There's no substitute for phosphorus in agriculture or in biology -- we can't just swap something else in there, that's not going to work. That's why it's a critical ingredient in fertilizer. If you buy "10-10-10," say for your garden, that middle number -- that's phosphorus. Here's the problem: The world uses so much fertilizer, and so much phosphorus -- and there's only so much in the ground. Morocco is the kingpin of phosphate right now -- 85 percent of the global phosphate reserves are

now identified in Morocco.

So what usually happens when you have insatiable demand and closely held supply? Well, phosphate prices are up 150 percent since 2007; 60 percent in just the last year. Fertilizer is already too expensive for many farmers in Africa. American farmers and consumers feel that same pinch.

So other than digging in Morocco, where do we get more phosphorus?

Here's a hint: the symbol for phosphorus on the periodic table... is "P." And there it is -- the valuable byproduct. All over the place.

Recycling in the face of resource scarcity is not a new idea. It's just we now will probably have to do this with phosphorus.”

You can listen to the full story at the link below.

American Public Media/ Marketplace, aired on NPR, Monday, September 12, 2011.

http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/09/12/pm-the-end-of-phosphorus/

Organic Food Production in UK Down

This article may be of interest.

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
12 August 2011
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2025276/Organic-food-production-
farmers-blame-supermarkets-fading-interest.html

Organic food production down as farmers blame supermarkets for fading interest

Farmers have started to turn away from producing organic food because of dwindling interest from supermarket chains, figures reveal.

Land set aside for organic cultivation in the UK has fallen by two-thirds since 2007, according to data from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Only 51,000 hectares were in 'conversion' - being prepared to go organic - across the UK last year, less than half the amount the previous year.

Even the higher figure for 2009 was massively down on 2007 which saw a peak of 158,000 hectares being moved across, according to The Guardian.

Demand for organic produce has dropped two years in a row as shoppers go for cheaper products because of the recession and higher food costs.

Figures from the Soil Association earlier this year put sales down 5.9 per cent from £1.84billion to £1.73billion.

This followed a 12 per cent drop in 2009 which brought to an end 16 years consecutive growth.

Declining interest is blamed on the harsh economic climate as families find they can no longer afford to spend so much on groceries.

As much as 10 per cent of the land dedicated to organic production has also gone, with the number of producers falling from 7,896 to 7,567.

However, farmers insist that moving to organic has cut their costs and maintain consumer interest is still strong outside the main supermarkets.

Ian Noble, representing a 12-farm cooperative in Devon, told The Guardian: 'There might be lots of farmers who think they can't afford to go organic because they think the market is restricted but if they looked into it they would find it can be cost effective.'

Adrian Dolby put 7,000 acres into organic cultivation in 2005 and added: 'If we hadn't gone organic, we would have gone out of business.'

Pest New July 15

The latest edition of NC Pest News is now available.

In this edition you'll find:

• Plant Disease and Insect Clinic Information on the Internet
• Worm Control in Sweet Control: 2011 Edition

July 15 Edition of NC Pest News.

Pest News June 24

The latest edition of the NC Pest News is now available.

In this latest edition:

1. Cucurbit downy mildew recommendations for 2011
2. Cucurbit powdery mildew recommendations fro 2011

Cucurbit downy mildew has been found in NC in more eastern counties. It has not been found in WNC, yet. We are actively scouting as afternoon thundershowers and storms from the south could provide inoculum and suitable conditions for disease development. There have been no forecasts on the Cucurbit Downy Mildew Forecasting Website for disease development in our area. However, if you think you have this disease, please visit your local extension office for confirmation.

Downy mildew symptoms on cucumber leaf.

Downy mildew sporulation on the underside of a cucumber leaf.

The fungus that causes cucurbit powdery mildew is a very different pathogen than the water mold pathogen that causes cucurbit downy mildew. Cucurbit powdery mildew likes warm, humid conditions (the humidity within a plant canopy provides ideal conditions). The pathogen does not like wet conditions, but water will spread the pathogen spores to other plants.

Powdery mildew on a squash leaf.

Powdery mildew on the stem of a squash plant.

Study Vindicates Tomatoes in 2008 Salmonella Outbreak

From the United Fresh Produce Association
For more information, visit http://www.unitedfresh.org/ or call 202-303-3400

In a study released in the New England Journal of Medicine, scientists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided detailed evidence linking a nationwide outbreak of Salmonella Saintpaul in 2008 to jalapeño and serrano peppers, and explained how tomatoes were mistakenly implicated in the early stages of the investigation.

United Fresh Produce Association President and CEO Tom Stenzel provides the following statement on the study:

“Members of the produce industry and consumers alike should be both relieved and encouraged to see this information confirming the source of the outbreak of Salmonella Saintpaul in 2008. The study in this week’s New England Journal of Medicine underscores the fact that temporal associations based on memories of what someone has eaten weeks earlier can be useful, but not definitive, in these investigations.


“It’s clear from the study that many sick individuals recalled eating a salsa product, but failed to recognize the peppers that were contained as an ingredient. By prematurely jumping to the conclusion that tomatoes were causing the outbreak, officials may have unwittingly allowed the outbreak to continue.

“We credit the CDC and Food and Drug Administration now for reporting these findings, as an important lesson to be learned in outbreak investigations.

“The fresh produce industry is 100 percent committed to doing all we can to prevent any contamination of any commodity from ever occurring. But these are natural products grown outside in nature, often eaten without cooking. In the rare case in which a problem does occur, we stand ready to work with local, state and federal officials to bring the most rapid identification, traceback and removal of a product from the marketplace.

“We are committed to bringing our very best scientific knowledge and detailed understanding of growing areas, production processes and distribution to help government officials quickly identify and remove the real cause of any problem.”

Thu, 2011-02-24 07:26

Food Safety Webinar Recording

On January 26 the NC Fresh Produce Safety Task Force presented a webinar on S 510 Food Safety Modernization Act. This was an excellent presentation by Debbie Hamrick of the NC Farm Bureau and moderated by Diane Ducharme.

The webinar was recorded and you can view it at your convenience.
You can get the recording here. Just enter your email address and name and a download of the webinar will start shortly.

Grants support diverse agricultural ventures, build local agriculture system

NEWS RELEASE

MARSHALL — The WNC Agricultural Options program recently awarded six community groups and 47 farmers grants totaling $326,000 to assist them in farm diversification and joint marketing and distribution efforts.

This year's community grant recipients are creating cohesion, infrastructure and marketing for local products. Individual recipients are improving such diverse operations as a 75-acre kale, turnips and collards farm in Cherokee County, a new dairy in Madison County, a micro-greens venture in Watauga County, and a canned bamboo shoots business in McDowell County.

For a full list of recipients, see http://www.wncagoptions.org/home/424-2011-program-background

Since 2003, N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission has supported WNC AgOptions, a N.C. Cooperative Extension program that provides resources directly to farmers diversifying or expanding their operations. "We have been a strong supporter of the WNC AgOptions program because we know western farmers appreciate the funding and know how to put it into action," said Bill Teague, NC Tobacco Trust Fund Commission Acting Chairman. "These farmers have a wide variety of innovative ideas and we expect successful outcomes from which other farmers can learn."

The program has worked in partnership with RAFI-USA's Tobacco Communities Reinvestment Fund since 2008. RAFI-USA was also included in the $18.4 million Family Farm Innovation Fund last summer, which provided an additional $100,000 for WNC farmers this year.

While WNC AgOptions has given 300 individual grants to farm businesses since 2004, the community grant program is still in its infancy. The WNC AgOptions steering committee established the program last summer to encourage groups of farmers to solve logistical challenges in the local agricultural system, which the committee identified as the main barrier in boosting farm income.

Community groups received varying amounts totaling $92,000. Grantees are: Avery County Farmers Tailgate Marketing Association, Jackson County Christmas Tree Association, Mountain Cattle Alliance, Mill Spring Agricultural Development Center, Watauga County Farmers Market and Southern Appalachian Family Farms.

The community group grantees, which collectively impact at least 3,500 farmers, will:

· Build a distribution center and retail center to serve farmers in at least six counties and consumers in four major metropolitan areas;

· Create energy, unity and awareness of local foods shopping, Christmas tree sales and cooperative farm marketing;

· Establish a system for small and medium-sized cattle farmers to use a portable corral unit, which will facilitate meeting Beef Quality Assurance program standards to increase profits;

· Secure a permanent site for the mountain region's oldest and largest tailgate market, opening up additional space for vendors and creative marketing and educational opportunities.

Three individual farm businesses received $9,000 grants, 25 received $6,000 and 19 received $3,000. Projects increase the economic sustainability of farm businesses as well as provide demonstration to other transitioning farmers. This year's recipients will:

· Continue their family's multiple-generation tradition of farming with such ventures as wine-grape vineyards and wineries;

· Transition a 75-acre greens operation from wholesale markets to direct sales to individuals and grocery stores with the purchase of a translicer;

· Diversify a meat and vegetable operation with the addition of a dairy for 50 head of Holstein and Jersey cattle;

· Sell goat milk under North Carolina Milk for Pet Food Use Guidelines with the addition of certified milking facilities/parlors;

· Expand or add unique poultry selections such as duck, turkey and quail to their farm operations with the purchase of processing equipment;

· Build a farm store to sell several farmers' products on a well-travelled highway in Weaverville where no stand currently exists;

· Revive foods traditional to the Cherokee Indian Reservation, including crawfish and canned wild greens;

· Improve a hydroponic farm's greenhouse heating and irrigation system, increasing the business' bottom line;

· Establish a Black Perigord and Burgundy truffle operation in inoculated Filbert and Oak trees, which are expected to eventually gross between $17,500 to $35,000 annually;

· Demonstrate a unique terraced growing system for raspberries.

The ultimate goal of WNC AgOptions is to protect mountain farmland by assisting the longevity of farm enterprises.

"The sustainability of the agricultural industry in Western North Carolina is dependent upon the innovation of farmers and their willingness to try new things," said Ross Young, Madison County Extension Director and WNC AgOptions steering committee leader. "This region is a leader in agriculture innovation, and I believe that the WNC AgOptions program has played a very important role in providing farmers with educational tools and financial resources they have needed to take their wonderful ideas and turn them into reality."

For more information, see the following websites: N.C. Cooperative Extension Centers: www.ces.ncsu.edu; Family Farm Innovation Fund: www.ncruralcenter.org; Tobacco Communities Reinvestment Fund, RAFI-USA: www.ncfarmgrants.org; N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission: www.tobaccotrustfund.org.

Contact:

Megan Riley, Media Relations Specialist, (828) 333-4151, info@wncagoptions.org;

Jennifer Ferre, Project Manager, (828) 333-4277, admin@wncagoptions.org

Ethnic Crop Opportunites for East Coast Growers

There is an interesting article in the Journal of Extension (JOE) dealing with some new, ethnic crop ideas for vegetable farmers.

Abstract
We examined the potential for expansion of production of ethnic crops on the U.S. East Coast by commercial farmers from a market-first and economic perspective based on consumer demand. A survey of consumers from four ethnic groups showed that the ethnic crops in greatest demand are as follows: Chinese—Baby Pak Choy, Oriental Eggplant, and Smooth Luffa; Asian Indians—Bottle Gourd, Indian Eggplant, and Bitter Melon; Mexicans—Chili Jalapeno and Tomatillo; Hispanic—Aji Dulce, Batata, and Pepinillo/Bitter gourd. Results of the study have important implications to assist local growers in deciding to produce ethnic crops.

Read the full article at http://www.joe.org/joe/2010december/rb2.php

Authors
The study was conducted by folks at Rutgers University and the University of Florida.
Ramu Govindasamy, Richard Van Vranken, William Sciarappa, Albert Ayeni, Venkata S. Puduri, Kim Pappas, James E. Simon, Frank Mangan, Mary Lamberts and Gene McAvoy.

October 2010 Strawberry Grower Newsletter

The October 2010 Strawberry Grower Newsletter is now available.

In this issue:

• The NC Strawberry Growers Association Receives Grant for Marketing and Promotion
• Southeast Strawberry Expo in Virginia Beach
• Scientists and Chefs: A New Strawberry Partnership
• Dr. Barclay Poling: My Impending Retirement
• New Processing Plant for Strawberries
• October-November Growers Checklist
• Grant Programs for Farmers, Researchers and Extension
• Study on Organic Strawberry Farms
• Calendar
• Intensive Workshops
• and more!

Want to learn more about the NC Strawberry Growers Association? Visit http://www.ncstrawberry.org/

The 10% Campaign: Pledge to Buy Local

There are some pretty exciting things going on in NC in the world of local food.

Have you heard about the 10% Campaign? The 10% campaign was created by the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) and is a partnership between the NC Cooperative Extension Service and the Compass Group, the world's largest food service company.

The goal of the10% campaign is to challenge individuals, businesses and communities to pledge that they will spend 10% of their food dollars on locally grown and produced foods. We spend $35 billion dollars per year on food. If we pledge to spend 10% on local products, that would mean $3.5 billion dollars would be available to our local economy!


To learn more about the 10% Campaign, to see who has already pledged or to make a pledge yourself to "Make a choice. Make a difference. Make it Local", visit www.nc10percent.com.


Read about the NC State University Dining's comittment to buying local and joining the 10% Campaign. University Dining has pledged that 10% of the food served will be locally grown and produced by 2012.

Read about the NC State University's Campus Farmers Market in Raleigh.

Exciting event: Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project's Local Food Institute on October 13-14 in Asheville. This two-day program is designed to share information and strategies on ASAP’s innovative approach to creating environments where local food economies thrive.

To see more information including the conference agenda and speaker bios and to register go to http://www.asapconnections.org/localfoodinstitute.html.

Insect Pests Plaguing Vegetable Growers

This article is from the latest edition of NC Pest News from Entomology Extension Specialist, Dr. Mark Abney.

"A variety of insects are currently plaguing vegetable growers across North Carolina. Armyworms and corn earworms have been abundant and moth flights are continuing. European corn borers have been abundant in many of our research trials this year after several years of low numbers. Heavy European corn borer infestations occurred in sweet corn at the Central Crops Research Station in Clayton and large numbers were seen in bell pepper trials near Kinston and in the mountains near Fletcher.

Melon growers have not been immune to insect problems, and there have been a couple cases recently of corn rootworm larvae feeding on the undersides of cantaloupes. We do not see this on a regular basis, but it seems to happen somewhere every year. Larvae feed on the undersides of fruit, usually after a heavy rain, and there is no technology currently available to effectively control the problem.

As we approach late August, home gardeners and commercial growers alike will be faced with managing pickleworms in cucumber and squash. Commercial growers are forced to rely on preventative insecticide applications as tolerance for pickleworms in harvested produce is essentially zero. Home gardeners are faced with an uphill battle against this pest as management options available are not likely to provide good control. The best advice for gardeners is usually to plant early and harvest before pickleworms arrive from the south each year.

Another perennial foe of the cucurbit grower, the squash bug, is making its presence known in backyard gardens, commercial organic production, and in research trials. Large populations recently moved into research plantings of squash and cucumber at the Horticultural Crops Research Station near Clinton. It only takes a couple squash bugs to kill a young squash plant, so scouting and timely management are critical. These bugs can be difficult to kill, and the adult stage is particularly tough to control. Targeting the nymphs is important.

Scouting vegetables is absolutely essential to prevent losses due to insects and to maximize the effectiveness of insecticide applications. For control recommendations in specific crops, please refer to the North Carolina Agricultural Chemicals Manual (http://ipm.ncsu.edu/agchem/5-toc.pdf)."

Cost-share grants for organic certification still available

RALEIGH -- Organic growers in North Carolina can still apply for partial reimbursement of the cost of becoming certified or recertified producers through a program offered by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

“We still have about a third of the grant funds available, so I would encourage organic producers who have gone through the certification process to submit their application for reimbursement,” said Kevin Hardison, marketing specialist with the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. “The deadline to apply is Sept. 30.”

Growers who are certified or recertified before Sept. 30, can apply for assistance. The program will pay 75 percent of the cost of certification, up to $750.

The program is funded through a $30,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Funds are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

To apply, growers must fill out an authorization form that can be found online at www.ncdaorganic.com. The completed form, a copy of the farm’s certification and a copy of the receipts from the certifying agency should be mailed to the NCDA&CS Division of Marketing, Attn. Kevin Hardison, 1020 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1020. The invoice must show the total cost of certification and the 75 percent portion that is eligible for reimbursement.

Growers with questions can call Hardison at (919) 733-7887.

“As consumer interest in certified products has grown, so has the number of organic producers statewide,” Hardison said. “North Carolina has more than 6,000 certified organic acres, and these farms produce a variety of vegetables, livestock, herbs and other products.”

Basil Downy Mildew

Sporulation of Peronospora behlbarii, causal agent of basil downy mildew.

Basil downy mildew is a new disease that has been causing headaches for growers in the eastern US for the past two seasons. Basil downy mildew was reported in South Florida in October 2007. This disease has the potential to be very destructive to basil producers. European producers have been dealing with the disease since 2001. The disease is thought to have been introduced in the US from infected seed from Europe

The first confirmed case of the disease in NC occurred last summer in Chatham County. Agriculture agent, Debbie Roos, did a great post on the diseases with wonderful pictures last August.

The disease has been found in several locations in WNC this year. This is surprising because we have been so hot and dry and downy mildew pathogens tend to like cooler temperatures and wet and humid conditions. Apparently, basil downy mildew is the exception - it likes moderate to warm temperatures!

Basil downy mildew is so devastating because the discoloration of the leaves makes the basil unmarketable. Eventually the leaves will become black or necrotic and die completely.

Slight yellowing of basil plants that are infected with Peronospora behlbarii, causal agent of basil downy mildew.

Discoloration of basil leaf caused by downy mildew.

The basil downy mildew pathogen, Peronospora belbahrii, is spread by contaminated seed, marketing infected plants or leaves and wind-borne spores. This pathogen also infects other plants of the Lamiacea family which inculdes basil, sages, and mints. The spores of the pathogen are abundant on the underside of the leaf.

Discoloration of basil leaf caused by downy mildew, P. behlbarii.

Notice the fuzzy growth on the underside of the leaf. This was the first tip that what we were dealing with was downy mildew. Also, note the black dying tissue.

Dark sporulation of the pathogen P. behlbarii that causes downy mildew on basil on the underside of the leaf.

This disease can often be mistaken for sunburn on basil leaves, which I have also noted this year.

Sunburned basil leaves.

There is a similar downy mildew pathogen that infects coleus, but this pathogen has been shown to be genetically different than the pathogen on basil and the ornamental hosts are no longer considered alternative hosts to the basil disease. To read more about the specifics of basil downy mildew, visit Cornell Plant Pathologist Dr. Meg McGrath's on-line factsheet Basil Downy Mildew - A New Disease to Prepare For.

Management of basil downy mildew requires an integrated approach. Using seed that is not contaminated with the pathogen, selecting less susceptible varieties and applying fungicides are the primary practices. Management should also include increasing airflow through the plant canopy in order to minimize leaf wetness and humidity in order to suppress the disease. This is especially true in greenhouses. Dr. McGrath outlines management steps, including variety trials from New Jersey, in her factsheet.

Fungicides used for downy mildew on basil include OMRI-approved Actinovate and OxiDate, which are labeled for use. Many other conventional fungicides do not yet have the label required to control this disease on basil, with the exception of K-Phite and ProPhyte. It is expected that this will change in the near future. Fungicides should be applied frequently and prior to first symptoms if possible in order to control downy mildew on basil effectively. This is of course tricky, especially in areas without history of the disease.

If you suspect that you have downy mildew on your basil, visit your local NC Cooperative Extension office for help identifying and reporting the disease.

Small Fruit News July 2010

Natchez blackberries.

The latest edition of the Southern Region Small Fruits Consortium's Small Fruit News is now on-line.

You can find it here.

In addition, have you checked out NC MarketReady's great new websites available to strawberry, blackberry and raspberry and muscadine growers?

Check them out!

• Strawberry Growers Information Portal
• Blackberry and Raspberry Growers Information Portal
• Muscadine Grape Growers Information Portal
  

New Hops Page!

Everyday Blogger gets more and more sophisticated! This year Blogger has decided to allow bloggers to create different pages to their sites.

Today I am launching the new Hops Page on WNC Vegetable and Small Fruits News blog. This page will be maintained as a one-stop-shop for information on hops production, diseases and insects, pictures and other resources.

The new Hops Page can be found just above the "Exciting Stuff!!!" section on the left-hand side bar of the blog.

This is a work in progress and will be updated with new information as I post about hops or find exciting resources. I also welcome comments, suggestions or other information that you find important to include on the new page.

Let me know what you think!