As fall approaches, harvest season means that small farms will begin producing and selling their home-prepared foods. This part of the U.S. food supply chain is known as the cottage food industry and cottage food producers are subject to certain regulations. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach offers online training in food safety, food preparation . . . read more

The pandemic provided opportunity for specialty producers in Iowa to expand production and sales. However, managing risk for specialty production is critical to capitalizing on new market opportunities. The Small Farms division of Farm, Food and Enterprise Development of Iowa Sate University Extension sponsored a series of webinars for specialty crop producers in January, February . . . read more

A super-sized pumpkin tipping the scale at 915 pounds won first place in the 2021 Iowa State Fair Big Pumpkin Contest, judged Friday, Aug. 13. The growers, Don Young and his son-in-law Tommy Rhodes, of Des Moines, received a $1,850 cash award.  David Miller, of Riverside, claimed second place and $800 with a 716-pound pumpkin, . . . read more

 It’s not really a coincidence that the Produce for Better Health Foundation recently named September as National Fruits and Veggies month in the United States. Summer is filled with colorful fruits and vegetables, from watermelon to melons, tomatoes to greens, and many more. It’s the season to indulge in foods that are tasty and good for you, . . . read more

Multiple days of excessive heat can be hard on vegetable crops, especially ones known to be cool-season. Brassicas, lettuce, carrots and spinach are particularly vulnerable to bitterness, wilting, bolting, deformities and coloring that affect the quality of the produce. Warm season crops like tomatoes and peppers are also at risk of poor flowering and pollination, . . . read more

Food businesses interested in expanding the processing and retail side of their operation have a new resource published by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. The “Scaling Up Specialty Crop Processing Toolkit” provides an overview and case study of the different criteria for food businesses interested in processing specialty crops through small scale value-added processing – such . . . read more

Iowa’s commercial horticulture industry contributes $48 million to the state’s economy each year and provides fresh fruits and vegetables to Iowa consumers. Gov. Kim Reynolds recognized the value of this segment of agriculture by designating July 26-30, 2021, as Iowa Fruit and Vegetable Week. “The Iowa Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association and other organizations, including . . . read more

The horticulture team with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach will hold the 2021 Fruit and Vegetable Field Day July 22 at Iowa State University’s Horticulture Research Station northeast of Ames. The annual event will feature various research and demonstration projects on fruit and vegetable production for commercial growers, extension personnel, nonprofit organizations and master . . . read more

Home gardeners and plant enthusiasts can still receive helpful advice and answers to their questions from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. Aaron Steil, newly named consumer horticulture extension specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach, is working on a new delivery method that will empower county extension staff to provide answers locally. Steil began the . . . read more

Hello commercial apple growers, Have you heard of a cool new sprayer technology for apples? It could be the biggest change in apple spraying since the invention of the airblast sprayer. This is the first blog from our new 2-state (Iowa and Ohio), 3-year (2020-2022), USDA (CPPM program) funded project on adapting a new-technology airblast . . . read more