New app connects apple lovers and farmers

Sep 24, 2015

App is available courtesy of Connecticut’s Apple Marketing Board

Apple lovers in Connecticut will now be able to connect with the growers responsible for producing them through a new, free mobile app courtesy the Connecticut Apple Marketing Board (CAMB).

Apples

The app, called CT Apples, was created using grants from the USDA and state department of agriculture. It comes with a variety of features for both Apple and Android product users, including:

Grower directory and directions
Contact information for growers
Links to grower Facebook pages and websites
Grower categories
Grower offerings
Loyalty programs
Child entertainment
Recipes
Picture gallery

“It’s exciting to see the success that the CAMB is having in using social media to promote the state’s orchards,” Agriculture Commissioner Steven Reviczky said in a release. “This is a great way for customers to learn about our extraordinary Connecticut Grown apples and where to find them.”

He said apples are the state’s most important crop, with an average annual harvest of 500,000 bushels valued around $12 million.

Connecticut has faced some adverse apple growing conditions, but is expected to have a successful crop this year.

“The dry conditions actually serve to create an intense flavor in the apples,” said Brian Kelliher, owner of Easy Pickin’s Orchard in Enfield and chairman of the apple marketing board in a release. “Growers have been able to irrigate enough to ensure an excellent crop, so everyone will be able to find their favorite varieties at their local orchard.”

Join the conversation and tell us if you’ll download the app and experience Connecticut’s apple growers.

For all your agriculture mobile app needs, visit the Farms.com apps page.

Video: Winter Canola Trial in Mississippi | Can It Work for Double Cropping? | Pioneer Agronomy

Can winter canola open new opportunities for growers in the Mid-South? In this agronomy update from Noxubee County, Mississippi, Pioneer agronomist Gus Eifling shares an early look at a first-year winter canola trial and what farmers are learning from the field.

Planted in late October on 30-inch rows, the crop is now entering the bloom stage and progressing quickly. In this video, we walk through current field conditions, fertility management, and how timing could make this crop a valuable option for double-cropping soybeans or cotton.

If harvest timing lines up with early May, growers may be able to transition directly into another crop during ideal planting windows. Ongoing field trials will help determine whether canola could become a viable rotational option for the region.

Watch for:

How winter canola is performing in its first season in this Mississippi field

Why growers chose 30-inch rows for this trial

What the crop looks like as it moves from bolting into bloom

Fertility strategy, including nitrogen and sulfur applications

How canola harvest timing could enable double-cropping with soybeans or cotton

Upcoming trials comparing soybeans after canola vs. traditional planting

As more growers look for ways to maximize acres and diversify rotations, experiments like this help determine what new crops might fit into existing systems.