Fruit Program News
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Picking and handling tree-ripe peaches (2022)
August 1, 2022Jon Clements Extension Tree Fruit Specialist, UMass Amherst
Picking and handling tree ripe peaches (PDF)
It is not necessary to wait for peaches to soften before they are tree-ripe.
Here are a few pointers for picking tree-ripe peaches, and then for handling peaches when you get them home.
When picking peaches in the orchard:
- look for the absence of green skin/background color – any green will have changed to yellow (or white if it is a white-flesh peach) when the peach is tree-ripe; if there is still some green skin, let the peach stay on the tree to ripen more
- bright red-orange skin color is a good sign of ripeness, however, it depends on the variety – some are very red-orange, some less so; a fully yellow/white background (no green) is still the best indicator of tree-ripeness on peaches that don’t have as much red-orange color
- IF you must -- but please don't during the 2020 pandemic! -- squeeze the peach to assess ripeness, don’t squeeze too hard, that will result in an unsightly bruise
- larger peaches ripen first and peaches in the tops of the trees also ripen first
- a ripe peach will separate from the tree easily; if the peach is difficult to pick leave it on the tree to ripen longer
Once you get your peaches home, here is the proper way to handle and fully ripen them:
- Do not leave in any kind of plastic bag if that is what you picked into
- Do not put the peaches in the sun or a hot room or car trunk – they will not ripen evenly
- Do not put them in the refrigerator unless you want them not to ripen
- Put the peaches on newspaper in a single layer not touching each other
- Check to see as they start to soften by feeling them gently – don't push hard on them or they will bruise
- When the fruit is soft, they are ripe and juicy, so ENJOY! Note this may takeseveral days.
- This applies to peaches, nectarines, and plums too..
Thanks to my good friend Annette Bjorge, Fruit Acres Farm, Coloma, MI for peach handling tips
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Summer Research and Extension Experiences for Undergraduates Internship with the UMass Extension Fruit Team
April 6, 2022 -
NEWA 3.0 - what you need to know
March 28, 2022 -
NEWA 3.0 Tutorial - Online Workshop
January 29, 2022NEWA 3.0 Tutorial - Online Workshop
February 7, 2022, 9am—12:30pm
The new NEWA 3.0 system is online (https://newa.cornell.edu/), and 2022 will be the first year when you will not be able to use the old version. If you have not yet looked at the new website, or if you have looked at it but weren’t sure how to best use it, the “NEWA 3.0 Tutorial Online Workshop” is perfect for you.Register now: https://cornell.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIldempqjoqH9DBksZXqKQ_B3epoAHmT64P
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2022 Mass Aggie Seminars Announced!
January 12, 2022 -
2021 GLEXPO Posters
December 7, 2021 -
Northeast Extension Fruit Consortium's 2022 Winter Webinar Series Announced
November 19, 2021 -
New England Vegetable & Fruit Conference "Light"
October 30, 2021New England Vegetable and Fruit Conference 2021-Online Light!
December 13-17, 2021
Enjoy the New England Fruit and Vegetable Conference from the comfort of your own living room! The conference will be online this year, due to the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic. The program will be a streamlined version of our usual in-person content, with one morning and one afternoon session per day for one week, December 13th-17th. Tree fruit, small fruit, and vegetables will all be covered, and pesticide and certified crop advisor credits will be available. Check out the schedule, speaker line up and registration here. We hope to see you online this December, and in person in December 2022!
$50 registration fee gains you full access to the program and 3-months access to the recordings.
Session Topics will include: Tillage Reduction Innovations, Climate Adaption Strategies on the Farm, Soil Health, Automation for Small Vegetable Growers, Inspirations from Away, 2 Berry Crop Sessions and 2 Tree Fruit Sessions as well as a session on Vegetable Disease and Pest Updates.
Register: https://nevbga.com/nevfc/
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MFGA Summer Meeting - July 14, 2021
July 14, 2021Massachusetts Fruit Growers Association Annual Summer Meeting
Wednesday, July 14, 2021
Clarkdale Fruit Farms, Deerfield, MA
More information and register (by July 12) here: http://massfruitgrowers.org/2021/2021summermeeting.html
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June fruit twilight meetings
June 5, 2021June fruit twilight meetings scheduled for Tuesday, June 8 at Honey Pot Hill Orchards in Stow, MA and Tuesday, June 15 at Outlook Farm, Westhampton, MA. Meetings start at 5:30 PM, no pre-registration required. One pesticide recertification credit available and a light supper will be served. There is a $20 meeting fee (cash preferred) payable at the door for those receiving pesticide credit. For more information click here. Hope to see you there!