While this year may look a little different, our MGVs are happy to be back at the Ohio Veterans Home. MGVs will typically work 1-on-1 with the residents to teach them about planting glowers and gardening. The residents are not yet able to visit with our group but they are still working hard to provide plants for their enjoyment!
BQA can also be completed online @ https://www.bqa.org/beef-quality-assurance-certification
Our pest monitoring continues with the addition of Squash Vine Borer traps. A local producer is working with us to monitor this pest in pumpkins and other cucurbit crops this growing season. Follow our updates at http://go.osu.edu/fieldreport
“The squash vine borer larvae tunnel into pumpkin vines causing them to wilt and eventually die. Sawdust-like frass at the base of stems indicates the presence of the borer. Once inside the vine, little can be done to control the borer. Adult moth populations should be monitored to indicate need for control. ” From: https://ipm.osu.edu/sites/ipm/files/imce/OHpumpkins.pdf
Michigan State University Fact Sheet: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/squash_vine_borer_biology_and_management
Alfalfa leaves with attached alfalfa weevil net-like cocoons.
The activity and threat of the alfalfa weevil is mostly coming to an end for this year. Observations made in alfalfa fields across Ohio reveal that the alfalfa weevil larvae are finishing their feeding and spinning net-like cocoons in the alfalfa foliage in which to pupate. The pupae are the stage in which this insect goes through metamorphosis into the next adult stage. These adults do little damage to the crop. They feed for a short time, then enter an inactive period called aestivation. They will become active again in late-summer and fall to feed again to prepare to overwinter. Some larvae are still present. These larvae can produce strips of damage under wind rows after the first cutting resulting in browned out strips where the wind rows laid in the field. Once the hay is baled, the larvae will be exposed to predation.
Alfalfa weevil net-like cocoons and exposed alfalfa weevil pupae.
Our next threat to our alfalfa crop production will be potato leafhopper (PLH). Each year, PLH must migrate back into Ohio from the southern states. As our weather patterns shift to movement from the south toward the north, the winds pick up populations of adult PLH and carry them north allowing them to colonize Ohio’s alfalfa fields, soybean fields, clover fields and many other types of plants. This regularly occurs in mid- to late May every year. Once the migrant PLH adults arrive, they begin laying eggs. It only takes about 3 weeks for these eggs to hatch into nymphs and develop into adults. Thus, populations of PLH can rapidly explode into a serious threat to alfalfa production. This is one insect that we can predict will be a serious threat to our crop production almost every year.
New spring seedings of alfalfa can be extremely impacted by the relatively low numbers of PLH and should be scouted regularly (weekly) for PLH. Action thresholds can be exceeded very fast in these slow growing new stands. Once damaged, PLH can impact their growth for the rest of the year.
Older stands can tolerate higher numbers of PLH, but as the second-cut alfalfa grows, producers should be scouting regularly for increasing PLH populations in their fields. Proper scouting must be done with a standard-sized sweep net. For a video on scouting techniques visit: https://forages.osu.edu/video/scouting-potato-leafhopper-alfalfa
If alfalfa is more than seven days from a cut and plants are under normal stress, a good rule of thumb for an action threshold for treatment is when the number of PLH (nymphs+adults) in a 10-sweep set is equal to or greater than the height of the alfalfa. For example, if the alfalfa is 10 inches tall, and the average number of PLH per sample is 10 or higher, treatment is warranted. If the average is nine or lower, the grower should come back within a few days to see if the population is continuing to increase (treatment warranted), staying the same (come back again in a few days) or declining (treatment not warranted). Vigorous alfalfa can tolerate higher numbers, and stressed alfalfa can tolerate fewer, so you may need to adjust your action threshold based on the condition of the alfalfa.
For a video with detail on damage, ID, and control options visit: https://forages.osu.edu/video/potato-leafhopper-identification-and-damage-alfalfa
Ohio State University Extension’s factsheet on potato leafhopper in alfalfa is at: https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/ENT-33
An excellent resource for other forage-related questions is the OSU Extension’s Forage Page at: https://forages.osu.edu/home
C.O.R.N. Newsletter is a summary of crop observations, related information, and appropriate recommendations for Ohio crop producers and industry. C.O.R.N. Newsletter is produced by the Ohio State University Extension Agronomy Team, state specialists at The Ohio State University and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC). C.O.R.N. Newsletter questions are directed to Extension and OARDC state specialists and associates at Ohio State.
New field reports available at http://go.osu.edu/fieldreport.
Have a pest report? Contact the Brown County Extension Office! 937-378-6716 or morris.1677@osu.edu
America’s largest grocery retailer invites local and regional growers and producers to apply for new accelerator program
CINCINNATI, May 12, 2021 – The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) today announced the Go Fresh & Local Supplier Accelerator, a new partnership program inviting American growers and producers to apply for the opportunity to work with the retailer. The program, sponsored by Gourmet Foods International, will enable Kroger to discover new suppliers to support the continued expansion of its fresh departments – including produce, deli, bakery, meat, seafood, dairy, specialty cheeses, and floral – and its commitment to being Fresh for Everyone™.
Starting today and through May 31, suppliers can apply to join the Go Fresh & Local Supplier Accelerator, which will be held in Cincinnati in August. In collaboration with Efficient Collaborative Retail Marketing and RangeMe, Kroger’s category management and fresh director team will review applications in multiple rounds, selecting 15 finalists (one finalist per region per category) to attend the event. All finalists will present to a panel of judges during a pitch session, with one overall winner selected from each region. The prize package for the five overall winners includes product placement on shelf within Kroger’s Family of Companies; recommended partnerships with Gourmet Foods International; and business development coaching from Kroger merchandising and sales leaders as well as PearlRock Partners CEO Brian Kelley, a 30-year consumer product industry veteran and former president of Keurig Green Mountain and Coca-Cola Refreshments.
“At Kroger, our Fresh for Everyone mission is anchored in consistently and creatively providing fresh and affordable food to our customers,” said Dan De La Rosa, Kroger’s group vice president of fresh merchandising. “We’re dedicated to fostering innovation and investing in local, regional, and small businesses that make the best of food accessible to all. Our first Go Fresh & Local Supplier Accelerator is an extension of our commitment and we’re eager to invite suppliers of every size to participate, providing the potential to grow our businesses together.”
Kroger welcomes growers and producers to apply to the relevant regional categories below, in alignment with the following regional versus local grouping criteria:
● Regions:
○ Region 1: QFC, Fred Meyer, Ralphs, and Food 4 Less
○ Region 2: Fry’s Food Stores, Smith’s, King Soopers, City Market, and Dillons
○ Region 3: Kroger Houston, Kroger Dallas, Kroger Delta, and Kroger Nashville
○ Region 4: Mariano’s, Metro Market, Pick ‘n Save, Kroger Central, Kroger Michigan, Kroger Columbus
○ Region 5: Kroger Atlanta, Kroger Mid-Atlantic, Kroger Louisville, Harris Teeter and Kroger Cincinnati-Dayton
● Groupings:
○ Local:
■ Small producers;
■ Located in-state or the immediate market;
■ Community-inspired and locally relevant items;
■ Merchandised in less than approximately 100 stores.
○ Regional:
■ Larger producers;
■ Cross state and division boundaries;
■ Still locally relevant to customers;
■ Merchandised in approximately 100 or more stores.
“Kroger is committed to offering the best assortment of fresh products enabled by an innovative portfolio of suppliers. In 2020 alone, we invested $4.1 billion in diverse suppliers — a 21% increase versus the previous year — and we’re working with intention to scale that number to $10 billion by 2030,” said Stuart Aitken, Kroger’s chief merchant and marketing officer. “The Go Fresh & Local Supplier Accelerator will help us achieve our goal as well as advance our freshness commitment in our nearly 2,800 stores and across our Kroger.com e-commerce services, including Pickup, Delivery, and Ship.”
To apply and learn more about the Go Fresh & Local Supplier Accelerator, visit https://www.thekrogerco.com/gofreshlocal/. Media Assets To download Kroger store and fresh department photography, visit https://brandfolder.com/kroger/go-fresh-local-supplier-accelerator. About Kroger At The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we are dedicated to our Purpose: to Feed the Human Spirit™. We are nearly half a million associates who serve over nine million customers daily through a seamless digital shopping experience and 2,800 retail food stores under a variety of banner names, serving America through food inspiration and uplift, and creating
#ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities by 2025. To learn more about us, visit our newsroom and investor relations site. -30- Contacts Kroger Media: Sheila Regehr, (620) 200-3209 sheila.regehr@dillonstores.com Investors: Rebekah Manis, (513) 762-4969
Learn more about the BRE Program here:https://comdev.osu.edu/programs/economic-development/business-retention-expansion
Learn more about Brown County BRE here:https://brown.osu.edu/program-areas/community-development
In this week’s episode of the Southern Ohio Farm Show, we visit Sim’s Family Golf Center to learn tips for putting, April gardening update from Dr. Tim McDermott, and a weather outlook with Dr. Aaron Wilson. Be sure to tune in next week for the 1st anniversary of the Southern Ohio Farm Show!