IFVN Vol. 31, No. 1 | February 2025

Be diligent in snow and ice removal on high tunnels

January 23, 2025

High tunnels are a very productive season extension tool and offer the opportunity for year around growing. While high tunnel environmental management practices tend to focus more on ventilation and air movement during the warm months, wintertime management should not be forgotten. Snow and ice accumulation on the plastic that covers high tunnels adds quite a bit of weight, and if not removed,...

Blog articles

fresh fruits and vegetables arranged in rainbow order of color

Specialty crop insurance for the small farmer

January 23, 2025

Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Growers

Did you know that the USDA has a crop insurance policy tailored for the small organic or specialty crop farmer? It is called the Micro Farm policy for farms with no more than $350,000 of approved revenue. These are an “insured revenue” type of policy and is available in all 50 states. There...

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photo of computer monitor and cell phone with lines and boxes on screens

Food safety education needs assessment survey

January 23, 2025

Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Growers

The winter season gives us time to relax a bit and to plan for the next growing season. University of Illinois Extension would like to work with you in meeting some of your food safety learning and implementation goals. You may have already taken a food safety training related to fresh produce and...

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ripe strawberries in clear plastic containers

Food safety in fresh produce washing and packing areas

January 23, 2025

Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Growers

Fresh produce packing facilities come in different sizes and designs. Some maybe fully closed and others partially closed with a few legs and a roof. Some may be permanent structures and others temporary. Farms may also use their limited space to accomplish multiple activities which may include...

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From Dixon Springs Ag Center: Winter weather not effecting cover crops in high tunnel

January 23, 2025

Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Growers

The last month or so has provided some time to catch our breath and think about the upcoming growing season. Most of the seeds and supplies have been ordered but investigating new products and items is still underway. The winter meetings are a great time to meet with vendors and industry...

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arid landscape with ponds, brush, and rows of fruit trees

From St. Louis Metro East: Highlights from South Africa Study Tour

January 23, 2025

Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Growers

I want to share some of the highlights from my opportunity to attend the International Tree Fruit Association’s South Africa Study Tour this past November/December. The stunning landscapes along the Garden Route through the Eastern and Western Cape Provinces will forever stand out in my mind...

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From Northern Illinois (Rockford): Pruning classes offered in February

January 23, 2025

Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Growers

Sarah Farley and I are looking forward to seeing many of you at our Stateline Fruit and Vegetable Growers Conference at NIU Rockford on Monday, February 17th. We have a number of...

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Illinois EQIP 2025 application deadline established

January 23, 2025

Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Growers

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Jan. 23, 2025 —Illinois agricultural and forestry producers who want to address or improve natural resources are encouraged to sign up for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program or EQIP. Tammy Willis, Illinois Natural Resources Conservation Service State Conservationist,...

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Upcoming programs

See the University of Illinois Extension Local Food Systems and Small Farms Team’s website at:

https://extension.illinois.edu/lfssf

Legal Training for Illinois Small Farms |The 2024-2025 Legal Training for Illinois Small Farms will begin this October! In partnership with Farm Commons, this four-part quarterly webinar series is designed to cover relevant topics that can help you understand legal issues, address risk, and provide relief. Each webinar will be offered at 7 p.m. eastern time on the coordinating dates.
- Land Leasing Basics – March 17, 2025
- Farm Property Insurance – June 23, 2025
From Food to Flowers: Everything Local 2025 | January 29 through 31 at Bank of Springfield Center, 1 Convention Center Plaza, Springfield, IL 62701. Registration along with program information is available on the website.
2025 Southwestern Illinois Commercial Tree Fruit School | Tuesday, February 11 Barefoot Restaurant 106 S Water St., Hardin, IL 62047. Registration is open but for more information, contact Ken Johnson or call 217-243-7424.
2025 Southern Illinois Fruit and Vegetable School | Wednesday, February 12 at the DoubleTree, Mt. Vernon, IL. Registration is open and for more information, contact Chris Lueking or call 618-242-0780.
Organic Production Transition and Other Alternatives | Thursday, February 13 FREE online webinar from 6 pm to 7 pm. Visit go.illinois.edu/FoodandFarmsDKK to learn more about what will be covered in the presentation or register here directly. For more information, contact Alexis R. Barnes at 630-584-6166 or arbarnes@illinois.edu.
Annie’s Project | Three locations across the state (Saline, Washington, and Tazewell counties) will be holding Annie’s Project 101 in February and March. Visit https://anniesproject.org/upcoming-classes/illinois/ for more information.
2025 Stateline Fruit and Vegetable Growers Conference | Monday, February 17 in Rockford, IL. Tracks for this year will focus on tree fruit, vegetables, and new grower-farmers. Register at go.illinois.edu/SL2025 and view the agenda. For more information, contact Grant McCarty or Sarah Farley.

Neopestalotiopsis Disease in Strawberry: A New Reality for Kentucky Growers

Neopestalotiopsis (Neopest) disease of strawberry is likely to be the number one concern in spring for Kentucky growers. Drs. Nicole Gauthier and Shawn Wright will host a webinar next month to discuss the latest management recommendations for Neopest, as well as options for producing your own plugs.

NeoPest Disease in Strawberry

Webinar by Zoom Feb 6, 2025 6:00pm EST

See registration information below. https://uky.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_06Sk3iwiBF1Pkay Zoom link will be included in registration confirmation email.