June 2011 Volume 1, Number 2

North Carolina Cooperative ExtensionJones County Center110 Market StreetPO Box 218Trenton, NC 28585Phone: 252-448-9621 Fax: 252-448-1243

The Produce PressNews and Notes of Interest in Commercial Horticulture

Craven, Greene, Jones, Lenoir, and Onslow Counties

This newsletter is intended for those interested in commercial fruit and vegetable production, farmers’ markets and local foods issues, business planning and North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service programs. Back issues of this newsletter are available at the Jones County Extension website- click on the Commercial Horticulture, Nursery & Turf menu option on the left side of the website. The website address is: http://jones.ces.ncsu.edu

Nicole SanchezExtension Area Specialized AgentCommercial Horticulture & Marketing(252) 448-9621, 252-670-9836 or Nicole_Sanchez@ncsu.edu

ONGOING- Gleaning Fields, Feeding the HungryThe Society of St. Andrew has been gleaning produce to end hunger in North Carolina since 1992.  If you have excess produce that you cannot sell but is still edible, they can pick up what is already harvested or glean your fields.  Your hard work will go to feed those in need.  Eastern NC contact: Bill Waller (252) 521-1922, bbillwaller@suddenlink.net,

Saturday, Sept 17: Jones County Heritage Festival Save the date for this event, which will include several new events of interest to local food producers. See pgs 3-5.

Farmers’ Markets in Jones and Greene Counties Poised for Growth

Recent changes to the Jones County Farmers’ Market and opening of the interim, tailgate market at the Greene County Offices Complex mean two more retailing options for local producers, and more local food purchasing opportunities for our rural county residents.

The Greene County Market, prelude of better things to come, operates Saturday mornings 8-noon. Its first day, June 4, was well attended. One vendor sold out in the first hour and had to send for more produce!

Particularly needed for this market are fruit producers. No fruits were offered June 4, but there were many requests

EVENTS OF INTEREST

Farmers’ Markets, cont.

for them. As of June 15 there are now a total of 14 vendors participating in the market, though some of these are not fruit and vegetable producers but carry eggs, honey, meats, and crafts.

Neuse River Beekeepers demonstrate honey harvesting to market visitors at the Grand Opening of the Elaney Woods Farmers Market in Snow Hill, Greene County.

This market represents opportunity for both vendors and residents, who turned out in impressive numbers to support the market with more than 200 visitors on June 4 . The project team in Greene County has promoted this market very heavily. Signs announcing the market and its location are evident throughout the county.

Participation in the Greene County Market costs only $5 per day. Vendors who participate in the interim market will be given preferential treatment when the permanent market opens. For an application to the market, contact Shenile Ford, Greene County Extension Director, at 252-747-5831.

In Jones County, a change of venue has resulted in a dramatic increase in sales for the Friday market. Now located between Red Willow’s and BB & T on Hwy 58 in Trenton, the market is attracting more customers- cars driving slowly through town are more likely to stop, and the ample tents are much more accessible than in their previous location behind the Civic Center.

There is demand for more vendors. Friday, June 3, the market’s second week this season, was a record day for number of visitors and highest revenue. While small compared to Farmers Markets in nearby counties, Jones County is a great opportunity for the right producers. Remember how impressive the Kinston market has grown in just two years! The Friday time slot is an alternative for those who are maxed out on participating in Saturday markets, but would appreciate another outlet for their produce. For info about participating in this market, contact Sam Dail at 252-349-8094 or jonescountyfarmersmarket@gmail.com.

Insect Spotlight- Spotted Wing Drosophila

Spotted wing drosophila, an insect new to North Carolina, has potential for extensive, hard to detect damage in susceptible soft fruits.

If you don’t know about the SWD, and you are a producer of small fruits, pay attention! This little invader operates differently from native fruit flies, which lay eggs in overripe or cracked/ compromised fruit. The longer, sharper ovipositor of the SWD female enables it to lay eggs in fruit as it is ripening. This is of concern to producers because could be larvae developing in your fruit without any outward appearance of damage. Found in four NC counties in 2010, monitoring efforts in NC and SC this year show that it is present in several counties in eastern NC, including Lenoir, Craven, Greene and Onslow.

THE PRODUCE PRESS VOL 1 ISSUE 1 5

Monitoring for SWD is a good idea, and because we know so little about its biology in NC, the current recommendation is to treat if it is at all present in your fruits. You can make your own bait traps pretty easily. Filled with cider vinegar and a yellow sticky card, these traps attract all kinds of fruit flies, so a little ID work is needed. Look for the distinct single dark spot on the distal end of the wing for males. Female positive ID is dependent on a look at the microscopic ovipositor. I have received some training on identifying this insect and am happy to assist you in any management decisions you may need to make.

In addition to counties in our area of interest, SWD has recently been detected in New Hanover, Bladen, New Brunswick, Anson, and Wayne Counties. NCSU State Entomologist Hannah Burrack is leading efforts to detect and manage SWD in NC. You can get the latest information and recommendations on this pest on her blog: http://ncsmallfruitsipm.blogspot.com/2011/05/blueberry-maggot-and-sharpnosed.html. For those of you who don’t use the internet, just call the Jones County Extension office and request a paper copy of Hannah’s latest fact sheets about SWD. It includes a list of appropriate chemical treatments and additional information.

Social Media- Connecting to Clients

Many of you are aware of some of the web sites that you can use to promote your roadside stand, PYO operation, or farmers’ market, such as the NC 10% campaign website and NC Farm Fresh site. Getting your farm or stand listed on one of these sites is a great start into social media marketing.

Listing your enterprise on just one site is akin to putting up one sign on one street corner for one week, and calling your advertising program complete. Who says everyone uses NC Farm Fresh? For example one option is Southern Living’s travel page. Consumers travelling through our state from Tennessee or Virginia wouldn’t know to try NC Farm Fresh- but they just might love to stop by your farm to pick some blackberries or buy some fresh tomatoes on their way to the outer banks. How will

they find you? What if they missed your one road sign?

Indeed, there are a variety of sites that can be useful to the fruit and vegetable producers of NC. I have gathered many of these sites into one handy reference table, which has been included in this newsletter. Please use this table to determine which websites are best suited to your enterprise.

The next time it is super hot and you need a break, take a few minutes to get listed on one or more additional web sites. Even if you do not use the internet yourself, it is important to remember that many of your clients turn to the internet daily to find the vendors and services they need. Most of the options suggested in this reference table are free.

If you have suggestions for additional sites that should be included in this guide, they are welcome, as are anecdotes relating how your web presence drew more customers.

Increasing Agritourism Awareness in Southeastern NC

If you who live, breathe, and work farming, a farm as a vacation destination might seem laughable. Nationwide, agritoursim is a hot trend! Agritourism can be anything from a PYO operation to a petting zoo to dusting off your old farm equipment and calling it a tractor museum. You might already be the proud owner of a tourism destination.

The Jones County Heritage Festival committee has decided to promote increased awareness of the many agritourism opportunities in SE NC through an Agritourism Raffle that will be held at the Jones County Heritage Festival September 17. The proceeds of the raffle will be used to benefit area 4-H programs.

Raffle prizes will consist of a variety of all things agritourism related, including gift certificates to pick your owns, roadside stands, local restaurants, and more. A limited number of craft/ heritage items will be included as a tie to the Heritage Festival theme, but the bullk of the items are intended to be agriculture/tourism related.

5

THE PRODUCE PRESS VOL 1 ISSUE 1 6

Raffle, cont.

Prizes will be lined up with cups in front of each prize. Guests will put tickets into the cups of the items they are most interested in winning. As they consider the potential prizes and where to strategically place their tickets, each person will become more aware of our local agritourism offerings.

Appropriate prizes include certificates for 2012 season strawberries and blueberries, a bushel of sweet potatoes or mixed vegetables, gift certificates redeemable at your roadside stand, and the like. Several prizes including tickets to the Duplin County Muscadine festival are already committed.

Particpating in this agritourism raffle is an opportunity to advertise your business for minimal output, increase awareness of your industry in general, and support 4-H programs.

As I visit your farms this summer, I may ask for your participation in this event. We will even print the certificates for you! Don’t miss this opportunity to promote your establishment to thousands of Jones County Heritage Festival-goers on Sep 17!

Vegetable Sculpture- Food as Art

Another exciting addition to the Jones County Heritage Festival is a Vegetable Sculpture contest. This art form, practiced in Asia for centuries, is a

new twist on festival and county fair activities in the US. Jones County will host an area Vegetable Sculpturee Contest at the Sept 17 Festival.

With the help of Master Gardeners and volunteers we will collect produce and create sample sculptures to be displayed at roadside stands, Farmers’ Markets, and Extension offices throughout the area with information and entry forms. Sample sculptures will be displayed July and August.

Please contribute to the projects’s success by allowing your culls to be used in sample sculptures and training exercises in advance of the event. Culls of peppers, melons, radishes, sweet potatoes, green beans, carrots, and more are appropriate. Most vegetables with low water content are useful for this project. Produce with blemishes that prevent sale will often be useful, provided the blemish is only on a portion of the fruit. Decomposed items will not be helpful.

Growers who donate culls for the project will receive sample sculptures to display at their produce stands and will be recognized as supporters of the event. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to turn your second quality vegetables into an unusual edutainment experience for area families!

Radishes, turnips, and sweet are all low- moisture vegetables that hold up well to carving projects.

This amazing dragon was made entirely of melon peels and peppers. Veggie Sculpture is coming to eastern NC!

6

THE PRODUCE PRESS VOL 1 ISSUE 1 7

Lemon juice applied with a paintbrush reduces eggplant and potato discoloration during display.

Using Herbs to Repel Crucifer Pests

Tremendous anecdotal evidence suggests that the use of high oil- content herbs like oregano, mints, rosemary and basil can deter caterpillar pests in cabbage, collards, and other crucifer crops. Often suggested in homeowner vegetable growing manuals, the concept of companion planting to repel insect pests is a common component of garden “folk wisdom”.

Having used this practice with success in the home garden, I am surprised that I can find little hard data to support claims of effectiveness. In fact, I can find little evidence that anyone has authoritatively proven or disproven the effectiveness of herbs against crucifer pests in a scientific study of any kind.

While continuing to attempt to identify conclusive evidence regarding this topic, which is driven by several specific grower requests regarding alternatives for controlling cabbage looper and diamondback moth, I will also be designing a study to test the effectiveness of onions and herbs as crucifer pest repellents. The resulting information will likely be most useful to small to medium growers and those most interested in incorporating IPM approaches in their farms.

Please contact me if you are interested in participating. The “repelling” companion plants will be provided to you as part of the study.

Disclaimer: North Carolina Cooperative Extension does not endorse the products or services named nor discriminate against similar products or services not mentioned.

7

THE PRODUCE PRESS VOL 1 ISSUE 1 8

8