prevent bacterial ooze development and increased spring infections. The Midwest Tree Fruit and Small Fruit and Grape Spray Guides have been delivered to Kentucky and many should have made it to your County Extension Office. They can be found online at: http://www2.ca.uky.edu/agcollege/plantpathology/ext_files/PPFShtml/MwTreeFruitSprayGuideID92.pdf and https://ag.purdue.edu/hla/Hort/Pages/sfg_sprayguide.aspx The 2014 Fruit and Vegetable Research Report has also been completed and may be found at: http://www2.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/PR/PR688/PR688.pdf. It contains the results of this seasons apple and peach rootstock trials; erect thornless blackberry, primocane blackberry, rabbiteye blueberry, plasticulture strawberry, wine and seedless table grape variety trials; as well as information on baiting for spotted wing drosophila and beneficial insects in blackberries. A new Legume Scouting Guide (ID-227) has been developed. It is available on the web at: http://www2.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/ID/ID227/ID227.pdf Hard copies should arrive from the printer in late February. There will be a number of meetings around the state concerning the USDA Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP). This program was changed substantially in the last farm bill and contains new buy-up provisions. Unfortunately the 2015 sign-up period for fruit growers has already passed. Several fruit growers learned about the program at the Kentucky Fruit and Vegetable Conference and were able to sign-up for 2015. These meetings will be very useful in preparing for the 2016 sign-up. Meeting information is located further down in this newsletter.

Cooperative Extension ServiceUniversity of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment Lexington KY 40546

January - February Newsletter 2015 http://www.uky.edu/hort/documents-list-fruit-facts

Kentucky Fruit FactsJohn Strang, Extension Fruit Specialist, EditorDenise Stephens, Newsletter Designer

Fruit Crop News John Strang, U.K. Extension Horticulturist;

It is a new year and all fruit growers are planning on a bumper crop for 2015. It looks like the low temperatures that we experienced during the second week of January took a few peach buds. Most of the lowest temperatures were experienced January 8th and generally temperatures were a degree or two below 0°F across the state. One of the lowest temperatures, -9.5°F was recorded at the Harlan County Mesonet station. Daniel Becker at the UK Research and Education Center in Princeton cut some Redhaven peach flower buds and found 88% survival. So there are still plenty left for a full crop. The 2015 Kentucky Fruit and Vegetable Conference went well with around 550 attendees. Next year’s conference will be held again at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Lexington on January 4-5. Keep an eye out for vole tunnels and re-bait if needed in the orchard. Populations can increase rapidly and most trunk and root girdling injury occurs when there is a snow cover. Many growers had more fire blight infections on apple and pear trees than they care to admit last season. Work to prune out as many of these as possible during dormant pruning. Destroy the infected wood to

Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability, or national origin. University of Kentucky, College of Agriculture, Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service · Kentucky State University

Inside this Issue: Fruit Crop News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1Upcoming Meetings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Will Eastern Tent Caterpillars Continue to Climb? . .3 Social Media Marketing & Mobile Technology Tools for Ag Businesses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 2014 Farm Bill Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Receiving Fruit Facts on the Internet. . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Upcoming Meetings (All meetings are Eastern time unless specified.)

Feb 16 Home Orchard Production, Bullitt County Extension Office, 284 Halls Lane, Shepherdsville, KY 40165, 6:00-9:00 p.m., Contact 502-543-2257. Feb. 16 Fruit Tree Pruning Workshop, McCracken County Extension Office, 2705 Olivet Church Rd., Paducah, KY 42001, 1:00 p.m. CT, Contact 270-554-9520 Feb. 18 Fruit Tree Pruning Demonstration, Van Meter Family Farm, Clarkson, KY., Noon CT, Contact the Grayson County Extension Office for directions. 270-259-3492 Feb. 24 Pruning Demonstration and Fruit Tree Grafting Workshops, Laurel County Extension Office, 200 County Extension Rd., London, KY 40741. 10:00 a.m., 1:30 p.m. & 6:00 p.m. Contact 606-864-4167. Feb. 25 Home Blueberry and Apple Production, Harlan County., 5:00 p.m., Contact 606-573-4464. Feb. 24-27 North American Raspberry & Blackberry Conference, Chancellor Hotel, Fayetteville, AR. See Conference Registration and Program Conference Registration Brochure Feb. 26 Eastern Kentucky Blueberry and Apple School, Letcher County Extension Office, 478 Extension Drive, Whitesburg, KY., The morning will be devoted to blueberries and the afternoon to apples. Contact 606-633-2362. Mar. 2 Pruning and Fruit Tree Grafting Demonstrations, Whitley County Extension Office, 4275 North Hwy 25 W (Goldbug Community), Williamsburg, KY 40769. 1:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Contact 606-549-1430. Mar. 3 Fruit Tree Grafting Workshop, Harrison County Extension Office, 668 New Lair Road, Cynthiana, KY 41031. 6:00 p.m. Contact 859-234-5510. Mar. 5 Fruit Tree Pruning and Grafting Workshops, Russell County Extension Office, 2688 S. Hwy 127, Russell Springs, KY 42642., 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. C.T., Contact 270-866-4477. Mar 6-7 Organic Association of Kentucky Annual Conference, Paraquet Springs Conference Center, 395 Paraquet Springs Dr., Shepherdsville, Ky 40165, Registration: $30 member $45 non-member per day. See the OAK website for registration and program information: http://oak.wildapricot.org/

Mar. 9 Fruit Tree Grafting Workshop, Logan County Extension Office, 255 John Paul Rd., Russellville, KY 42276, 1:00 p.m., Contact 270-726-6323. Mar. 9 Apple Grafting Workshop, Robinson Center for Appalachian Resource Sustainability, 130 Robinson Road, Jackson, KY 41339. Contact 606-666-2566. Mar. 9 MarketReady Graduate Meet the Buyer Forum, Shelby County Extension Office, 1117 Frankfort Rd., Shelbyville, KY 40504., 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m., This is for MarketReady Graduates ONLY! It will include Farm to School, Farm to Restaurant, and Farm to Grocery/Wholesale/Retail panels, a round table “Speed Date” discussion with buyers, and a special local lunch. Registration $20, The deadline for registration is Monday March 2. Contact Kevin Heidemann email: kevin.heidemann@uky.edu; phone: 859-218-4383. Mar. 10 Farm and Family Night, Maysville Community & Technical College, Maysville, Campus, 1755 US Hwy 68 Maysville, KY., 5:00 - 8:30 p.m., Programs are for farmers, spouses and kids of all ages. BBQ dinner if a free ticket is picked up from the Mason, Bracken, Fleming, Robertson, or Lewis county Extension Offices. Contact 606-759-7141 ext.66120. Mar. 11 Bramble and Gooseberry Production, Pulaski County Extension Office, 28 Parkway Drive, Somerset, KY 42502., 1:00 – 4:00 p.m., Contact 606-679-6361. Mar. 12 Tree Fruit Pruning Clinic, Dixon Springs Ag Center, 354 State Hwy 145 North (West side of the highway), Simpson, IL 62985, 4:00-6:00 p.m. CT. Pre-registration required, $5.00 per person, call 618-382-2662 or web.extension.illinois.edu/ghhpsw. Mar. 13-14 Missouri Blueberry School, Springfield MO. March 14 will involve tours of two local blueberry farms and the MU Southwest Research Center. Contact Kelly McGowan, mcgowank@missouri.edu Mar. 17 Fruit Pruning Demonstration, Clark County, 5:00 p.m., Contact 859-744-4682. Mar. 19 Fruit Tree Pruning and Small Fruit Production, Rowan County Extension Office. 5:00 p.m., Contact 606-784-5457. Mar. 19-21 Midwest Aronia Association 5th Annual Conference, Stony Creek Inn, 101 18th St., Moline, IL 61265, Phone 866-460-7454. For conference program and registration information see www.midwestaronia.org

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Mar. 21 Kentucky Strawberry Association Meeting, Reid’s Orchard, 4818 Hwy 144, Owensboro, KY 42303. 10:00 a.m. C.T., Contact the Daviess Extension Office 270-685-8480. Mar. 23 Fruit Pruning Demonstration, Logan County, 1:00 p.m. C.T., Contact 270-726-6323. Mar. 24 Apple Grafting Workshop, Hart County Extension Office, Munfordville. KY. 10:00 a.m. C.T., Contact 270-524-2451. Mar. 24 Growing Tree Fruit, Barren County Extension Office, 1463 West Main St., Glasgow, KY 42141., 5:00 p.m. CT, Contact 270-651-3818. Apr. 9. Fruit Grower Orchard Meeting. Reid’s Orchard, 4818 Hwy 144, Owensboro, KY 42303. 10:00 a.m. C.T., Contact the Daviess Extension Office 270-685-8480. Apr. 25 Kentucky Nut Growers Association Spring Meeting, Harden County Extension Office, 201 Peterson Dr., Elizabethtown, KY 42701. Contact Danny Ganno, Phone: 270-860-8362 or Email: danganno@yahoo.com May 14 Fruit Grower Orchard Meeting, Hillview Farm & Orchard, 4161 Franklinton Rd., Pleasureville, KY 40057. Contact Henry County Extension Office 502-845-2811. Jan. 4-5, 2016 Kentucky Fruit and Vegetable Conference, Embassy Suites Hotel, Lexington, KY. Contact John Strang 859-257-5685; email: jstrang@uky.edu

Will Eastern Tent Caterpillar Numbers Continue To Climb?Dr. Lee Townsend, U. K. Extension Entomologist Eastern tent caterpillar (ETC) numbers have been increasing steadily over the last few years in Central Kentucky. The disastrous Mare Reproductive Loss Syndrome (MRLS) outbreak of 1999-2001 is a stark reminder of the potential threat to the equine industry posed by this insect. Studies have indicated a 9- to 12-year fluctuation cycle for ETC. It is the time to assess the situation and to check for obviously large numbers of ETC egg masses on trees that are present. Information on checking eastern tent caterpillar egg masses is available at http://www2.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef449.asp

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Social Media Marketing and Mobile Technology Tools for Ag Businesses By Miranda Hileman Combs, UK Senior Extension Associate, Ag Economics

The way we communicate with each other is changing. Many consumers are now using their smart-phones or tablet devices to connect to and interact with local businesses. It is becoming very practical to connect your business to your clientele through social media using mobile technology tools. These tools offer easy methods to communicate, connect, and engage with your customers. Social media is increasingly important to marketing your business. Mobile technology tools are becoming more accessible to rural areas and they offer different options to both businesses and customers in increasing the ease of transactions and finding more connections. Agricultural producers and businesses are looking for ways to engage their customers as well as keep track of important information for managing their crops and businesses. Tools and applications that help with record keeping, commodity updates, weather reports and other decision-making tools are increas-ingly being used by producers, and created specifically for them. However, there are so many tools and appli-cations, it can be hard to decide which to use. A mar-keting profile of tools has been developed to provide a summary of social media tools and mobile technology applications that may be useful to growers in connect-ing to their customers, and keeping better records. To read the entire profile, visit: http://www.uky.edu/Ag/CCD/introsheets/ socialmedia.pdf.

FRUIT HUMOR What did the fruit tree say to the farmer? Stop picking on me!

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