Matt Milkovich is an associate editor at Good Fruit Grower magazine. Based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Milkovich expands our coverage of the Eastern U.S. fruit growing regions and provides a perspective from east of the Mississippi.
Milkovich earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Michigan State University and served as the former managing editor of Fruit Growers News and Vegetable Growers News, where he worked for more than 12 years. He also worked as a communications manager at MSU and as managing editor of a trade magazine covering the manufactured housing industry.
With a self-professed fondness for writing about farming — and especially fruit — Milkovich brings a depth of experience and enthusiasm for our industry.
Phone: 616-633-5669 — Email
My Recent Articles
Tart cherry groups name Cohn as new president
The Cherry Industry Administrative Board and Cherry Marketing Institute have named Amy Cohn as their new president...
Wine grapes bred to chill
Interest rising in cold-hardy grapes after destructive Northern winters.
A tale of two seasons for spotted wing drosophila
Researchers dial in on SWD management in Michigan.
Ground control for cider apple harvest
Three-year, USDA-funded project aims to show hard-cider apples can be safely picked off the ground.
Price pivots for apple producers
Growers seeking greater profits in organic and direct-retail markets.
Growers grappling with laws, labor and lawsuits
New laws push farm labor union efforts in New York and California.
Fresh transitions for Michigan cherry growers
Michigan growers tightening sweet cherry plantings.
Growers getting lawmakers to tune in to labor problems
Michigan groups band together to fight rising H-2A wages.
Automated apple harvester and in-field sorter advancing in trials
U.S. Department of Agriculture and Michigan State University collaborate on multitasking machine.
Old Mission makeover from trees to vines
Couple provides crucial vineyard management on Michigan peninsula.
Armillaria armor in the orchard
The search for an Armillaria-resistant rootstock for cherries continues.
IFTA winter tour will be in Rochester, New York
The International Fruit Tree Association will hold its 2025 Annual Meeting in Rochester, New York, Feb. 16–19...
Michigan hort society honors Dave Smeltzer and Vance Baird
The EXPO Social, the 2024 version of the Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable and Farm Market
EXPO update on SWD parasitoid releases
—by Matt Milkovich The invasive spotted wing drosophila can devastate cherries and blueberries in Michigan,
Great Lakes EXPO speaker examines the sweetness-to-acidity ratio for sweet cider
Shanthanu Krishna Kumar, right, Penn State University assistant professor of tree fruit, discusses sweet cider
EXPO preview: Talking about your regeneration
Great Lakes EXPO speaker shares approaches to regenerate your soil, your plants and your bottom line.
Farmfluencers building brands for their farms
Branding brings benefits and drawbacks for agritourism.
Trellis tryout for peach production
Ohio growers share experiences with planar peach plantings.
Grand Rapids gathering
2024 Great Lakes EXPO packed with fruit sessions.
Hurricane Helene inflicts $6 billion in damages to Georgia ag
Hurricane Helene left behind an estimated $6.46 billion in damage to Georgia’s agriculture and forestry industries, according to preliminary damage assessments...
Studies reveal a bitter pit breakdown
Michigan State University research into Honeycrisp physiology shows timing is key for managing bitter pit.
Apples made in the Midwest
Quest for the perfect variety grows beyond one region.
Industry advocating Eat More Apples campaign
Downturn in apple consumption sparks new marketing effort.
Promising picks in the pear pipeline
USDA pear breeding program getting back into gear.
Penn State offers online food safety course for apple packers
Penn State Extension is offering a new online course for apple packing house operators that want to provide food safety training to employees...
Sounding the alert for spotted lanternfly
Stakeholder networks attempt to slow spread of spotted lanternfly.
Ag researchers learning how to teach a robot
Scientists at Cornell and Carnegie Mellon universities are teaching a machine to prune grapevines like humans do.
Brett Baker named chair of USApple board of directors
The U.S. Apple Association named Brett Baker the new chair of its board of directors...
Ag tech apps with a small-farm focus
Labor apps expand reach to help growers with smaller operations.
USApple estimate for 2024-25 predicts slightly smaller crop than last year
The U.S. Apple Association made its final prediction of the size of the 2024–25 U.S. apple crop: 260 million 42-pound bushels...