CALENDAR OF EVENTS

2006

1/5                  "Road to Independence" Workshop
                        NMC Great Lakes Campus, Hagerty Center 
                         Traverse City

1/17-18          International Orchard & Vineyard Show
                       Grand Traverse Resort, Acme

1/18                Developing ‘New Fields’ Class
                       Michigan Works Conf. Room

1/19-21         Art Mitchell Cherry Research Symposium
                       NWMHRS
                        Pre-registration is required 

1/28               7^th Annual Small Farm Conference
                      Grayling High School, Grayling

2/6                Guthion Registration Comments Deadline

2/8-9            Southwest Michigan Hort Days
                     Lake Mendel College, Benton Harbor

2/18             Chestnut Growing in Michigan
                     Clarksville Hort. Experiment Station

2/20-22        2006 MSU Fruit School
                     Kellogg Biological Station, Hickory Corners

2/25             IFTA Intensive Workshop - Plant Growth Regulators
                    Hershey, PA

3/1              "Road to Independence" Workshop
                    Crystal Mtn Resort, Thompsonville

2/26-3/2      IFTA (formerly IDFTA)
                     Hershey, PA

3/29-3/30    Benzie-Manistee Hort Show
                    Crystal Mtn Resort, Thompsonville

4/1               Water Use Report Deadline
 
 

2006 INTERNATIONAL ORCHARD & VINEYARD SHOW 
By Nikki Rothwel, District Fruit IPM Educator, 
Jim Nugent, District Horticulturist, MSUE and 
Duke Elsner, EAA, Grand Traverse Co.

Dates: January 17 and 18
Location: Grand Traverse Resort, Acme
Cost: Registration Fee: $15 per person (over 12)
Fruit Industry Luncheon, January 17: $15
CMI Luncheon, January 18: Free to growers, pre-registration
with CMI required

Tuesday, January 17

8:00                Registration Desk Opens

8:00-10:30    Coffee and Rolls Served in Exhibit Hall

8:50-9:00      Welcome and Overview
                        Paul Hubbell, President, Grand Traverse 
                        Fruit Growers' Council 

9:00-10:00    Mechanically Harvesting Cherries in the Future
                        Richard Ledebuhr, Agricultural Engineering, MSU
                        Dr. Donald Peterson, Ag. Engineer, USDA/ARS, West Virginia

10:00-10:30  Vendor Break

10:30-11:00  Physiology of Sweet Cherry Cracking
                        Dr. Moritz Knoche, Germany

11:00-11:25  Protective Covers To Prevent Sweet Cherry Cracking: 
                        A Worldwide Review
                        Dr. John Cline, Univ. of Guelph, Simco, Ontario 

11:25-11:45  Mitigating Losses To Rain - Covers and Calcium
                        Earnscy Weaver, Grower, New Zealand

11:45-12:00  Protective Covers in the United Kingdom
                        Graham Moore, Haygrove Tunnels, England

12:00-1:30    Fruit Industry Luncheon
                        Keith Warren Remembrance
                        Award Presentation
                       "Half Century of Progress in Michigan Fruit Production"
                        Dr. Frank Dennis, Professor Emeritus, Horticulture, MSU

1:30-2:00     Vendor Break

2:00-2:30      European Training in Modern Tart Cherry
                        Dr. Karoly Hrotko, Hungary

2:30-3:00      Training of Young Sweet Cherry
                        Dr. Davide Neri, Italy

3:00-3:30     Managing High Density Tart and Sweet Cherries
                       Dr. Robert Kurlus, Poland

3:30-4:00     Irrigation and Nutrition
                        Dr. Denise Neilson, Agriculture Canada, Summerland, BC

4:00-4:30     Nitrogen and Water Use in Sweet Cherry Orchards
                       Dr. Costanza Zavalloni, Netherlands

4:30-6:00      WINE TASTING AND CHEESE SOCIAL HOUR

GRAPE AND WINE PROGRAM
(Concurrent on Tuesday, January 17)

9:00-10:00      Yeast Strains and Methods of Innoculation for Wine Production
                          Sigrid Gertsen-Briand, Petaluma, California

10:00-10:30  Vendor Break

10:30-11:15    Grape Varieties and Rootstocks for Michigan Vineyards
                          Hermann Amberg, New York

11:15-12:00    Malolactic Fermentation - Bacterial Cultures and Their Use
                          Sigrid Gertsen-Briand, Petaluma, California

12:15-1:45    Fruit Industry Luncheon

1:45-2:15       Vendor Break

2:15-3:15       Triangle Wine Tests to Evaluate Wine Quality
                         Tom Zabadal, Director, SW Michigan Research & Extension Center

3:15-4:00       Summer Pruning of Wine Grapes
                         Tom Zabadal, Director, SW Michigan Research & Extension Center

4:00-4:45       Parallel 45 Vines & Wines Business Meeting and discussion time
                         Ray Isaacson, President

4:30-6:00      WINE TASTING AND CHEESE SOCIAL HOUR

6:00-8:00     Evening Program: Global Production and Marketing Trends

6:00-6:15     Earnscy Weaver, New Zealand
6:15-6:30     Dr. Robert Kurlus, Poland
6:30-6:45     Dr. Karoly Hrotko, Hungary
6:45-7:00     Dr. Juan Pablo Zoffoli, South America
7:00-7:15     Dr. Michael Weber, Germany
7:15-7:30     Dr. Davide Neri, Italy

Wednesday, January 18
7:00-9:00   John Deere Appreciation Day Breakfast
                      Compliments of Voelker Implements, 
                      Lake City and Big Rapids

9:00-9:15    NW Michigan Hort. Research Foundation Annual Board Meeting
                      Rick Sayler, President

CHERRY MARKETING INSTITUTE ANNUAL MEETING

9:15-9:35     Year End Review & Opportunities for the Future
                       Phil Korson, II, President of CMI

9:35-9:55     Cherries: A Super Power 
                      Jane DePriest, CMI Marketing Director

9:55-10:20  The Emerging Natural Foods Market for Tart Cherry Products
                      Joe Lothamer, CMI Promotions Director

10:20-10:40 Vendor Break

10:40-11:30  CMI’s National Cherry Research & Promotion Initiative
                        Opening comments, Jeff Send, Chair, Michigan Cherry Committee
                        Presentations by CMI Staff

Noon              CMI Luncheon
                        Speaker: Dr. Lawrence Busch, Director, Institute for Food &
                        Agricultural Standards, MSU

2:00-2:30       Importance of Carbon Partitioning in Sweet Cherry 
                         on Gisela Rootstocks
                         Dr. Marlene Ayala, Chile

2:30-3:00       Pollination and Fruit Set
                         Dr. Chris Atkinson, England

3:00-3:30       Using Bioregulators in Cherry Production
                         Dr. Donald Elfving, WSU, Wenatchee, WA

3:30-4:00       Training Systems in Dwarf Rootstocks for Sweet Cherry 
                         Dr. Terence Robinson, Cornell University, Geneva, NY

4:00-4:30      Critical Points on Postharvest Management of Sweet Cherry
                        Dr. Juan Pablo Zoffoli, Chile

4:30-4:50      The Northwest Cherry Industry Today and Tomorrow
                        Bob Bailey, Orchard View Farms, Oregon

ART MITCHELL CHERRY RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM
Jim Nugent and Nikki Rothwell

Funding from the Art Mitchell family has made it possible to sponsor the "Art Mitchell Symposium: Tree Growth and Development in Modern Cherry Production." The symposium is designed to chart a strategic course for research and extension critical to the viability and sustainability of future temperate zone cherry production. It will take place on January 19-21 (immediately following the Orchard & Vineyard Show) at the NWMHRS. The symposium is divided into several topics for presentations and discussion.

Proceedings in CD format will be published following the symposium and will be available upon request.

The symposium is structured to facilitate discussion between participants, hence we are limited in how many people can participate. We have reserved some places for local growers but cannot accommodate a large number. Therefore, if interested in attending, contact the NWMHRS (946-1510) as soon as possible. It is important to note that most of the guest speaker time is occurring during the Orchard Show, leaving a significant amount of the symposium time available for discussion. The symposium was organized in conjunction with the Orchard Show to facilitate getting global information to our industry.

GUTHION REREGISTRATION COMMENTS SOLICITED
By Nikki Rothwell, Jim Nugent and Duke Elsner

US EPA is currently soliciting comments from growers, scientists and others to determine whether to continue the registration of Guthion and if so, what label modifications should be instigated. There is a fairly high likelihood that one or all fruit uses of Guthion may be lost at the end of the current 3-year provisional label period. EPA needs to hear from growers. They must be convinced that significant benefits occur to growers from the use on specific crops. In other words, how does the production of cherries (or apples, etc.) benefit from Guthion use? The 60-day comment period will end on February 6, 2006. The common name for Guthion is azinphos-methyl, sometimes written without the hyphen (-) or abbreviated AZM.

Dr. Mark Whalon, MSU, has detailed how to provide comments to EPA and included a great deal of background information on Guthion and the comment process. At the end of his article he has also provided a memorandum from Diane Isbell, Reregistration Division, EPA, entitled "Questions to Consider While Reviewing the Assessments in the Azinphos-methyl Docket OPP-2005-0061" that does an excellent job of explaining what information the EPA is trying to solicit. Dr. Whalon's article entitled, "Guthion™, Azinphosmethyl (AZM), Talking Point Outline for Comments to USEPA 2006" is available at: 

http://www.maes.msu.edu/nwmihort/azinphosmethyl.pdf, or contact the NWMHRS office at 946-1510. Response at this time is vital!

2006 MSU FRUIT SCHOOL

Water Needs and Irrigation in Fruit Crops
February 20-22, 2006
W.K. Kellogg Biological Station, Hickory Corners, MI

Topics include:

• Water availability
• Crop response to water
• Irrigation systems
• Irrigation scheduling
• Fertigation
• Equipment

BENZIE-MANISTEE HORTICULTURAL SHOW
Steve Fouch, CED, Benzie Co. MSUE

The 2006 show will once again be held at Crystal Mountain Resort on March 29–30. This year’s educational program will feature Dr Terence Robinson, Associate Professor, Department of Horticultural Sciences, NYS Agricultural Experiment Station, Geneva, NY. Dr. Robinson will be discussing a number of topics related to commercial apple production on Wednesday, March 29. Several resource people from MSU will also be on hand to update growers on apple growing and marketing.

The second day of the Show, Thursday, March 30 will feature Dr. Eric Hanson, Professor of Horticulture, and Dr. Annemiek Schilder, Assistant Professor of Plant Pathology from Michigan State University. They will cover alternative small fruit crops suited for cooler climates. That afternoon, Richard St-Peirre, Canadian author of "Growing Saskatoons-A Manual for Orchardists", will be sharing his thoughts on the potential for saskatoons in our area.

When the final agenda is complete, brochures will be mailed out with registration forms. Vendors will once again be invited to set up educational booths at the show. For more information, contact the Benzie MSUE Office @ 231-882-0025.

ROAD TO INDEPENDENCE WORKSHOPS
By Jim Bardenhagen, CED, Leelanau Co.

On January 5, 2006, the MSU Product Center will hold a workshop called "Road to Independence" at the NMC Great Lakes Campus, Hagerty Center in Traverse City from 12:30 pm to 4:30 pm. The same workshop will be offered at Crystal Mountain on March 1, 2006, from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm in the Crystal Room.

Both workshops are free.

The program is primarily for producers and producer groups who want to develop new value added products or businesses in agriculture, food and natural resources.

The workshop will focus on developing a unique business idea, finding market opportunities and understanding what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur. Participants will learn of resources to assist them in becoming an entrepreneur. 

It’s also a good opportunity for the next generation of farmers to increase their understanding of entrepreneurship and value-added product development.

You can register online at www.aec.msu.edu/product/road.htm or call Leelanau MSU Extension at 231-256-9888 to register by phone or obtain a brochure with a registration form.

Call Jim Bardenhagen at 231-256-9888 or Wendy Wieland at 231-582-6482 if you have any questions.

7^TH ANNUAL NORTHERN MICHIGAN SMALL FARM CONFERENCE
By Stan Moore, CED, Antrim Co. and Jim Bardenhagen, CED, Leelanau Co.

Just a reminder that the Small Farm Conference will be held on January 28^th from 8 to 5 p.m. in Grayling at the Grayling High School (a new location this year). This is a great conference for small farm operations. 600 – 700 people are expected this year.

This year’s keynote speaker is Percy Schmeiser from Bruno, Saskatchewan, Canada who will speak on "The Effect of GMOs on the Ability to Save Seeds and Other Choices for Your Small Farm". There is a trade show and a wide variety of interesting educational sessions taking place throughout the day

The conference brochure with registration form is available on the web at : www.msue.msu.edu/msue/iac/farmconf/ or call your local MSU Extension Office. The registration deadline is January 20^th.

SW MI HORTICULTURE DAYS

This year’s Horticulture Days will be on February 8 - 9, 2006, at Lake Michigan Community College's Mendel Center. 

The Wednesday morning session focuses on general farm topics with the afternoon concurrent sessions featuring topics of interest for fruit and vegetable growers. 
Thursday features concurrent sessions for grape and tree fruit growers during both the morning and afternoon.

Admission, which includes lunch on both days, is $15 per person. RUP credits are usually available for most sessions. For more information call Mark Longstroth, District Horticultural Agent for fruit in Southwest Michigan, (269) 657-7745. The agenda for Horticulture Days is published in the Michigan Grape Society newsletters.

MI AGRICULTURE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSURANCE PROGRAM (MAEAP) UPDATE

The New Farm*A*Syst – Why Complete a Farmstead Assessment?

*To protect our water and soil resources
*For family health and safety
*To help you conform with:

-Michigan Right to Farm guidelines (GAAMPs)
-Other State and Federal regulation

-Cost share dollars
-Farm insurance discounts
-MAEAP Farmstead System verification 

The owner of a MAEAP-verified farmstead will be eligible for incentives and can enjoy the peace of mind that comes from knowing his/her farmstead practices are in conformance with state and federal laws, including the Right-to-Farm-Generally Accepted Agricultural Management Practices (GAAMPs).

Call Dan Busby to schedule a Farmstead assessment at 941-4191 or you can contact him be email at dbusby@gtcd.org

EMERGENCY PLANNING FOR THE FARM

Agricultural pesticides, fertilizers, fuels, and livestock manure can pose risks to people and the environment. Be prepared for emergencies by developing your Emergency Farm Plan. Discuss your Emergency Plan with family members, employees, and your local emergency service provider for your County and Township. You should keep your Emergency Plan up-to-date by reviewing and updating annually.

If you have over 20 pounds of Guthion or 2.5 gallons of Gramoxone Max on your farm at any time, you are required by law to notify the Michigan SARA Title III program and your local Emergency Planning committee that you are subject to SARA Title III section 302 emergency planning notification. Completing an Emergency Plan for the Farm with your local groundwater technician and submitting the completed emergency plan with the proper authorities is how you satisfy your reporting requirements. The information in the plan will help ensure the safety of the responders, minimize property damage, protect family members and employees, and protect the environment.

If you do not have any of the chemicals that are on the SARA Title III list – you can and should complete a simplified emergency plan for your farm. Your local fire department and emergency management (dispatch) will have access to these plans to help responders do the job in a safe and effective manner.

A writable copy of the Emergency Plan for the Farm is available on the Grand Traverse Conservation District website at www.gtcd.org. Click on the programs and services button on the opening page, then click on the Groundwater Program site and you will notice the Emergency Planning for the Farm. If you have any questions regarding Emergency Planning, contact Dan Busby at 941-4191.

WATER USE REPORTING INFORMATION

The 2005 forms for Water Use Reporting have recently been mailed out to producers that either registered that they had the capacity to pump 70 gallon/minute, or filed a water use report for 2004. The reporting deadline is April 1, 2006. Copies of the new form will is available at http://www.michigan.gov/mdamichiganwateruse  .

MSUE has prepared a series of fact sheets to help producer with water use reporting.  The series can be found at: http://web1.msue.msu.edu/waterqual/gwprojects.html or available at MSUE offices.

HELP MSU EXTENSION AND THE MSU AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS ASSESS THE NEEDS AND PRIORITIES IN MICHIGAN
By Jim Bardenhagen, CED, Leelanau Co.

Once every five years, Michigan State University’s Extension Service (MSUE) and Agricultural Experiment Station (AES) do an assessment of Michigan’s needs and priorities. The result will guide Extension programs and Experiment Stations research efforts in the future. During this issues identification cycle, Michigan State University’s outreach arms are trying to involve as many clients and citizens as possible. An online survey has been created for the citizens of the state that will be used not only to set our state, but our county priorities as well. The survey is short and should only take a few minutes. We would like to ask you to go online in the next couple of weeks to fill out one of the surveys. Please go to the following web site to do the survey: http://eisevaluation.msue.msu.edu/needassessment/survey.cfm

If you don’t have a computer or access to the web, you are welcome to come into the county extension offices to do the survey or complete a survey at the Orchard Show.

It’s important that the agriculture community gives their input. We appreciate your taking time to do the survey.

NEW AGRICULTURE EMPLOYMENT SPECIALIST TO ASSIST IN FINDING SEASONAL WORKERS
By Jim Bardenhagen, Amador Diaz 

Beginning January 3, a new Agriculture Employment Specialist (AES) from the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth will be located at the Michigan Works! office in Traverse City. Amador Diaz’ main service area will be Leelanau and Grand Traverse counties as well as the surrounding counties. While AES staff have been located in Traverse City for many years, some of the farmers do not know of the many services provided by Agricultural Employment Specialists. AES staff work with all segments of the agricultural industry, including fruit and vegetable farms, orchards, plant nurseries, greenhouses, food and juice processors, dairy and other livestock farms, and Christmas trees to name a few. Some of the services provided to agricultural employers include:

• Listing Michigan agricultural employer’s job openings on Michigan’s Talent Bank, on Michigan’s agricultural labor website located at www.michaglabor.org, and other Internet job sites available to growers, workers and Michigan’s network of Agricultural Employment Specialists.
• Referring workers to available job openings.
• Providing Farm Labor Contractor registration and Crew Leader License registration forms.
• Information of labor laws pertaining to wages, work hours, employment of minors, etc.
• Assistance in posting a grower profile on the Michigan agricultural labor website.

• Informing them of availability of agricultural and non-agricultural employment opportunities in the local area.
• Referral to supportive services such as, health care, education, food banks, legal aid and other local agencies and organizations established to assist migrant seasonal farm workers.

Office - (231) 922-3748
Cell Phone – (231) 750-1777
Fax – (231) 922-3737
E-mail – diaza1@michigan.gov

TASTE THE LOCAL DIFFERENCE (TLD) FARM FORUMS COMING UP
By Jim Bardenhagen

Watch for flyers, press releases, and Web postings at MSU extension sites, www.LocalDifference.org, and elsewhere about a series of evening meetings planned in February and March in which growers can meet school food service directors, restaurant and grocery owners, and other food buyers in northwest Michigan who are serious about purchasing more local foods. 

This is a chance for you to plan with food buyers, other farmers and supportive agencies how to build more local sales for the coming year and into the future – including opportunities to address storage, distribution, and other "infrastructure" needs to make more sales happen. You’ll also learn about new research on local market opportunities conducted by the Taste the Local Difference Farm Network Team, led by the Michigan Land Use Institute in collaboration with MSU Extension, the Small Business and Technology Development Center, Northwestern Michigan College, and Northern Lakes Economic Alliance. 

This effort is a part of the Taste the Local Difference local foods campaign that the Michigan Land Use Institute launched in 2005 with a print and online guide to 160 farms from Manistee to Mackinac; farm-to-cafeteria and retail promotion; and business research and networking services. Lead funding for the research and business services comes from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Department of Commerce.

The evening meetings are tentatively set for two Mondays in Traverse City and one in the Petoskey area. Final details will be posted in early January at www.LocalDifference.org. For more information, contact Diane Conners, Michigan Land Use Institute at 231-941-6584 ext. 16; Jim Bardenhagen, Leelanau Extension at 231-256-9888; or Wendy Wieland, Northern Lakes Economic Alliance, 231-582-6482 ext. 104.

DEVELOPING ‘NEW FIELDS’ CLASS: BUSINESS PLANNING FOR PRODUCT AGRICULTURE 
By Jim Bardenhagen

On January 18, 2006, a Developing New Fields Class: Business Planning for Agriculture will begin at the Michigan Works Conference Room at 1209 S Garfield Avenue in Traverse City. The class will run each Wednesday for five weeks from 6:00 pm to 9:30 pm. 

The purpose of the class is to help ag producers and small businesses in the food, fiber and related industries to learn about putting a business plan together for developing new products or new ventures. 

The class agenda will include developing a:

• Vision, mission & goals
• A concept definition
• Marketing strategy
• Operations strategy
• Human resources strategy
• Financial Strategy

The class is sponsored by Leelanau MSU Extension, Northern Lakes Economic Alliance, and the Small Business & Technology Development Center (SBTDC) of Traverse City.

If interested, please fill out the registration form below and return in to MSU Extension, PO Box 987, 201 Chandler Street, Leland, MI 49654.

If you have any questions about the class, please call Jim Bardenhagen at MSU Extension (231-256-9888) or Wendy Wieland at Northern Lakes Economic Alliance (231-582-6482) or Bill Palladino at SBTDC of Traverse City (231-922-3781). 

The registration deadline is January 9, 2006   Registration Form

FARM/BUSINESS NAME:____________________________PHONE#___________

ADDRESS: _______________________________________CELL # ___________
(street) 

                    ________________________________________________
                   (city) (state) (zip)

EMAIL: ___________________________________________________

FEES: 1^st Person Name: _____________________ @ $250 _________

2^nd Person Name: _______________________ @ $100 _________

3^rd Person Name: _______________________ @ $100 _________

Others: _______________________________ @ $100 _________ 

TOTAL $ _________

Make Check Payable To and Mail To: Leelanau MSU Extension, PO Box 987, Leland, MI 49654

A promotional brochure with more details will also be available soon.

Please send any comments or suggestions regarding this site to: 
Bill Klein, kleinw@msu.edu

Last Revised: 1-3-06