Wisconsin's Eco-apple Sustainable Apple Production, Education - Outreach: Bridging the Gap

Wisconsin's Eco-apple Sustainable Apple Production, Education - Outreach: Bridging the Gap

Summary

We conducted three workshops from April 2005 to January 2006 for 17 Extension educators, NRCS staff and other agricultural professionals to inform them of the eco-apple project and orchard IPM strategies. Three UWEX educators are now more involved in the project and are serving 7 on-going grower-participants and 23 new growers. We intend to offer additional workshops on the topic, targeted to agricultural professionals in regions hosting eco-apple networks during Spring 2006, or in regions with growers interested in participating.

Objectives/Performance Targets

We conducted three interactive workshops to train county-based Extension and NRCS staff on the Eco-apple project. The first training session was held April 21 and set the stage for participants. UWEX state specialists Dan Mahr, Patty McManus and Teryl Roper presented on the basics of apple IPM. Michelle Miller and Sheri Young gave an introduction to the eco-apple project and IPM coaches Matt Stasiak and John Aue talked about the growers experience with the farmer networks. We also briefly discussed the new EQIP for Orchards standard. Everyone received a binder of materials that provided the basics on the eco-apple project and pest management issues for apple growers. There was section on contacts, including a participant list, an eco-apple team contact list and a list of growers participating in farmer networks. The binder included meeting agendas, forms for both participants and their grower clients to use, a project summary, information on IPM in apples, and copies of IPM and apple resources such as the Minneota Apple Orchard IPM book, and MSU’s Fruit Crop Ecology book, a DVD with a 10-minute segment featuring apple growers talking about why they use IPM, and a CD with relevant publications from UW-Madison for fresh market growers.

The second training was held at the Peninsular Research Station in mid-June in conjunction with the IPM field day for apple growers. We spent the majority of the day-long session discussing decision-making. In addition to hearing from UWEX state specialists on advanced apple production concerns, IPM coaches discussed spray records evaluation. They then took us out to orchards to demonstrate IPM tools and techniques. A grower panel about the eco-apple project ended the afternoon. That evening we had special presentations by Barbara Van Til, USEPA-V and Phil Whalen, Michigan State University, who was also the featured speaker for the IPM field day.

A third training was offered in conjunction with the annual Wisconsin Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Conference, January 8-10, 2006. Despite the fact that participants had agreed that this would be a good time for the meeting, many of the extension staff were unable to attend, due to schedule conflicts. Despite low attendance, this meeting was packed with valuable, advanced discussion on the grower networks, tools for growers (toxicity index, pesticide use software, budgeting spreadsheet, Apple Talk blog). We discussed EQIP for Wisconsin orchards and heard from Barbara Van Til about what other states are doing to support pesticide reduction on farm.

Because attendance at our third meeting was low, we anticipate organizing at least one additional meeting during Spring 2006. EQIP issues are gaining in importance and complexity as our state NRCS office contemplates moving the statewide orchard signup for 595 to a Local Work Group (LWG) process. We also expect to have a better idea about funding opportunities for growers through grants we’ve submitted over the past 6 months.

Accomplishments/Milestones

We introduced 17 Extension educators, NRCS staff and other agricultural professionals to the basic concepts of apple IPM and the eco-apple project at three training sessions. We were able to report to them that growers participating in the eco-apple project (Door County and SE Eco-apple networks) reduced pesticide risk by 58% on average after two years. We think that other growers, involved in similar efforts, may realize similar reductions.

Training materials were compiled and presented to Extension and NRCS employees at each meeting. We anticipate adding additional materials to the curriculum at meetings planned for Spring 2006.

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

As a result or our training sessions, three Extension educators are now actively participating in organizing apple grower networks in their areas. Vijai Pandian, UWEX-Bayfield County (about 15 new growers involved); Jerry Clark, Chippewa County (about 8 new growers involved); Kristin Kleeberger, Waukesha County (providing support to the SE Growers Network with about 7 continuing growers involved).

Additionally, we have support from the state NRCS office on developing a strong EQIP program targeting orchard producers. Pat Murphy went through the training sessions and is now instrumental in developing EQIP 595 for orchards. He is working with orchard consultants and growers to write pest management plans and apply WinPST to their operations. He is also working with us to educate other NRCS staff and EQIP LWG participants to support the project in the future.

We expect the Spring 2006 workshops to reach another 15 agricultural professionals with information about the eco-apple project and orchard IPM, particularly regarding EQIP. We intend to target NRCS field staff and EQIP LWG participants in areas where our farmer networks are flourishing – Lake Superior, Chippewa Valley, Door County, and the SE area.

We also have a group of about five growers in the Baraboo Hills area interested in the project, but none of the agents from that region participated in our program and are interested in taking the lead on the network. Two discreet groups of berry growers have also expressed interest in forming eco-berry networks and we hope to find the means to serve them in 2006.

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