Month: June 2016

Northern Grapes News You Can Use: Grape Insect, Disease, and Mite Control

By Terence Bradshaw

http://northerngrapesproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/June-2016-News-You-Can-Use-Disease-and-Insect-biology-and-management.pdf

News You Can Use

Grape Disease, Insect, and Mite Control and Biology

June 2016

A single grape phylloxera leaf gall (left), with the side of the gall opened to show adult female and many yellowish eggs (photo by J. Ogrodnick) and anthracnose lesions on grape berries (right) (photo by W. Wilcox).

Good disease and insect control programs are crucial to producing high-quality grapes, and in turn, great wines. Developing an effective pest management program requires access to complete, accurate, research-based information.

This month, we are sharing two documents that will serve as a cornerstone in developing, or improving, your pest management program. Wayne Wilcox and Greg Loeb, both of Cornell University, are experts in grape fungal diseases and insect pests, respectively. Each year, they publish documents that are packed with great information for both novice and experienced grape growers, which are based on over 20 years of research and hands-on experience. These publications not only synthesize results of their ongoing research projects, but also share new developments in control measures, as well as insights into the biology of grape fungal diseases and insects, allowing for a complete understanding of the pests you are trying to control.

Grape Insect and Mite Pests, 2016 (http://www.fruit.cornell.edu/grape/pdfs/Loeb-Grape Insect Mite Pests 2016.pdf) – Greg Loeb, Department of Entomology, NYSAES, Cornell University, Geneva, N. Y.

Grape Disease Control, 2016 (http://www.fruit.cornell.edu/grape/pdfs/Wilcox-Grape Disease Control 2016.pdf) – Wayne Wilcox, Department of Plant Pathology, NYSAES, Cornell University, Geneva, N.Y.

The Northern Grapes Project is funded by the USDA’s Specialty Crops Research Initiative Program of the National Institute for Food and Agriculture, Project #2011-51181-30850

Chrislyn A. Particka, PhD

Extension Support Specialist

Cornell University

School of Integrative Plant Science, Horticulture Section

630 W. North Street

Geneva, NY 14456

cap297

www.northerngrapesproject.org

Direct sale scale testing and licensing

FYI…
Subject: Direct sale scale testing and licensing

To: Vermont Farmers’ Markets & Farm Stand vendors,

This past spring, The Agency Agriculture, Food and Markets (VAAFM) held 16 scale testing workshops located around the state. These opportunities were set up to ensure that the scales used at farmers’ markets and farm stands were legal for trade and accurate and received the proper testing and license requirements. Only a small number of vendors attended these scale testing workshops, resulting in many direct sale scales remaining untested. As of 2016, all small capacity scales used in direct sales to consumers require annual testing and are subject to a license.

In order to help with the transition in scale requirements, this email and attached letter will describe various certification options for your direct sale scales. Scales used for direct sales must be legal for trade, with either a Class 3 designation or a legal for trade statement. These scales are usually under 100-pound capacity, and are easily mobile. Portable platform scales used for weighing large amounts of produce can be tested onsite at the farm stand. Scales used to prepack packages for sale do not require testing or licensing. If you’ve have your scale tested but not yet licensed, please contact our Licensing Section at: 828-2436.

VAAFM Consumer Protection staff are not able to attend all farmers’ markets and farm stands located across the state during the marketing season to test scales. Instead, if you have not had your scale tested, you can call me at 828-3458 to request testing. You will be able to bring your scale, by appointment, to our weights and measures laboratory located at 322 Industrial Park Drive in Berlin, or in unique circumstances, a field specialist will try to set up a time to test your scale onsite.

Beginning in 2017, the only opportunity to get your small capacity scales tested and certified will be at the scale workshops. If scales are found without approval seals at farmers’ markets or farm stands after that date, a penalty may be issued.

Our goal is to work with you to make sure your scales are legal for trade and accurate, protecting both you and your customers. If you have questions, please contact me at 828-3458 or henry.marckres.

Sincerely,

Henry J. Marckres

Chief of Consumer Protection Section

henry.marckres

Telephone – 802-828-3458

F.M. final letter.pdf