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

If you’re a vegetable grower, you’re probably familiar with high tunnels and low tunnels. But what are mesotunnels? All three of these tunnel types are used to create some sort of protective barrier between crops and the environment. “Meso” means “middle,” so mesotunnels are medium-size tunnels – taller than low tunnels and shorter than high . . . read more

The newest commercial vegetable and specialty crop specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach knows the needs and concerns of the industry. Dan Fillius, who will begin his new role June 7, has spent the last three years as a produce safety specialist, helping fruit and vegetable producers comply with the Food Safety Modernization . . . read more