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Fruit and vegetable farming

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Three women in high tunnel looking at lettuce.

Integrated pest management, growing guides, greenhouse management, best practices for harvesting and storage, and marketing advice for Minnesota commercial fruit and vegetable growers.

Features

Cold-hardy honeyberries are ripe for connection, community

Haskap, also known as honeyberries, captivate consumers and bring cold-hardy fruit-producing states closer together to share knowledge.

Visualizing vegetable pests

University of Minnesota Extension educator Marissa Schuh used decorative craft models and art supplies to prepare a lesson on food crop pest scouting.

New tool helps fruit and vegetable farmers reduce microbial risks to irrigation water

Irrigation water can affect produce safety and pose a health risk to consumers if not managed.

Fruit

Growing guides

Guides for commercial growers of fruits in cold climates

Growing safe food

Our Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) Education Program works with Minnesota’s produce farmers to develop and implement on-farm food safety plans.

Raspberry farming in Minnesota

Planting, growing and marketing raspberries in Minnesota

Strawberry farming in Minnesota

Planting, growing and marketing strawberries in Minnesota

Fruits hardy to Minnesota

Research on UMN breeding programs and lists of fruits currently available and proven hardy in Minnesota

Minnesota Fruit

Connecting and informing fruit growers across Minnesota

Vegetables

Disease management

Vegetable plant diseases

Growing guides

Guides for commercial growers of fruits and vegetables in cold climates

Growing safe food

Our Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) Education Program works with Minnesota’s produce farmers to develop and implement on-farm food safety plans.

Insect management

Vegetable plant insect pests by crop

Climate resilience for vegetable growers

Resources specific to vegetable production in the Upper Midwest that align with strategies for climate resilience on farms

Production systems

Deep winter greenhouses

We support deep winter greenhouse (DWG) research and outreach across the state. Find information and construction documents for building these passive-solar greenhouses.

Minnesota high tunnel production manual

Risk management, structures, the high tunnel environment, cultural practices, crop production, crops, and finances for growing in high tunnels in Minnesota (PDF)

Managing a farm

Business, finance, safety and systems for ag producers and small farms

Pollination on fruit and vegetable farms

For fruit, vegetable and other specialty crop farmers, bees are the most important pollinators of many crops.

Small farms

Information on running a one- to 40-acre farm

Supply chains

We work to build the relationships that bring University crop research to farmers, markets and, ultimately, dinner plates.

Nutrient management and soil health

For specialty crops

Cover crops and soil health

Cover crop selection, reducing tillage

Nutrient management

Maintaining soil fertility in organic fruit and vegetable crop systems, nutrient cycling

Soil and foliar testing

Soil testing for fruit and vegetable growers, interpreting a soil test, foliar testing in fruit and vegetable crops

Nutrient management calculator for vegetable crops

A tool that is intended to help vegetable growers select the best combination of inputs based on a soil test.

Pest management

Disease management for vegetable crops

Vegetable plant diseases

Fruit and vegetable insects

Insects and other bugs that particularly help, harm or feed on fruits and vegetables

FruitEdge

Timely, objective information on fruit integrated pest management in the Midwest

Pesticide safety and certification

Pesticide education and resources for certified and licensed applicators, those seeking certification, and other professionals

VegEdge

Timely, objective information on vegetable crop integrated pest management in the Midwest

News

The Fruit and Vegetable News blog has regular updates for growers

Use your holiday tree as a trellis for feeding birds and other wildlife in your yard.
January garden checklist

Focus on winter plant protection, watch for environmental damage to lawns and landscapes, and match indoor plant care to seasonal conditions. Consider using your holiday tree as habitat for winter wildlife.

Tax implications of cash rent vs. share crop

Under cash-rent and share-cropping arrangements, the key distinction in tax treatment centers on whether the landowner materially participates in the farming operation.

Farming into retirement: maximizing write-offs and avoiding the recapture trap

The transition from active farming to retirement requires careful navigation to avoid unexpected tax bills.

Fruit and Vegetable News blog

Events

Page survey

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