Acreage Living Newsletter
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Apple and Grape Fall Production Musings |
For audio versions of this article, see the Small Farm Sustainability Podcast where we discuss return bloom, soil sampling, and interpreting soil reports over three separate podcast. The following discussion represents a snapshot in time as a lot can happen between now and next spring. |
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Protecting Water From Freezing |
A recurring challenge every winter in Iowa is keeping the water you use from freezing. Keeping water thawed requires adequate heat to keep the temperature of the water above freezing. The three most common approaches are adding heat with a heating device, insulating to conserve heat, and adding heat by bringing in warmer water. |
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Annual Iowa Organic Conference to Be Held Virtually Nov. 23 |
The annual Iowa Organic Conference will be held virtually this year on Monday, Nov. 23, in keeping with COVID-19 regulations. A half-day of presentations and interactions with industry experts will take the place of the normal meeting. |
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Iowa Native Plants Featured in the 2021 Garden Calendar |
Iowans can expect next year to be bright and colorful – at least according to the images found within the 2021 Garden Calendar produced by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. |
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Personal Weather Station for Specialty Crop Management |
A personal weather station is simply integrated “tools” that measure weather variables such as temperature, humidity, rainfall, wind speed and direction, soil moisture, and leaf wetness. Some are affordable enough to install at your own farm which will give the most accurate representation for the weather in your farm. |
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Managing Blossom End Rot in Tomatoes and Peppers |
Many commercial growers and home gardeners often confront the issue of Blossom End Rot (BER) in their tomato, pepper, and eggplant. The BER is a physiological disorder caused by a localized calcium deficiency in the blossom-end of the fruit. It is a physiological disorder and is not caused by fungi, bacteria, or any other living disease microorganisms. Also, BER could also be seen on non-solanaceous crops such as pumpkins, squash, and watermelons. |