In Season 3, episode 13 of "What's Killing My Kale," Annie talked with Seth Wannmeuhler, a graduate research assistant at University of Minnesota, about kiwiberries. Seth has become an expert on kiwiberries through is research the last several years in which he seeks to develop a new hardy kiwiberry variety that produces well in Minnesota. In addition to his breeding work, he is also helping in the development of management recommendations for this crop, and studying the market potential of kiwiberries in Minnesota farmers' markets.  This episode discusses this work, the differences in t ..read more

In Season 3 Episode 12 of What's Killing My Kale, Natalie talked with Inga Meadows, Extension plant pathologist at NC State University, about disease management in organic tomatoes.  It's nearly impossible to avoid disease issues in tomatoes, but there are ways to preventatively manage them, even in organic systems. In this episode, Natalie and Inga discussed:  Biological control options for preventative disease management OMRI approved sprays like copper, how well they work for different diseases, and precautions growers should take when using them Timing of spray ..read more

In Season 3 Episode 10 of What's Killing My Kale, Natalie talked with Dr. Brent Loy, emeritus professor of plant genetics and cucurbit breeder extraordinaire at the University of New Hampshire.  Every year we hear about fruiting in flowering issues in cucurbit crops towards the middle of the summer. Many of the strategies to prevent this from happening should be implemented now, when you're transplanting. In this episode we discussed: Why we so often see flower abortion, small fruit, and oddly shaped fruits, particularly in summer squash and zucchini The biology of mal ..read more

In Season 3, episode 8 of What's Killing My Kale, Natalie talked to Local Extension Educators Claire LaCanne (Rice & Steele Counties) and Shane Bugeja (Le Sueur and Blue Earth Counties) about their recent trials to measure soil biological activity.  Photo: Claire LaCanne With increasing interest in soil health over the years, at-home trials such as the soiled undies test and the tea bag test have become increasingly common. But do they work? Claire and Shane conducted trials to compare these common at-home tests to more sophisticated lab tests of soil biological activity.&nb ..read more

In Season 3, episode 9 of What's Killing My Kale, Natalie talked to Dr. Paulo Pagliari, an associate professor of soil science at the University of Minnesota, about nutrient management in wet soils.  Though this spring has been relatively dry, our climate is becoming wetter overall, and we may still see heavy rainfall and flooding this season. In preparation, we interviewed Paulo to learn about best practices. Much of the information in this episode is also relevant for normal conditions in addition to flooding conditions. In this episode we discussed: Image: Anne Sawyer ..read more

Spotted wing drosophila damage on tart cherry. Photo: Annie Klodd In Season 3 Episode 5 of What's Killing My Kale, Annie talked with Gigi Digiacomo, a research fellow in the Department of Applied Economics. They discussed Digiacomo's recent findings about how spotted wing Drosophila (SWD) has impacted the Minnesota berry industry, and weighed the economics of SWD management strategies.  You can listen to and download the episode here. What's Killing my Kale is also available on Apple Podcasts and FruitEdge. If you enjoy listening to our podcast, please leave a review on iTunes. As always, rea ..read more

Spotted wing Drosophila flies on a raspberry. Photo: Charlie Rohwer. We have just released 2-episode series on our podcast, What's Killing My Kale. These two episodes discuss spotted wing drosophila (SWD), including organic management recommendations, and the economics of managing SWD.  In Season 3 Episode 5 of What's Killing My Kale, Annie talked with Gigi Digiacomo, a research fellow in the Department of Applied Economics. They discussed Digiacomo's recent findings about how spotted wing Drosophila (SWD) has impacted the Minnesota berry industry, and weighed the economics of SWD management ..read more

Spotted wing Drosophila on a raspberry. Photo: Charlie Rohwer, UMN In Season 3 Episode 6 of What's Killing My Kale, Annie talked with Dr. Mary Rogers, an Assistant Professor studying organic food production systems in the Department of Horticulture. They discussed recent research findings from Dr. Rogers team, as well as other farms and researchers around the country, about the best ways to manage spotted wing Drosophila (SWD) organically.  You can listen to and download the episode here. What's Killing my Kale is also available on Apple Podcasts and FruitEdge. If you enjoy listening to our p ..read more

In Season 3 Episode 4 of What's Killing My Kale, Annie talked with Aaron Wills from Little Hill Berry Farm. They discussed how climate change is impacting fruit production, and strategies for adaptation. This is the fourth and final episode in a mini series about how climate change is impacting our ability to grow fruits and vegetables in MN. You can listen to and download the episode here. What's Killing my Kale is also available on Apple Podcasts and FruitEdge. If you enjoy listening to our podcast, please leave a review on iTunes. As always, reach out and let us know if there are any topi ..read more

We are back with another season of What's Killing My Kale! In Season 3 Episode 2, Annie talked with farmer Laura Frerichs from Loon Organics farm about how climate change is affecting their ability to grow vegetables, and adaptation strategies. This is the second episode in a mini series about how climate change is impacting our ability to grow fruits and vegetables in MN. You can listen to and download the episode here. What's Killing my Kale is also available on Apple Podcasts and FruitEdge. If you enjoy listening to our podcast, please leave a review on iTunes. As always, reach out and ..read more