Tennessee Strawberries Prepare To Take Cover
April 3, 2016
Nashville, TN – Tennessee’s much anticipated strawberry crop will be ready for picking in the next two or three weeks. However, between now and harvest, if current forecasts hold, those berries may have to “take cover” several times to avoid frost damage.
Tennessee weather is predictably unpredictable. It may be spring, but Tennessee typically experiences a few more winter-like periods—called blackberry winter and dogwood winter—before the average late April last-freeze date has passed.
Strawberry Crops will be ready for picking the next few weeks.
Tennessee Apple Orchards Get “Reprieve” Thanks to Recent Turn in the Weather
September 26, 2013
Nashville, TN – “We’ve had a reprieve,” says Dr. David Lockwood, fruit specialist and professor of plant science at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture.
“Despite this year’s challenges, the state’s apple orchards are on target now to produce an average sized crop.”
Tennessee usually boasts a statewide apple yield between 7.5 and 9 million pounds, and the fruit crop specialist says he’s guessing this year’s commercial crop will fall within that range. [Read more]
Tennessee Department of Agriculture says Be Good to Sweet Potatoes and They’ll Be Good to You
September 22, 2013
Nashville, TN – Tennessee grown sweet potatoes can be found at virtually every local farmers market across the state throughout the fall, peaking in October and November. When chosen and stored with care, this is that rare vegetable that actually gets better as it waits to be used.
That’s great news for winter meals, since there are few options for fresh local produce between November and April. Following a few simple guidelines will keep your sweet potatoes in top condition until you use them.
Sweet Potato Souffles
Department of Agriculture says Pick Perfect Local Peaches in Tennessee; While They Last
August 16, 2013
Nashville, TN – Turns out, bigger really isn’t always better—at least when it comes to peaches. Tennessee’s peaches may not match their rivals in size this year, but that’s exactly why, at the end of a soggy summer, Tennessee peaches have more flavor packed beneath their fuzzy exteriors.
In many parts of the Deep South this summer, excessive rains have affected famous peach crops in a way that isn’t immediately evident.
Pick Perfect Local Peaches in Tennessee
Tennessee Department of Agriculture reports Trapping Underway for Tree Pest across Tennessee
June 1, 2013
Purple Beetle Traps Going Up in Ash Trees
Nashville, TN – Purple three-sided insect traps that resemble a box kite can be seen in ash trees across Tennessee in the next few months as part of a surveillance program by state and federal agencies.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA, APHIS) and the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) are partnering to survey for Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), a non-native, wood-boring beetle that has killed tens of millions of ash trees in the eastern United States and Canada.
Emerald Ash Borer.
Tennessee Department of Agriculture reports Emerald Ash Borer found in Middle Tennessee for the First Time
September 20, 2012
TDA Foresters stress importance of Not Moving Firewood to help Slow Spread
Nashville, TN – Emerald Ash Borer, an invasive insect that destroys ash trees, has recently been found in Smith and Jefferson counties. Smith is the first county in Middle Tennessee where EAB has been found. Both cases have been confirmed by USDA.
While Jefferson County is adjacent to previously quarantined areas where EAB has been confirmed, the find in Smith County was of particular concern because of the distance the insect was found from the already quarantined areas in East Tennessee. The location in Smith County where four EAB were caught is at Cordell Hull Lake in the Elmwood/Granville area.
Emerald Ash Borer.
Tennessee Department of Agriculture reports Tennessee’s Apple Crop Down, But Still Delicious, Despite Challenging Season
September 19, 2012
Nashville, TN – Despite weather challenges in 2012, Tennessee apple orchards will yield about 7.5 million lbs. of apples for harvest before a hard freeze ends the season. Typically the state produces closer to 9 million lbs. of apples between June and the end of October.
This is good news for lovers of local, seasonal foods, who know that apples are one of the few foods that can be stored fresh through the winter.
Old Fashion American Apple Pie
Products So Local, They’re In Your Phone
November 23, 2011
Nashville, TN – Happy Holidays! The Tennessee Department of Agriculture has a gift for you: a store full of locally grown and made products you can keep inside your telephone.
Savvy cell phone users can now point their phone cameras at a “quick response,” or “QR” code, and launch an application that takes them straight to the Pick Tennessee Products website and Taste of Tennessee Online Store. Once the code has done its job, shoppers can instantly access all the local farm-direct ingredients, artisan foods, gift baskets, and even Christmas trees listed at www.picktnproducts.org. [Read more]
