The Vegetable Beet

How do we build organic matter on farms without over-fertilizing our soils? And what are realistic goals for increasing organic matter? In this episode, Natalie Hoidal interviews Dr. Nic Jelinski, a soil scientist at the University of Minnesota. They talk about soil formation, how organic matter accumulates in soil, broadening our metrics for soil health, and how different practices like compost additions and cover crops contribute to organic matter in the longer-term. 

Across the Great Lakes region, we see vegetable farms with very high levels of soil phosphorus. In this episode, Natalie Hoidal interviews four ecologists who study nutrient leaching in freshwater ecosystems to understand how much it matters for vegetable farms to have high phosphorus levels in their soils, and what we can do about it. 

High tunnel crops often look great for the first few years, but as tunnel soils begin to build up salts and alkalinity, we begin to see plant health problems around years 3-5. In this episode, Natalie Hoidal interviews Dr. Elsa Sanchez and Thomas Ford from Penn State about trends they've seen in high tunnel soils, and strategies for dealing with common problems. 

In this special mid-winter offering, three university researchers agreed to be interviewed and recorded for this live and in-person show. They were Marty Chilvers, specializing corn and bean diseases; James Dedecker, specializing wildlife management; and Zsofia Szendrei, specializing in insect pests of vegetables. This show is brought to you by Fartless Beans, and Heavy Metal Tube Man.

In this special mid-winter offering, three operations agreed to be interviewed and recorded for this live and in-person show. They were Blake Farms (Armada, MI), specializing in fruits, vegetables, and agritainment; Hoopers Farm Garden (Traverse City, MI), specializing in cut flowers for events; and Will Forage for Food (Grass Lake, MI), specializing in wild food tourism and educational events.

Listen to a broccoli dream team discuss disease management, markets, varieties, insect control and more! Natalie Hoidal interviews Dr. Bhabesh Dutta of Georgia, Thomas Bjorkman of Cornell and Susan Scheufele of Massachusetts, a team tackling broccoli production east of the Mississippi. Learn more about their multi-state work on developing varieties and markets and improving pest and disease management. 

Caw, Caw, phwump, chk chk boom, arrgghhhh! It doesn't take long in farming to start to sympathize with Elmer Fudd, as it seems mammals are always one wing flap/paw/hoofprint ahead of the limited tools we have. Listen as we chat with James DeDecker about vertebrate pest management (P.S. sounds at the beginning were, in order, bird distress call "squawk box," a propane cannon, a shotgun, and an exasperated grower).

Also check out a library of factsheets, videos and more on vertebrate management available through Michigan State University, plus this article that puts fencing costs in perspective. 

This week's show is all about getting set for the 4th growing season; winter! Planting dates are crucial for winter greens to yield during and through the Persephone period when we have fewer than 10 hours of light a day. When to heat? What kinds of insulation options are available? Lewis Jett is here to talk about preparing hoophouses for and tending to winter leafy green vegetables. 

Follow up questions can be sent to Lewis at Lewis.Jett@mail.wvu.edu .

With pumpkins starting to color up, do you already have pumpkin spiced lattes on your minds? Next week the Vegetable Beet will be gnawing on the important pumpkin questions. Join Ben Werling of MSU Extension as he talks to the pumpkin duo, Nathan Johanning of University of Illinois Extension and Brad Bergeford of the Ohio State University Extension about how to be the pumpkings and pumpqueens you were meant to be!

Here are some resources that were discussed in this week's episode.

The Midwest Veg Guide

More powdery mildew fungicides for cucurbits from the Ohio State University.

Bok choy, fava greens, daikon, oh my! This week, University of Kentucky Extension Agent, Bethany Pratt, and Common Earth Gardens Executive Director, Laura Stevens, and Agricultural Consultant Stephen Bartlett join the podcast to talk about the production of Asian greens and other culturally appropriate crops, working with refugee populations, and the challenges and opportunities when it comes to marketing these crops.

The Midwest Vegetable Production Guide for Commercial Growers has a chapter on Asian vegetables. 

Regarding some of the topics we touched upon, check out the following websites for context and background information about the food sovereignty movement:

www.usfoodsovereigntyalliance.org 

www.viacampesina.org

www.salouisville.org

www.whyhunger.org

www.foodfirst.org

www.cagj.org 

Hold onto your oomycetes, folks! This week Mary Hausbeck joins us from Michigan State University to talk about a group of pathogens called oomycetes, also known as water molds. These include downy mildews on foliage, and the complex of Phytophthora, and Pythium rots on roots and fruits. What makes them different and more challenging than regular ol' fungus and bacteria? With loads of experience and research on these pathogens, Mary will have you saying "ooooo!-mycetes" and "oh!-mycetes" instead of the profanity you might otherwise use.

Keep up with Mary at veggies.msu.edu. 

CMV, INSV, TSWV, SqMV, WTF? Viruses are a confounding complex of pathogens of our vegetable crops that can hide in overhead ornamentals in greenhouses and non-crop weeds in fields. How can you prevent them from infecting plants, identify if plants are infected, or manage plants after infection? Brett Arenz, from the University of Minnesota, and Jan Byrne, from Michigan State University, join us to discuss these mysterious plant problems.

Join us this week for the Garlic Guru of Ontario, Travis Cranmer.  Garlic is one of those polarizing crops that people love or hate. But, those who like to eat it, tend to really love it. And those who grow it, really love to grow it. Planting in fall, harvested in summer. How strange!? What should you know about seed quality and sourcing, and what do you with the flower scapes of hardneck garlic? Travis will take us from A to Z. No vampires allowed.