The Vegetable Beet
A live weekly interview and discussion focused on vegetable production challenges and opportunities brought to you by the Great Lakes Vegetable Producers Network. We grow more together. JOIN US LIVE! We will be broadcasting live via Zoom at 12:30 ET/11:30 CT every Wednesday from the first week of March to the first week of September. Login at www.glveg.net/listen.
Episodes
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...
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 ch...
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...
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 reso...
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 V...
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, ...
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 pro...
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. N...
There are many things that look like a disease, or insect damage, but they are not! What are they called? These are "abiotic" disorders, and they get their name from being "non-living" causes of plants stress and yield reduction. Cold snaps, heat stress, wind, hail, low spots, and pH and nutrient levels in soil and water are common causes for abiotic disorders, and Becky Sideman is here from the University of New Ha...
Ugh Bugs! Organic cucumber beetle management is an annual ordeal for both conventional and organic growers, but there are more limited options for sprays on organic vine crops. What is it about this bug that makes it so difficult to deal with? What can I do about it with the sprays available, and other tools beyond the boom? Celeste Welty, at The Ohio State University, has pondered and researched these questions in her career as a ...
Ope! Starting a farm or transitioning a farm to certified organic is tough! New crops, new pests, new markets, and new paperwork. Jake Overgaard, certification specialist from Midwest Organic Services Association (MOSA), and Vicki Morrone, organic systems academic specialist from MSU, are here to discuss the pitfalls and easily-missed or commonly screwed up things that require extra time to remedy and could have gone smoother for O...
$temphylium Onion Blight can cost onion growers $ in so many ways. Hear about ways to get a handle on the SOB as Dennis Van Dyk chats with Christy Hoepting about Stemphylium control in onions.
Christy mentions at some point "What the frick is a FRAC?" Here is a quick run down of the products and their FRAC codes from Christy's most recent trial in 2020. "Always be rotating through them and guard the 7's with y...
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