VegNet Vol. 14, No. 6. April 23, 2007
Ohio State University Extension Vegetable Crops
On the WEB at:  http://vegnet.osu.edu
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In This Issue

1. Reporting Freeze Damage

2. Crop Report

 

 

Reporting Damage

The following came from the ICM News, Volume 11 (12), April 23, 2007 sent out today and may apply to some small fruit and vegetable growers.

 

Tree Fruit Situation in Ohio 4/23/07 by Dr. Diane Miller
Congressman Zach Space, Ohio’s 18th Congressional District and member of House Agriculture Committee, conducted a phone conference call last Friday (4/20) to learn about the impact of spring freezes on fruit and vegetable farmers in his district and other areas of the state.  A critical message from the meeting is that every fruit (tree, small or grape) and vegetable farmer who believes the freeze caused economic damage to his/her business should immediately contact his/her local Farm Service Agency (FSA) office to report damage.  This has to be done within 15 days of when you suspect that you have damage.  This should be done whether or not you have FSA crop coverage (different forms for with and without coverage).  The local FSA offices then report to USDA and this is the line of action for any disaster declaration.  As of Friday only 14 Ohio counties had reported likely damage.  If you have not reported your likely damage to your local FSA office yet, please do it immediately.  Congressman Space also strongly suggested contacting your Congressional District representative and/or Senators and make them aware of your particular situation.  Issues worthy of discussion include your immediate needs, and also improvement of perennial crop insurance programs and disaster assistance programs. 
 

 

Crop Report by Brad Bergefurd, April 20, 2007

The Freeze of 4/5 - 4/10 is being assessed this week as severe crop losses on apples, peaches, thornless blackberries, red raspberries, black raspberries, asparagus, rhubarb, emerged sweet corn are being reported by farmers throughout Ohio and those farmers south of I 70 seem to have been hurt the worst. Severe damage to winter wheat is also being reported.

 

Nursery stock that was in bloom or had fully emerged new foliage also was severely injured and damaged as a result of the freeze.

It will take a long time for specialty crop producers to recover from these losses with many not harvesting any crop this season.

Planting of peas, sweet corn, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower continues. Seeding in the greenhouses continues. Damage assessments from the freeze are still being evaluated. Fertigating of strawberries continues. Row covers and freeze blankets were removed from strawberry crops this week. Fields were being plowed, worked and sprayed and fertilizer was being spread. Potatoes were being planted.