Proceedings
Variety Tasting Event - Tuesday, December 12, 2017
Presentations
Strawberry I
- Getting Started in Strawberries - Matted Row
David Handley, University of Maine - Strawberry Variety Update - June-Bearing
Kathy Demchak, Penn State University - Understanding & Preventing Winter Injury
David Handley, University of Maine - Improving Pesticide Spray Effectiveness
Laura McDermott, Cornell University - Strawberry Weed Management Update
David Handley, University of Maine
Tree Fruit I
- Nitrogen Management in Apple Orchards
Lailang Cheng, Cornell University - Developing a Multi-lifestage Management Strategy for Plum Curculio
Tracy Leskey, USDA Appalachian Fruit Exp. Station, WV - Managing Fire Blight Under Humid Climate Conditions in Eastern US
Quan Zeng, Connecticut Ag Experiment Station - Early Training of High Density Apple Trees: what works and what doesn’t
Andre Tougas - Tougas Family Farm, MA
Tyler Hardy - Brookdale Orchards, NH
Peter Rogers - Rogers Orchard, CT
Winter Growing
- Profitable Winter Production of Sprouts & Microgreens in Michigan
Brian Bates, Bear Creek Organic Farm, MI - Amazing Winter Tunnel Weed Control
Andre Cantelmo, Heron Pond Farm, NH - Managing Spinach Downy Mildew & Other Diseases in Winter Greens
Meg McGrath, Cornell University - A Farmer’s Winter Production Story in VT
Paul Horton, Foggy Meadow Farm, VT - Baby Lettuce and Other Winter Greens Trials at Intervale Community Farm
Andy Jones, Intervale Community Farm, VT
Cucurbits & Melons
- Grafting Melons to Extend the Growing Season, Reduce Sudden Wilt and Increase Yield
Janel Martin, University of New Hampshire - Developing Innovative Cucurbit Varieties for Expanding Local Markets
Brent Loy, University of New Hampshire - Growing Melons at Crossroad Farm and Choosing Great Varieties
Tim Taylor, Crossroad Farm, Fairlee VT - Growing Fall Cucumbers; Efficacy & Economics of Downy Mildew Resistant Varieties
Susan Scheufele, University of Massachusetts - Update on Fungicides for Managing Disease in Pumpkins
Meg McGrath, Cornell University
Root Crops
- Results from our Carrot & Beet Variety Trials
Crystal Stewart, Cornell University - Weed Control in our Root Crops at Tangerini Spring St. Farm
Laura Tangerini, Tangerini Spring St. Farm, Millis MA - Growing & Marketing Celeriac & Rutabaga at Goranson Farm
Rob Johanson, Goranson Farm, Dresden ME - How We Do Root Crops at Juniper Hill Farm
Adam Hainer, Juniper Hill Farm, Wadhams NY - Root Crop Diseases: from top to bottom
Rob Wick, University of Massachusetts
Wildlife Mangement
- Managing Voles in Vegetable Crops & High Tunnels
Alan Eaton, University of New Hampshire - Use of Repellants for Averting Deer & Rabbit Damage
Scott Williams, CT Agricultural Experiment Station - Managing Canada Goose, Starling, & Blackbird Damage at Farms in New England
Timothy Cozine, USDA APHIS - Using a Sonic Net to Deter Wildlife: a potential longterm solution for reducing crop los
John Swaddle, College of William & Mary, Williamsburg VA - Laser Scarecrows: Gimmick or Solution?
Rebecca Brown, University of Rhode Island
Strawberry II
- Getting Started in Strawberries - Plasticulture
David Handley, University of Maine - Strawberry Variety Update - Day Neutrals
Kathy Demchak, Penn State University - Low Tunnel Strawberry Production
Marvin Pritts, Cornell University - Fungicide Resistance: How to Manage Gray Mold Issues
Laura McDermott, Cornell Cooperative Extension - Irrigation & Fertigation Update
Trevor Hardy, Brookdale Fruit Farm, Hollis NH
Tree Fruit II
- Evercrisp/MAIA - Managed Apple Varieties for Everyone
Bill Dodd, Fruit Growers’ Marketing Assoc., Amherst OH - Bitter Pit Control in Honeycrisp, Physiology & Mitigation Strategies
Lailang Cheng, Cornell University - Storing Honeycrisp, Pomology’s Problem Child
Randy Beaudry, Michigan State University - Apple Crop Load Management
Jim Schupp, Penn State University - Killing Them Softly: Do Soft Fungicides Work?
Patricia McManus, University of Wisconsin - Madison
Cover Crops
- Making the Most of a Buckwheat Cover Crop
Thomas Björkman, Cornell University - Growing Sun Hemp as a Cover Crop
Jody Bolluyt, Roxbury Farm, Kinderhook NY - Multi-Species Cover Crops
Justin Rich, Burnt Rock Farm, Huntington VT - How to Buy High Quality Cover Crop Seed
Keith Berns, Green Cover Seeds, Bladen NE - Using Mustard as a Biofumigant Cover Crop
Bob Gray, Four Corners Farm, S. Newbury VT
Specialty Vegetable Crops
- An Integrated Approach to Grow & Market Crops for Ethnic Markets
Frank Mangan, University of Massachusetts - Feeding Diversity: Lessons Learned from Okra Production in Ontario
Viliam Zvalo, Vineland Research & Innovation Centre, Ontario - Saffron: A Good Fit for New England?
Margaret Skinner, University of Vermont - Culinary Breeding: a New Way to Look at Specialty Crops?
Lane Selman, Oregon State University
Lindsay Wyatt, Johnny’s Selected Seeds, Winslow ME - Bonus Presentation - Speciality Crops and Season Extension at UNH
Sweet Corn
- Current Management Strategies for Sweet Corn Worm Pests
Galen Dively, University of Maryland - Sonic Net: a New Tool for Reducing Bird Damage in Sweet Corn
John Swaddle, College of William & Mary, Williamsburg VA - Selecting the Right Varieties on Our Farm
Tim Stanton, Stanton’s Feura Farm, Feura Bush NY
Paul Gove, Gove Farm, Leominster MA
Jim Ward, Ward’s Berry Farm, Sharon MA
Soil Health
- Cover Crop Mixes
Keith Berns, Green Cover Seeds, Bladen NE - Weed Management in Mixed & Segregated Cover Crop Residues
Dan Brainard, University of Michigan - Optimizing Compost & Fertilizer Rates in Organic Residue-Till
Nicholas Rowley, University of Maine - Comparison of Reduced Tillage Strategies for Small-Scale Organic Vegetable Systems
Anu Rangarajan, Cornell University - Tarping Soils to Minimize Tillage & Reduce Weeds
Ryan Matthew Mahar, Cornell University
Stone Fruit
- Plum Variety Evaluation in Maine - Growing & Tasting
Renae Moran, University of Maine - Peach Systems - Trials, Tribulations & My Opinion!
Jim Schupp, Penn State University - What’s Bugging My Peaches?
Dean Polk, Rutgers University - Recommended Peach Varieties for New England
Tom Callahan, Adams County Nursery - 15 Years of Peach Variety Evaluation at the UMass Orchard
Jon Clements, University of Massachusetts
Brassicas & Leafy Greens
- Innovations in Greens Washing - With an Eye to Food Safety
Rob Rock, Upstream Ag/Pitchfork Farm, Burlington VT - Greens Equipment from Seeding to Harvest at Jericho Settlers Farm
Mark Fasching & Christa Alexander, Jericho Settlers Farm, Jericho VT - Managing Insecticide Resistance: a Diamondback Moth Case Study
Christy Hoepting, Cornell University - Why Are My Greens Brown? 2017 Disease Update
Ann Hazelrigg, University of Vermont - Growing Unique Brassicas for Fresh Market Sales
Jan van der Heide, Bejo Seeds, Geneva NY
Mechanical Weed Control
- Evolving Cultivation Strategies at Roxbury Farm
Jody Bolluyt, Roxbury Farm, Kinderhook NY - Stacking Tools for Improved Weed Control
Eric Gallandt, University of Maine - How I Learned to Use a Kress Cultivator
Andre Cantelmo, Heron Pond Farm, S. Hampton NH - Optimizing the Use of Tine Weeders
Bob LeFrancios, Kovar Organic Equipment, Franklin PA - Weed Mats, Living Mulches & Cultivation
David Marchant, River Berry Farm, Fairfax VT
Wine Grapes
- Strategies for Canopy Management for Optimal Juice Quality
Elsa Petit, University of Massachusetts - Cold Climate Wine Grape Varieties for New England
Andy Farmer, Northeastern Vine Supply, West Pawlet VT - Integrated Disease Management Based on Cultivar Susceptibility & Fungicide Sensitivity
Patricia McManus, University of Wisconsin-Madison - Grape Weed Management Update
Hilary Sandler, University of Massachusetts - Our Experience with Wine Grapes at Jones Family Farm
Jamie Jones, Jones Family Farm, Shelton CT
Eggplant & Peppers
- Four Years of Pepper Trials at Highmoor Farm
Mark Hutton, University of Maine - Diseases of Peppers & Eggplant
Cheryl Smith, University of New Hampshire - Chili Pepper Production for Our Sriracha Products
Tim Wilcox, Kitchen Garden, Sunderland MA - Pepper Maggot is Now a Pest to be Managed
Jude Boucher, University of Connecticut - Boosting Production of Asian Eggplant Varieties
Viliam Zvalo, Vineland Research & Innovation Centre, Ontario
Brambles
- Cultural Management Techniques for Avoiding Light & Heat-Induced Fruit Damage
Fumiomi Takeda, USDA Appalachian Fruit Exp. Station, WV - Choosing the Best Raspberry Cultivars for High Tunnel Production
Eric Hanson, Michigan State University - My Experience Growing Berries in Tunnels
Adam Hausman, Adam’s Berry Farm, Charlotte VT - Current Research on Trap-and-Kill SWD Management
Tracy Leskey, USDA Appalachian Fruit Exp. Station, WV - Alternative Methods of Primocane Management for Primocane-Fruiting Blackberries and Raspberries
Fumiomi Takeda, USDA Appalachian Fruit Exp. Station, WV
Organic Production
- Tarps and Cocktails: Can We Enhance Effectiveness & Flexibility in Cover Cropping?
Richard Smith, University of New Hampshire - Here Today & Gone Tomorrow: Understanding the Dynamic Nature of Nitrogen
Heather Darby, University of Vermont - Organic Protected Vegetables Grown on Raised Demarcated Beds - Fertility Management
Martine Dorais, Laval University, Quebec Canada - How to Market Organic Vegetables Now That it is Competitive
Kate Donald, Stout Oak Farm, Brentwood NH - To Grow or Not to Grow
Steve Fulton, Blue Ox Farm, Enfield NH
Post Harvest Tools And Tips
- Post Harvest Cooling & Curing
Chris Callahan, University of Vermont - Lessons Learned Rebuilding our Wash, Pack & Storage
Paul Arnold, Pleasant Valley Farm, Argyle NY - Cleaning Brushes & Other Nasty Wash Line Parts
Amanda Kinchla, University of Massachusetts - Designing for Efficiency in Wash & Pack Sheds
Jean-Paul Cortens, Hudson Valley Farm Hub, Hurley NY - Managing E. coli in Vegetable Wash Water
Vern Grubinger, University of Vermont
Hard Cider & Cider Apples
- Constraints & Opportunities in Growing Apples for the Cider Market
Terence Bradshaw, University of Vermont - Selling Apples to Cideries; What We’re Looking For
Justin Heilenbach, Citizen Cider, Burlington VT - Three Decades of Growing Cider Apples in New England
Steve Wood, Farnum Hill Cider, Lebanon NH - Cidernomics: The Economics of Choices in Cider Production & Marketing
Eleanor Leger, Eden Specialty Ciders, Newport VT - Stepping Into Cider Making: What’s Worked for Us
Dan Wilson, Hick’s Orchard/Slyboro Cider, Granville NY
Andy Ricker, Ricker Hill Orchard, Turner ME
Peter Mitchell, Headwater Cider, Hawley MA
Table Grapes
- Basic Canopy & Cluster Mangement During the Growing Season part one
- Basic Canopy & Cluster Management During the Growing Season part two
Sonia Schloemann, University of Massachusetts
George Hamilton, University of New Hampshire - Growing Seedless Table Grapes in A High Tunnel
Andy Farmer, Northeastern Vine Supply, West Pawlet VT - Basic Grape Disease Identification & Management
Patricia McManus, University of Wisconsin - Madison - Basic Insect Identification and Management
Alan Eaton, University of New Hampshire - Using Soil Testing & Tissue Analysis for Vineyard Nutrient Management
George Hamilton, University of New Hampshire
Blueberry I
- Blueberry Varieties I Like
Eric Hanson, Michigan State University - Pruning Blueberry Bushes
Marvin Pritts, Cornell University - Proper Fertility Management for Blueberries
Eric Hanson, Michigan State University - Growing Pesticide-Free Blueberries in the Age of Spotted Wing Drosophila
Dale Ila Riggs, The Berry Patch, Stephentown NY - Chemicals & Equipment for Controlling Spotted Wing Drosophila
Dean Polk, Rutgers University
Farm Business Metrics
- Reading Financial Statements
Julia Shanks, Julia Shanks Food Consulting, Cambridge MA - The Power of Margins
Erin S. Pirro, Farm Credit East, Enfield CT - Ratios to Keep Your Business Running at Maximum Performance
Erin S. Pirro, Farm Credit East, Enfield CT - Farming Smarter Not Harder: Discovering your Profit Centers
Richard Wiswall, Cate Farm, Plainfield VT
High Tunnels
- Refining High Tunnel Production at Queen’s Greens
Danya Tietelbaum, Queen’s Greens, Amherst MA - Organic Berry Production in High Tunnels in Quebec
Martine Dorais, Laval University, Quebec Canada - High Tunnel Soil Management Updates
Bruce Hoskins, University of Maine - Habitat Plants to Attract Natural Enemies into High Tunnel Crops
Cheryl Frank Sullivan, University of Vermont - Choosing Varieties for High Tunnel Crops
Becky Sideman, University of New Hampshire
Nutrient Mangement
- Nutrient Management for Fruit Farms
Mary Concklin, University of Connecticut - Growing Our Own Nitrogen: Results from 12 On-Farm Trials in MA & VT
Becky Maden, University of Vermont
Ryan Karb, Many Hands Farm Corp, Amherst MA - Nutrient Management at Langwater Farm: Covercrops & Compost
Kevin O’Dwyer, Langwater Farm, N. Easton MA - Phosphorous Management for Vegetable Farmers
Bruce Hoskins, University of Maine
Potatoes
- BMPs for Dickeya Management Q&A
Margaret McGrath, Cornell University - Next Generation Potato Varieties
John Jemison, University of Maine - Growing Potatoes Organically on Long Island
Fred Lee, Sang Lee Farms, Peconic NY - Nurse Cropping in Potato Systems
John Jemison, University of Maine - Ecological Pest Management for Potatoes
Andrei Alyokhin, University of Maine
Blueberry II
- Post-Harvest Handling Can Improve Fresh Market Success
Chris Callahan, University of Vermont
Robert Hadad, Cornell University - How I Grow Certified Organic Blueberries
David Ingalls, Ingalls Blueberry Hill, Milford NY - Weed Control in Blueberries: Strategies for Success
Thierry Besancon, Rutgers University - Blueberry Disease: An Overview for New England Growers
Peter Oudemans, Rutgers University - Pollinating Blueberries for Improved Profit
Frank Drummond, University of Maine
Farm Decisions
- The Struggle to ‘Right Size’ My Farm
Sylvester ‘Pete’ Taliaferro, Taliaferro Farm, New Paltz NY - Planning for Growth
Julia Shanks, Julia Shanks Food Consulting, Cambridge MA - Effective Marketing for the Busy Farmer
Laura Biasillo, Cornell University - Planning Farm Infrastructure for Maximum Efficiency
Erin S. Pirro, Farm Credit East, Enfield CT - Farm Mechanizations and Efficiencies
Richard Wiswall, Cate Farm, Plainfield VT
Water Management & Irrigation
- The Way We Use Irrigation for Fruit & Vegetable Production
George Hamilton, University of New Hampshire
Jim Ward, Ward’s Berry Farm, Sharon MA
David Wadleigh, Kimball Fruit Farm, Pepperell MA
Russell Holmberg, Holmberg Orchards, Gales Ferry CT - Drip Irrigation Uniformity
Bill Wolfram, Toro Ag, Accomac VA - How to Measure Irrigation Needs with Soil Moisture Sensors
Trevor Hardy, Brookdale Fruit Farm, Hollis NH - NRCS Practices & Programs that Focus on Irrigation
Chad Cochrane, NH NRCS, Concord NH
Infrastructure Decisions
- Building the Farm of Your Dreams
Caroline Pam, The Kitchen Garden, Sunderland MA - Positioning our Farm so Expansion & Change is Embraced by our Neighbors and Community
John Moulton, Moulton Farm, Meredith NH - Infrastructure Decision Making: What Do You Consider?
Seth Wilner, University of NH
Pooh Sprague, Edegwater Farm, Plainfield NH - Infrastructure Design with the FSMA Produce Safety Rule in Mind
Chris Callahan, University of Vermont
Tomatoes
- Tomato Pest Management
Ann Hazelrigg, University of Vermont - Breeding for Better Disease Resistance & Flavor
Emily Haga, Johnny’s Selected Seeds, Albion ME - Getting Started with Grafting
Andrew Mefferd, Growing for Market Magazine, Skowhegan ME - Response of Determinate Field Tomatoes to Foliar Nutrients
Andy Radin, University of Rhode Island - High Quality Heirloom Production
Jon Berube, Heron Pond Farm, S. Hampton NH