Minnesota was dubbed the ‘raspberry consumption capital of America’ in 2017 by wholesaler Driscoll’s, Inc. Local production of this high-demand fruit, however, is limited by the invasive pest, spotted wing Drosophila (Drosophila suzukii Matsumura, Diptera: Drosophilidae). Recent research to develop integrated pest management (IPM) programs for MN berry crops indicates that raspberry growers are particularly vulnerable to significant spotted wing Drosophila-related yield losses. Spotted wing Drosophila was detected in Minnesota in 2012 across 29 counties. This analysis explores the economic impact of raspberry yield losses associated with spotted wing Drosophila in Minnesota as part of a multifaceted research initiative. An electronic survey of 157 MN berry growers was conducted in November 2017. Eighty-two individual grower surveys were returned (52% response rate). The survey included questions about production acreage, marketing practices, spotted wing Drosophila-related yield losses and future production intentions. The results of the e-survey indicate that raspberry growers have borne the highest levels of infestation among MN fruit growers surveyed. Spotted wing Drosophila-related yield losses for raspberry growers ranged from 2 to 100% of planted acreage.The median yield loss for this group of growers was 20% in 2017. Applying the median yield loss to ex-ante production estimates, we conclude that MN growers lost approximately $2.36 million in raspberry sales during the 1 yr studied. Investing in spotted wing Drosophila control measures will help MN growers reduce some of these losses in the future.

Drosophila suzukii Matsumura (Diptera: Drosophilidae), or spotted-wing drosophila, is an invasive pest first detected in the United States in 2008. Although D. suzukii can use many cultivated fruit as hosts, raspberries are considered ‘most at risk’ for infestation. Conventional broad-spectrum insecticides are proven effective D. suzukii controls and can be economically profitable when combined with integrated pest management (IPM) on large-scale commercial raspberry farms. It remains unclear, however, whether organic controls are cost-effective strategies, particularly for farms operating on a small-scale seasonal basis, as is common in the Upper Midwest. The purpose of this paper is to explore the efficacy of two organic D. suzukii controls—exclusion netting for high tunnels and organic insecticides for open plots using data available from different field trials—and to ascertain whether any economic benefits of the organic controls outweigh treatment costs for small-scale raspberry operations under different risk scenarios. The field trials suggest that the organic treatments are effective controls for D. suzukii infestation and economically profitable. The exclusion netting treatment produced positive net returns compared to the alternative of no treatment and economically outperformed the organic-certified insecticide treatment for several yield, price and infestation scenarios. As D. suzukii infestation rates increased, net returns improved for both organic treatments. The economic results were robust across a range of yields and prices, suggesting that in almost all scenarios small scale organic raspberry growers benefit economically from the application of exclusion netting on high tunnels and insecticides for open plots.

High-tunnel (HT) systems have been shown to effectively improve yields, fruit quality and profitability. In order to maximize returns on investment, HTs are frequently planted successively with both winter and summer cash crops and may include >2 crop cycles per year in some climates. The intense cultivation strategies used in HT systems necessitate increased tillage and nutrient demands posing challenges for soil health, environmental quality and long-term economic sustainability, particularly among organic growers. Seasonal rotations that incorporate fertility-building cover crops, such as legumes and other green manures, have the potential to build soil organic matter, improve crop yield and reduce applications of animal manure and/or compost. The economic impact of cover crop use in HT production systems poses important implications for organic growers. In this study, we present three partial budget analyses to quantify the economic benefits from a leguminous winter cover crop–tomato cash crop rotation in HTs across three regions. Data used in the economic analysis come from multi-year organic HT field trials in Kansas (2016–2019), Kentucky (2016–2019) and Minnesota (2016–2020). Direct financial benefits from hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) cover crop N credits were observed but not sufficient to offset the direct and indirect costs of the cover crop practice. A winter cover crop used in organic HT vegetable systems results in negative financial benefits to producers even with conservation incentive payments. These results highlight challenges for organic growers who are required under the USDA National Organic Program to incorporate soil building practices as part of their rotation schedule. The findings will also be of interest to policy makers as they refine cost-share offerings and programming to incentivize cover crop adoption as a conservation strategy.

Visible disruptions of appropriate food distribution for end consumers during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic prompted calls for an urgent, renewed look at how the U.S. agri-food system is impacted by and responds to pandemics, natural disasters, and human-made crises. Previous studies suggest the COVID-19 pandemic yielded uneven impacts across agri-food supply chain segments and regions. For a rigorously comparable assessment of the impact of COVID-19 on agri-food businesses, a survey was administered from February to April 2021 to five segments of the agri-food supply chain in three study regions (California, Florida, and the two-state region of Minnesota-Wisconsin). Results (N = 870) measuring the self-reported changes in quarterly business revenue in 2020 compared to businesses’ typical experience pre-COVID-19 suggest significant differences across supply chain segments and regions. In the Minnesota-Wisconsin region, restaurants took the largest hit and the upstream supply chains were relatively unaffected. In California, however, the negative impacts were felt throughout the supply chain. Two factors likely contributed to regional differences: (1) regional disparities in pandemic evolution and governance and (2) structural differences in regional agri-food systems. Regionalized and localized planning and the development of best-practices will be necessary for the U.S. agri-food system to enhance preparedness for and resilience to future pandemics, natural disasters, and human-made crises.

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