Horticulture Congress to Educate, Connect Growers

Farmers, growers and owners of agritourism businesses can gain new information in their fields and connect with other professionals at the Indiana Horticulture Congress and Trade Show in Indianapolis.

The congress, which typically draws more than 800 visitors yearly, will be held Jan. 22-24 at the Wyndham Indianapolis West, 2544 Executive Drive. The conference will feature speakers from around the state on a variety of topics in areas such as agritourism, fresh fruits and vegetables, wine grapes, organics, farmers markets and raw products. There will be luncheons, receptions, banquets, roundtables and lectures.

"Our educational sessions are designed to meet the needs of growers, with information on production practices, pest and disease control, processing, marketing, agritourism, food safety and legislative and regulatory concerns," said Peter Hirst, associate professor of horticulture at Purdue University. "The congress is also a wonderful opportunity to reacquaint with old friends and business contacts, as well as form new connections."

Coinciding with the congress is the trade show with more than 70 exhibitors from equipment, seed, processed food and irrigation companies. During the conference, attendees can participate in a cider contest by submitting two 1-gallon jugs of cider to the registration desk by noon that Wednesday, and can also bid in a silent auction to benefit the tree fruit and vegetable extension and research funds.

Certified private pesticide applicators may attend a recertification session on Wednesday or Thursday. There is a $10 fee to attend the session, and participants must know their private applicator license numbers. Additionally, licensed commercial applicators in category 1 may attend sessions for their continuing certification hours.

Early registration is due by Jan. 14 and must be accompanied by full payment in order to be processed. Fees do not include meals and will vary based on participants' membership in certain horticultural associations. Participants should visit www.inhortcongress.org to register. There will be a late fee of $20 added to the registration price for submissions after Jan. 14. Students and educators are eligible to receive free registration.

For more information, contact Tammy Goodale at 765-494-1296 or tgoodale@purdue.edu.

Purdue Experts Remind About Proper Food Handling Amid Salmonellosis Outbreak

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue University food safety experts are reminding consumers to thoroughly wash and properly store all produce in the wake of a salmonellosis outbreak in Kentucky.

The Kentucky Department for Public Health issued an alert Friday reporting that a salmonellosis outbreak in that state may be related to cantaloupes, specifically melons grown in southwestern Indiana. The alert said an investigation is continuing into other salmonellosis cases in Kentucky that could be related to cantaloupe and watermelon consumption. At this point, there has been no confirmation that any particular grower or growers are connected to the outbreak.

 

Haley Oliver, a Purdue food microbiologist, said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration advises washing cantaloupes under running water with a stiff brush and refrigerating the fruit within two hours of cutting.

 

"Proper refrigeration stops the growth of Salmonella and E. coli," Oliver said. "With cantaloupe, especially, you should entirely remove the rind from the fruit since that rind has crevices and is porous."

 

Oliver said all fruits and vegetables should be thoroughly washed, and anyone with compromised immune systems, including children or the elderly, should cook those foods.

 

"This doesn't mean that people need to stop eating melons. Proper washing of all produce minimizes risks of foodborne illnesses," Oliver said.

 

An FDA guide to selecting and safely serving fruits and vegetables can be viewed at: http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm114299

 

Daniel Egel, a Purdue Extension plant pathologist who specializes in vegetable pathology, said that salmonella is often transferred to food through manure. He said that the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires that manure be applied long before crops are planted, that workers wash their hands and that produce should be thoroughly washed to prevent such incidents.

Upcoming Events - Cooking Up a Food Business in the Home Kitchen

Do you have a great recipe or product you love to make? Do you wish you could turn that into a home-based business? As a result of a recently passed law by the Indiana General Assembly allowing certain foods to be produced in the home kitchen and sold at farmers’ markets and roadside stands, this is now an option. Purdue Extension of Spencer County is hosting a three-part webinar series, “Cooking up a Food Business in the Home Kitchen”, that will address the opportunities and limitations of a home-based food business as well as safe food handling and preparation practices for the home kitchen. 

The sessions will be held on consecutive Tuesday mornings from March 20 to April 3 at the Spencer County 4-H Fairgrounds in Chrisney from 9:00 – 10:30 AM. The cost of the program is $20 per person for the three-session series or $8 per person per individual session. Early bird registration deadline is March 16. After the deadline, registration cost is increased by $10 per person. In addition to live, on-site viewing, participants have the option of viewing live or recorded sessions from home via a high-speed internet connection. The registration cost and deadline remain the same for at-home viewing. 

Registration brochures are available by contacting Purdue Extension-Spencer County at (812) 649-6022 or nheld@purdue.edu. They are also available online.