NC Blueberry Council's New Website

The North Carolina Blueberry Council, Inc. has updated and revamped their webpage. Included is information for growers, consumers, and the scientific community. It's worth a look!

More information

NC Blueberry Council, Inc.

Southeast Strawberry Expo Handouts

I present at the Southeast Strawberry Expo in Virginia Beach, VA yesterday and today.  I am never sure exactly how many handouts to bring to this type of meeting, where attendees select the sessions they will attend the day of the meeting.  If you attended the Expo and did not get a handout, or if you were unable to make it this year, you can find links to two of my handouts below.  I will post the slides from my presentation later this afternoon.  I also distributed a draft of the 2011 NC Agricultural Chemicals Manual strawberry insect management guide.  The 2011 Manual will be online in mid December.  In the meantime, you can find the 2010 Manual here.

Southeast Strawberry Expo Handouts
Arthropod management in strawberries: a fall & winter update
Pesticides registered on strawberries and their possible efficacy against spotted wing drosophila (This document is adapted for NC and VA growers from a similar resource developed by Oregon State University entomologists.)

Spotted Wing Drosophila Page

You may have noticed a new feature on the top of the page.  I have created a Spotted Wing Drosophila page.  This page contains general information and resources on spotted wing drosophila as well as links to all SWD posts, in one convenient location.

Spotted wing drosophila coverage in local media

Female SWD on a ripe red raspberry.  Photo: HJB

Two local media sources have stories on spotted wing drosophila and our recent detections. I spoke with the News & Observer in Raleigh and North Carolina Public Radio yesterday, and both cover SWD in stories today.

This is part of an effort to make as many growers and gardeners aware of SWD before next year's growing season so that, together, we can develop management strategies and determine the extent of the fly's spread though North Carolina and the east coast.

Update
SWD was also featured in the Triad Business Journal, the Richmond County Daily Journal, and PhysOrg.com.

More information
Asian fruit fly may plague state next year - Food - NewsObserver.com
NC Farmers Face New Foe - North Carolina Public Radio
Invasive Fruit Flies Found in NC - Triad Business Journal 
Heat May Have Helped Growers - Richmond County Journal
Invasive Fruit Flies Found in NC - PhysOrg.com
NC Small Fruits, Specialty Crop, and Tobacco IPM - SWD Posts

Hops news

North Carolina hops production continues to draw attention, as evidenced by this article in Carolina Country.  Another recent addition to online hops information is this website, set up by Rob Austin of the NC State Soil Science Department, which describes the project I became involved with this summer.

The group from this project will be getting together next month to discuss the lessons learned in 2010 and hops research plans for the future.

More information
Carolina Country - Hops: a new farm is adding to local flavor and the economy
North Carolina Hops Project

National Co-op week!

October is national co-op month, and the week of the 17th through the 23rd is national co-op week.  I have a long history with co-ops and am passionate about their mission.  I am an avid member and patron of food co-ops (two of my favorite are the Davis Food Co-op and Willy Street Co-op).  One of my regrets is that Raleigh lacks a good food co-op.  I lived for year in Summit Avenue Housing Co-op, and I spent one of the best summers in my life educating elementary through high school students about co-ops at Wisconsin Farmer's Union Kamp Kenwood.  Recently, I learned about a hops producing and marketing co-op in Wisconsin.

Co-ops are responsible for some the most well known brands, including REI, Ocean Spray, Blue Diamond, Organic Valley, and down in North Carolina, Southern States.  The center of density for co-ops has long been the upper midwest.  Moving to the south, this difference has become more aparent.  Hopefully, this good idea will continue to spread.

More information
National Co-op Month

Randolph County Newsletter

Mary Helen Ferguson, Randolph County horticulture agent and one of the volunteer SWD trappers, has posted a new newsletter.  It includes a SWD for growers and can be found here.

More information
Randolph County Horticulture News