For fruit, vegetable and other specialty crop farmers, bees are the most important pollinators of many crops.
Vegetable farming in Minnesota
Extension Fruit and Vegetable Production educators and specialists work with growers to enhance profitability and sustainability, add value, and maintain food security through local production and marketing of fruit and vegetable crops in Minnesota.
In partnership with grower organizations and commodity groups, we conduct research and communicate research-based information to growers throughout Minnesota through our educational programs, field days, grower roundtables, print and web publications, newsletters, radio talks, and one-on-one consultations.
We work with:
- Commercial vegetable producers
- Beginning farmers
Growing guides
|
- Climate resilience resources for vegetable growers in Minnesota
- Crop and field planning tools for vegetable farmers
- Growing safe food
- Postharvest handling of fruit and vegetable crops in Minnesota
Archived PDF guides
- Minnesota fruit and vegetable growers manual for the beginning grower. Risk management, business planning and start-up, and marketing.
- Cover crop selection for vegetable growers
- Foliar nutrient testing
- High tunnel soil health and nutrient management
- Interpreting soil tests for fruit and vegetable crops
- Introduction to using the USDA NRCS Web Soil Survey
- Interpreting your compost report
- Reducing tillage intensity in vegetable crops
- Soil testing on fruit and vegetable farms
Archived PDF guides
Asparagus guide
Archived PDF guides
- Growing Asparagus in Minnesota (PDF 2020). This 24-page guide provides farmers and advanced gardeners with recommendations for growing asparagus in Minnesota.
- Asparagus production guide (PDF 2013). Cultural practices must be considered to produce asparagus successfully.
Brassicas
Non-pest issues in cool-season crops
Cucurbits
Garlic
Growing garlic in Minnesota (Archived PDF; 2016). Guidelines for growing garlic in cold climates include variety selection, soils, cultural practices, pest management, harvesting and storage.
Emerging and traditional crops
Growing staple vegetables from around the world in Minnesota. Guides for growing traditional vegetables from Africa, Asia and Latin America in the Minnesota climate.
Deep winter greenhouses use the sun's energy as their primary source of heat. Learn about farm-scale deep winter greenhouse prototypes that grow winter crops, and work with the University on research trials, outreach events, and winter production workshops. Building plans are available.
High tunnel soil health and nutrient management. The nutrient needs of high tunnel plantings can be much greater than those of field-grown crops. The yield potential of vegetables and fruit in a high tunnel system is generally two to four times higher than in open field production. As yield potential increases, the need for nutrients also increases.
Archived PDF guides
- Minnesota high tunnel production manual for commercial growers, 2nd Edition (2012). Risk management, structures, the high tunnel environment, cultural practices, crop production, crops, and finances for growing in high tunnels in Minnesota.
Growing safe food
Our on-farm Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) Education Program works with Minnesota’s produce farmers to help you develop and implement on-farm food safety plans and prepare for GAPs audits
Marketing farm products
Marketing your product is a challenge, whether you are running a small vegetable farm or growing commodity crops.
Farm food safety workshops
Extension offers courses to help you stay up-to-date on important topics to protect your farm and your customers, and improve the safety and quality of your fresh produce.
Fruit and vegetable production workshops
Small to medium-sized farmers, as well as aspiring farmers, are invited to join University of Minnesota Extension educators, industry experts and experienced farmers for webinars focused on the finer points of fruit and vegetable production.
|
Page survey