Dr. Ariana P. Torres (Horticulture & Landscape Architecture / Agricultural Economics) has published a new paper with former MS student Jean Pierre Zavala (now at Texas Tech University) in HortTechnology: “HortCalculator: A Web-based Financial Decision-Support Tool for Midwestern Spinach Production in High Tunnels.“ The paper presents HortCalculator, a free, web-based financial planning tool developed for…Read more about New Publication from Ariana Torres and Jean Pierre Zavala[Read More]
Welcome to the off-farm edition of this week’s email! As much as I would love to talk about our pest struggles for the third week in a row, we’re at a point in the season where a lot of the on-farm happenings are more of the same, more of the same. To avoid the redundancy…Read more about This Week at the Purdue Student Farm[Read More]
On July 16 and July 23, Karen Sullivan, Vicki Stirm, Karen Mitchell, and Becky Stevenson hosted The Beauty of Flowers in Floral Design for Purdue University’s Grandparents University. They first talked about the ‘branches’ of horticulture (what you can study and have as a career) and then each participant created a bud vase arrangement to…Read more about HLA Hosts Grandparents University[Read More]
The Purdue Small Farm Education Field Day was held July 23 at the Purdue Student Farm in West Lafayette, drawing 48 attendees from across Indiana for a day of hands-on demonstrations tailored to small-scale and diversified growers. Topics ranged from cut flower production and season extension to nematode management, postharvest sanitation, and mushroom cultivation, with…Read more about Purdue Student Farm Hosts a Full House for Small Farm Education Field Day[Read More]
The 2026 Purdue Fruit and Vegetable Field Day, held July 16 at the Meigs/Throckmorton Purdue Agriculture Center, brought together 58 attendees for a full afternoon of hands-on demonstrations spanning entomology, plant pathology, horticulture, and specialty crop research. The turnout included a large contingent from Corteva, alongside growers, Extension educators, and researchers from across the region…Read more about Purdue Fruit and Vegetable Field Day Draws Strong Crowd to Meigs/Throckmorton[Read More]
August 4, 2026 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Join Purdue Extension and the Diverse Corn Belt initiative for the Vermillion County Diverse Farm Tour, a day of learning, networking, and exploration of agricultural diversification opportunities. Participants will visit local farms and businesses to learn firsthand about production practices, marketing strategies, and value-added agricultural enterprises….Read more about Vermillion County Diverse Farm Tour[Read More]
Landscape professionals, arborists, turf managers, and industry partners will gather at Purdue’s William H. Daniel Turfgrass Research and Diagnostic Center on July 21 for the 2026 Purdue Turf & Landscape Field Day. Hosted in partnership with the Midwest Regional Turf Foundation, the annual event provides attendees with the latest research updates, educational presentations, field demonstrations,…Read more about Purdue Turf and Landscape Field Day is Next Week![Read More]
Ashley Adair and Marty Huseman (ANR Educator, Region 1) presented “A Blueprint for Connection: Using Regional Research to Strengthen Campus-County Extension Relationships” at the National Association of County Agricultural Agents (NACAA) Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement Conference in Denver, Colorado on July 10th. This presentation featured the 2025 Indiana Diverse Farm Tours and the Diverse…Read more about Ashley Adair and Marty Huseman Presented at NACAA[Read More]
Dr. Ariana Torres recently sat down with host Chad on the How We Grow podcast for an episode titled “The number one reason why crops fail!” During the interview, Dr. Torres breaks down the business decisions behind specialty crop farming. She highlights why growing the crop is only half the job—the other half is knowing…Read more about Dr. Ariana Torres Featured on the “How We Grow” Podcast[Read More]
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