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1/9/07	Farmers Market Workshop BJ's Restaurant, Gaylord, MI
1/16 & 1/17	NW Michigan Orchard & Vineyard Show Grand Traverse Resort
1/18	Taste the Local Difference Workshop Grand Traverse Resort
1/27	Northern Michigan Small Farm Conference Grayling High School
1/29 - 1/31	Tree Fruit IPM School Kellogg Biological Station
1/30	Agriculture's Conf. on the Environment Lansing Center, Downtown Lansing
2/1	Jim Bardenhagen's Retirement Celebration Black Star Farms
2/2 - 2/7	International Fruit Tree Assoc. Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
2/26	Farmers Market Workshop Waterfront Conference Center
2/28	Codling Moth Day NWMHRS
3/2 - 3/3	Farm It Foward Kellogg Biological Station
3/4 - 3/7	5th Int'l Organic Tree Fruit Research Symposium East Lansing
3/13 - 3/15	Benzie / Manistee Hort Show Crystal Mtn Resort

FARMERS MARKET WORKSHOP
By Jim Bardenhagen, Leelanau MSU Extension Director

On January 9, 2007 there will be a workshop called "Business and Market Planning" for farmers/vendors who sell through farmers markets and market masters or organizations that run farmers markets.

The workshop will be held at BJ’s Restaurant in Gaylord from 9 am to 4 pm. The cost to attend is $25 per person which includes materials, lunch and refreshments.
The main topics for the day will be: Farmers Markets Overview; Business Planning; Insurance; Pricing and Recordkeeping; The Market Place; Product Differentiation; Networking.

A similar session held in Traverse City on November 21, 2006 was well attended and had very favorable feedback.

You can obtain a registration form and brochure by calling the Leelanau MSU Extension office (231-256-9888) or Northern Lakes Economic Alliance (231-582-6482) or Lenea Miller at the MSU Product Center (517-432-4608) or online at www.productcenter.msu.edu under "Educational Programs".

2007 ORCHARD & VINEYARD SHOW
By Dr. Nikki Rothwell, Station Coordinator & District Fruit IPM Educator, MSU
Jim Nugent, Retired Station Coordinator & District Horticulturist, MSU
Dr. Duke Elsner, EAE, Grand Traverse Co. and
Jim Bardenhagen, Leelanau CED, MSU

Dates: January 16 and 17
Location: Grand Traverse Resort, Acme
Cost: Registration Fee: $15 per person (over 12)
Fruit Industry Luncheon, January 16: $15
CMI Luncheon, January 17: Free to growers, pre-registration with CMI required Tuesday, January 16
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

9:00-9:35             Roles of Biofumigation and Soil Quality Enhancement Practices in                         Orchard Establishment
                                    Dr. George Bird, Dept. of Entomology, MSU

9:35-10:05         The Pileus Project Update: Impact of Climate Change on Tart Cherries
                            Dr. Jeff Andresen, Dept. of Geography, MSU

10:05-10:30         Vendor Break

10:30-10:50         Certifying Sustainable Agricultural Practices—A Marketing Tool!
                            Jim Krenek, MIFFS Market Development, MIFFS
Bob Olson, Food Alliance

10:50-11:25         Cherry Leaf Spot Control Update for 2007
                            Dr. George Sundin, Dept. of Plant Pathology, MSU

11:25-11:55         NW Michigan Hort. Research Foundation Annual Board Meeting:
                        Introducing the New Fundraising Opportunity for the NWMHRS
                            Rick Sayler, President

12:00-1:30           Fruit Industry Luncheon
                        "The History of Entomology at MSU"
                                    Dr. Larry Gut, Dept of Entomology, MSU
                           Emcee: Duke Elsner, MSUE, Grand Traverse County

1:30-2:00             Vendor Break

2:00-3:15             New Cherry Varieties, Rootstocks, and Management Strategies
                            Dr. Greg Lang, Dept. of Horticulture, MSU
                            Jim Nugent, NWMHRS, MSU

3:15-4:00             Nitrogen Timing Influences Tree Response
                            Dr. Lailiang Cheng, Dept. of Horticulture, Cornell University

4:00-4:30             Cherry Fruit Fly Biology and Post Harvest Controls
                            Dr. Larry Gut, Dept. of Entomology, MSU

4:30-6:00             Reception for Jim Nugent to include wine tasting
and hors d’ouerves

6:00-7:30             Evening Program: Jim Nugent’s Retirement Celebration!

GRAPE AND WINE PROGRAM
Concurrent Session on Tuesday, January 16

9:00-9:30             Meet the Japanese Beetle: Life Cycle and Control Strategies
                            Dr. Rufus Isaacs, Dept. of Entomology, MSU

9:30-10:00           New Potato Leaf Hopper Control Strategies
                            Dr. Rufus Isaacs, Dept. of Entomology, MSU

10:00-10:30 Vendor Break

10:30-11:15 Advances in Grape Vine Nutrition
Dr. Lailiang Cheng, Dept. of Horticulture, Cornell University

11:15-11:45         Botrytis Bunch Rot Biology and Control
                            Dr. Annemiek Schilder, Dept. of Plant Pathology, MSU

11:45-12:00         Parallel 45 Business Meeting

12:00-1:30           Fruit Industry Luncheon
                        "The History of Entomology at MSU"
                            Dr. Larry Gut, Dept of Entomology, MSU
                            Emcee: Duke Elsner, MSUE, Grand Traverse County

1:30-2:00             Vendor Break

2:00-2:30 Powdery Mildew of 2006—What Happened?
Dr. Annemiek Schilder, Dept. of Plant Pathology, MSU

2:30-3:00             IPM Scouting and Internet Delivery System for Grapes
                            Steve Van Timmeren, Dept. of Entomology, MSU

3:00-3:15                 Introduction to Enviroweather—The New Weather-based
         IPM System in MI
                                    Dr. Nikki Rothwell, District Horticulturist, NWMHRS

3:15-3:35             Grape and Wine Industry Council Report
                            Dave Miller, St. Julian Winery

3:35-4:15               Riesling Triangle Test
                            Dr. Tom Zabadal, Director, SW Michigan Research & Extension Center

4:15-4:30             MSU Staff & Program Update
                            Dr. Duke Elsner, Wine and Grape Agent, Grand Traverse County

4:30-6:00             Reception for Jim Nugent to include wine tasting
and hors d’ouerves

6:00-7:30             Evening Program: Jim Nugent’s Retirement Celebration!

Wednesday, January 17

8:45-9:15           Update on Guthion in Cherry
                            Dr. Mark Whalon, Dept. of Entomology, MSU

CHERRY MARKETING INSTITUTE ANNUAL MEETING

9:15-9:30             Spotting Opportunities in the World Market
                            Jean Valentine, International Marketing Director

9:30-10:00            The Past, Present and Future
                            Philip J. Korson, II, President, Cherry Marketing Institute

10:00-10:20         Vendor Break

10:20-10:40         People, Parades and Fun
                            Susan Wilcox, Media Director, National Cherry Festival

10:40-11:40         Making Cherries More Competitive in the Market
                            Jeff Manning, Director, North American Marketing

11:40-12:00         Vendor Break

12:00-1:30         CMI Luncheon

1:30-2:00             Vendor Break

2:00-2:30             Cost of Tart Cherry Production
                                  Dr. Roy Black, Dept. of Ag. Economics, MSU

2:30-3:00             Cooling Tart Cherries
                            Dr. Dan Guyer, Dept. of Biosystems Engineering, MSU

3:00-3:45             Factors Influencing Cold Injury in Cherries
                            Dr. Robert Kurlus, Agricultural University of Poznan, Poland

3:45-4:00                 Introduction to Enviroweather—The New Weather-based
         IPM System in MI
                            Dr. Nikki Rothwell, NWMHRS, MSU

4:00-4:30             What We Have Learned about Soft Cherries
                            Jim Nugent, NWMHRS, MSU JIM BARDENHAGEN TO RETIRE

Jim Bardenhagen will retire as MSU Extension Director on February 1, 2007. He has served as MSU Extension Director for Leelanau County for nearly 20 years.

Jim has thoroughly enjoyed his time in MSU Extension. He appreciated the opportunity to provide information and programming for Leelanau County and the NW Michigan area. He thanks you for all your support and the valued relationships over the years.

Jim worked many years for Union Carbide in New York and Charleston, West Virginia and then he went into full-time fruit and vegetable farming before entering MSU Extension. Jim plans to return to full time farming after his retirement.

MSU Extension will appoint an interim Extension Director for Leelanau County on or before February 1^st. This interim director will serve until a permanent Extension Director is selected by a search committee.

The Leelanau MSU Extension staff, Leelanau Horticultural Society and 4-H Youth Association will host an Open House to celebrate Jim’s retirement on Thursday, February 1 from 3-6pm at Black Star Farms south of Suttons Bay. Everyone is invited to drop by and see Jim and have some refreshments.

MSU IPM SCHOOL REMINDER

The 2007 MSU Tree Fruit IPM School is coming up fast, and registrations need to be in by January 15! The School will take place on January 29, 30, and 31at the Kellogg Biological Station in Hickory Corners, MI. The school has four terrific out-of-state speakers—two entomologists and two pathologists. We will also feature the latest and greatest research from our own Michigan State scientists. We hope to see many of our northwest growers down at the school!
TASTE THE LOCAL DIFFERENCE (TLD) WORKSHOP
By Jim Bardenhagen, Leelanau MSU Extension Director
On January 18, 2007 the Taste the Local Difference (TLD) Team will hold a workshop with area growers/producers, distributors and retailers/institutions/restaurants. The main focus will be to initiate work on an implementation plan for tapping more of the $45 million local food market in the 2007 season.

The workshop is an outgrowth of the TLD Forums run at several locations last winter. If you are interested in providing local agricultural products for the local food market, please come and help develop the local system to make this market happen.

The meeting will start at 1 pm at the Grand Traverse Resort in Acme, MI. More details can be found at the www.localdifference.org website. You can register by calling Deb Donovan of the Traverse City SBTDC at 231-922-3780 or emailing ddonovan@nwm.cog.mi.us.

There is a $10 cost to attend and refreshments will be served.

The workshop is sponsored by Leelanau MSU Extension, Michigan Land Use Institute, Northern Michigan Lake Alliance and the Traverse City Small Business Technology and Development Center (SBTDC).
CODLING MOTH DAY AT THE NWMHRS
Nikki Rothwell, District Fruit IPM Educator
Mark your calendar for much needed codling moth program! The workshop will be held on February 28^th at the NWMHRS to discuss codling moth, which has become increasingly problematic in northwest Michigan apple orchards. Dr. Larry Gut and his team have been working on some new strategies to keep this pest population low and damage to a minimum. They will present information on new insecticides and their optimal timings as well as mating disruption techniques and how to best use the codling moth granulosis virus. Come and bring all your codling moth questions! More details will be forthcoming.
THANK YOU TO ALL GROWER COOPERATORS!
As we begin a new year, we would like to take the time to thank all of our growers that contribute in so many ways to our research programs. Although we are fortunate to have such an excellent facility with the research station, we often depend on grower sites to conduct much of our in-depth research, and we are lucky those sites come equipped with top-notch growers that manage them! Our grower cooperators go above and beyond the call of duty to assist NWMHRS and campus researchers in conducting world-class research. We know that the strides we make in our research programs can only be accomplished through the generosity and partnerships with our terrific northwest growers. Thanks from all of us at the NWMHRS to all of you that make our research possible. We are looking forward to another great year!

Dave Alpers, Gary and Christi Bardenhagen, Jim and Jan Bardenhagen, Jerry and Evelyn Brandt, Steve Christensen, Tom and Mike Cooper, Craig Cunningham, Rex Dobson, Mark Doherty, Fred Dohm, Charlie Edson, Jim Empson, Larry Esch, Mike and Mark Evans, Richard Friske, Chris Garthe, Gene Garthe, Bob and Don Gregory, Kevin Herman, Ken Kamp, Steve Kalchik, John King, Dave Kroupa, Marty Jelinek, Dean Johnson, Cheryl and Alan Kobernik, Bern Kroupa, Glenn and Judy LaCross, Jim Laubach, Romain LaLone, The Leelanau Conservancy, David and Roger Noonan, Francis Otto, Earl Peterson, Lee Lutes, Ray Harriman, Dave Schultz, Dave Smeltzer, John and Jerry Stanek, Dale Steimel, Jim Thompson, Mike VanAgtmael, The White Brothers, Greg Williams and Josh Wunsch.

ANOTHER FARMERS MARKET WORKSHOP
By Jim Bardenhagen, Leelanau MSU Extension Director

On February 26, 2007 a workshop called "Retail Marketing and Sales" will be held at the Waterfront Conference Center in Traverse City.
This workshop was designed for farmers/vendors who sell at farmers markets, market masters/managers and organizations that operate farmers markets.
The workshop will run from 8:45 am to 4 pm and will cost $25, which includes materials, lunch and refreshments.
The agenda includes the following topics: Customer Experience; Retail Display and Signage; Salesmanship; Promoting Your Business.
Participants are asked to bring product samples and marketing materials that they are using to promote their business or farmers market.
You can obtain a registration form and brochure by calling the Leelanau MSU Extension office (231-256-9888) or Northern Lakes Economic Alliance (231-582-6482) or Lenea Miller at the MSU Product Center (517-432-4608) or online at www.productcenter.msu.edu under "Educational Programs".
UPDATE ON THE BENZIE-MANISTEE HORTICULTURAL SHOW
Dates are set for Tuesday, March 13 – Thursday, March 15, 2007 at Crystal Mountain Resort, Thompsonville. Although final details are still being worked out, Wednesday will focus on "Apple Production" while Thursday will focus on "Direct Marketing" and other "Alternative Fruit Crops". It appears that Dr. Jay Brunner, from Washington State University, will be our featured speaker this year. He will cover key pests of apples with emphasis on codling moth control. The annual banquet will be held on Wednesday night. Final programs and registration forms will be mailed out by late January. For more information or to be placed on the mailing list, call MSU Extension-Benzie County, 231/882-0025.

SASKATOON UPDATE
Steve Fouch, Benzie County Extension Director, is working closely this year with Lawyer Nursery in Montana, in coordination of Saskatoon plant orders. In the past, plants have been ordered from Canada but the cost to ship into Northern Michigan and the shipping time have been problematic. Lawyer Nursery is offering a number of varieties of Saskatoon plants for Spring, 2007 delivery. The advantages include lower shipping fees and much shorter delivery times. All this means lower cost to growers and more vigorous plants. For more information about Saskatoon berries or how to place an order, contact Steve Fouch at MSU Extension-Benzie County at 231/882-0025 or send an e-mail to fouch@msu.edu. It appears that several local growers plan to significantly expand Saskatoon plantings over the next few years.
CROP NATURAL DISASTER DECLARATIONS – MORE INFORMATION
By Jim Bardenhagen, Leelanau MSU Extension Director

The article on Disaster Declaration in the December 4, 2006 newsletter didn’t explain that there were actually three different disaster designations made by the USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA). The three designations all affect Leelanau, Grand Traverse, Antrim and Benzie counties, but for three different natural disasters.

The first covers losses due to frost and freeze events that occurred during the period of April 25, 2006 through October 15, 2006.

The second covers losses by storms containing excessive rain, flooding, hail and high winds that occurred from April 26, 2006 on.

The third covers losses caused by severe drought occurring between June 1, 2006 and September 30, 2006.

The significance of all three designations is that the grower will need to specify and document which natural disaster the grower is claiming in order to become eligible for low interest emergency loans.

FSA will use the disaster declaration and other FSA programs to help growers recover from the natural disaster they dealt with. For more information, contact your local FSA office.

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

Last Revised: 1-04-07