2020 Vermont Vegetable and Berry Grower Webinar Series
July 29: Spotted Wing Drosophila Management - Vern Grubinger. Slides (PDF) and
August 5: Update on Insects and Diseases - Ann Hazelrigg and Margaret Skinner. Slides (PDF) and
August 12: High Tunnel Tomato Management - Becky Maden and Cheryl Frank Sullivan. Slides (PDF) and
August 19: Tour of Recent Wash/Pack Facility Projects - Andy Chamberlin. Slides (PDF) and
August 26: Fall Cover Crop Options - Becky Maden and Laura Johnson. Slides (PDF) and
September 2: Open Q&A
September 9: Saffron Production - Arash Ghalehgolabbehbahani, Cobble Creek Nursery, Golden Thread Farm. Slides (PDF) and
September 30: Digital Marketing Planning - Zac Smith. Slides (PDF) and . This webinar will introduce the new ¶¶Òõ̽̽ Extension Agricultural Business Digital Marketing Planner, or AgBiz DMP, which was developed to be a source of professional support to farmers throughout Vermont as they strengthen their business through online activities. The AgBiz DMP allows farm businesses to learn about digital marketing basics and ¶¶Òõ̽̽ Extension specialists will give direct feedback during the planning process that will lead to a complete digital marketing plan for the farm business at the end of the process. Zac Smith is a ¶¶Òõ̽̽ Extension farm business and ag business marketing specialist.
October 7: Managing Leek Moth – Scott Lewins and Vic Izzo. Slides (PDF) and . This webinar will cover the basic biology and ecology of Leek Moth, as well as known management strategies. Preliminary results from ongoing research on pre- and post-harvest management tactics will also be presented. Scott is an Entomology Extension Educator working with both ¶¶Òõ̽̽ Extension Northwest Crops & Soils Program and the Plant and Soil Science Department. Vic is an evolutionary ecologist and entomologist in the ¶¶Òõ̽̽ Plant and Soil Science Dept.
October 14: Aphid and Disease Management for Winter Greens in Tunnels - Cheryl Sullivan and Ann Hazelrigg. Slides (PDF) and . This webinar will have two parts: Cheryl will discuss and show slides of strategies for avoiding an aphid apocalypse, then Ann will describe diseases to look out for and how to deal with the pathogens that are common on winter greens. Cheryl is an IPM Technician and a PhD Candidate in Integrated Pest Management & Biological Control. Ann is the ¶¶Òõ̽̽ Extension Plant Pathologist and Director of the Plant Diagnostic Clinic.
October 21: Root Washing Systems – Hans Estrin. . This webinar will weigh cost and benefits of small to large-scale root washing systems. From spray tables, to barrel washer to rinse conveyors, we will view and discuss lessons learned, tips and time and back-saving innovations on successful farms in our region, and leave plenty of room for questions. Hans Estrin is the Produce Safety Specialist and CAPS Coordinator wit ¶¶Òõ̽̽ Extension.
October 28: Steaming Tunnel Soils – Becky Maden. Slides (PDF) and and Andre Cantelmo slides (PDF). Join ¶¶Òõ̽̽ Extension’s Becky Maden and Andre Cantelmo of Heron Pond Farm in NH for a webinar about soil steaming in high tunnels for chickweed control. Becky is beginning a two year research study funded by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture's Specialty Crop Block Grant program to better understand best practices and costs associated with soil steaming. The trial is already underway, and she has lots to share, including ideas about equipment and supplies for steaming, timing, costs, and potential impacts on soil microbiology. Andre has many years of tunnel steaming experience and will share some tips about what he has learned to get succesful weed control for winter greens.
November 4: Creature Comforts in the Packshed – Andy Chamberlin. Slides (PDF) and . Simple tools, layouts and infrastructure can make a HUGE difference in both physical comfort and morale on your farm. Andy will share some examples of what farmers have been pleased with in their wash-pack, and invite participants to share about improvements. Whether you are building a new pack shed or just looking for an idea to make a quick improvement on your farm, these ideas might improve the situation and make the space more comfortable and enjoyable. Andy is the Agricultural Engineering Technician with ¶¶Òõ̽̽ Extension.
November 11: Business Planning Support for the Clean Water Initiative – Zach Smith and Tony Kitsos. Slides (PDF) and . The Clean Water Initiative Program (CWIP) funds, tracks, and reports on projects to restore Vermont’s waters. ¶¶Òõ̽̽ Extension farm business educators, Tony Kitsos and Zac Smith are available to work with dairy and livestock, as well as non-dairy farm owners to assess and plan for business changes to meet water quality goals. Farm owners can work one-on-one with a business educator to evaluate the feasibility and impact of changes facing the farm and business. This session will focus on addressing any questions that farmers or service providers have about water quality goals. Zach Smith and Tony Kitsos are agricultural business educators with ¶¶Òõ̽̽ Extension and are part of the ¶¶Òõ̽̽ Extension Farm Viability team.
December 2: Bags, Liners, Containers - So Many Options – Chris Callahan. Slides (PDF) and . This slides show will describe the range of containers, bags, and liners. So many options and such a frequent question on the VVBGA listserv. We'll take a look at what most people are using specific items for and how they like using them. We'll also talk about some of the nuance of each option and how things can go wrong. Chris Callahan leads the ¶¶Òõ̽̽ Extension Agricultural Engineering program and is Director of the Northeast Center for the Advancement of Food Safety.
December 9: Adding Tree Fruit to a Diversified Farm - Terry Bradshaw Adding Tree Fruit to a Diversified Farm. Perennial crops like apples and other tree fruit have important requirements that are different from annual crops. By understanding site and management needs of tree fruit crops, diversified crops producers may successfully include them into their farm's mix. This webinar will introduce site selection and modification; cultivar and rootstocks; training systems; and pest management considerations for successful orchard production. Resources for further learning will also be presented. Finally, we will meet with Susan Haynie and Norah Lake, two diversified growers who have added orchard crops to their farms. Presenter and organizer Dr. Terence Bradshaw Directs the ¶¶Òõ̽̽ Fruit Program and Horticulture Research and Education Center, and has grown and studied tree fruit for over 25 years.
December 16: VVBGA Meet and Greet. Lisa McDougall, Justin Rich, Andy Jones. Join the President, Vice-president and Treasurer of the association to get overview of the VVBGA, what the Board has been doing in recent years, and a chance for members to give input/suggestions and ask questions. There will also be a demonstration of the VVBGA's of the new web site.