IFVN Vol. 31, No. 9 | October 2025 | Illinois Fruit and Vegetable News | Illinois Extension

From Northern Illinois (Rockford): Apple and pumpkin update

October 1, 2025

As of this week, 9/22, we are about halfway into the apple season in Northern Illinois. I’ve had the opportunity to visit six orchards in the area this month and the crop looks good overall. Some orchards are running about a week ahead compared to last season. The end of September will bring PRI varieties like ‘Crimson Crisp’ and ‘Pixie Crunch’ into the harvest window along with some staples...

Blog articles

words antibiotic resistance and a warning symbol on a clipboard

Invitation to participate in a food safety research project on antibiotic resistance

October 1, 2025

Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Growers

Antibiotic resistance continues to be a problem, that needs to be solved. Antibiotic resistance is when it becomes more difficult to kill bacteria using antibiotics. When foodborne pathogens become antibiotic resistant, the people who contract a foodborne illness may not respond well to treatment....

Finish this story

display of orange, blue, and tan pumpkins on top of upside down milk crates

From St. Louis Metro East: Fall agritourism season has opened

October 1, 2025

Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Growers

Despite droughty conditions much of the growing season, the pumpkin crop looks plentiful. Apple harvest is in the ‘Golden Delicious’ window, including ‘Pixie Crunch’ into ‘Braeburn’. Though in the tail end, tomatoes are still in harvest. Fall activities like corn mazes, pumpkin...

Finish this story

many orange jack o lantern pumpkins stacked in bins in a field

From Southwestern Illinois (Waterloo): Pumpkin season is here!

October 1, 2025

Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Growers

Whether it feels like fall or not, fall is here, and pumpkin season has started. We have been very dry and other than a few breaks have had temperatures early in September in the 90s and now have dropped back to the mid to upper 80s for highs. Rainfall down here has been minimal. ...

Finish this story

row of tomato plants with red and green fruits inside a high tunnel

From Dixon Springs Ag Center: Late season tomato and pepper harvest

September 30, 2025

Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Growers

Tomato harvest has been steady but less than mid-summer for the past three weeks mainly due to a more moderate flower set and fruits ripening slower, creating a reduction in overall fruit load compared to July. Peppers are continuing to size well and have allowed for a once per week harvest time...

Finish this story

A group of bowls of dried fruits and nuts

Handle dry and low moisture foods with food safety in mind

September 30, 2025

Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Growers

Dry or low moisture foods do not quickly come to mind when we think about foodborne illnesses and the ways to reduce them. In fact, these foods are not among the top three foods linked to foodborne disease outbreaks in the United...

Finish this story

Back to drought in Illinois

September 30, 2025

Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Growers

Trent Ford, Illinois State Climatologist, provided this weather report. Fall came early in Illinois, with temperatures between 1.5 and 3.5 degrees below normal since late August (Figure 1). Nighttime low temperatures have dipped into the low 40s and upper 30s multiple times, and we set some low...

Finish this story

A patch of melon vines turning brown surrounded by green plants with yellow flowers

Northern Illinois muskmelon research update: Cantaloupes harvested in September

September 30, 2025

Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Growers

After missing an update in September, a lot has occurred in the melon research plot. Melons were maturing nicely until disease pressure set in late August, which was later identified as anthracnose. Melons started to show signs of disease on fruit, and vines were beginning to die off with immature...

Finish this story