New England Vegetable and Fruit Conference Postponed to December 2022

We have made the difficult decision not to hold an in-person New England Vegetable and Fruit Conference this coming December, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, we will hold an in-person meeting when we feel more confident that we can do so safely and cost-effectively, and have reserved dates for December 13-15th, 2022 to gather again in Manchester for a full Conference and Trade Show. While we would all prefer to be in person this year, we feel it is unwise to take on the financial risk of attempting an in-person meeting that may not be well-attended due to COVID-19 safety limitations and travel restrictions.

In the meantime, we will plan a simple online conference for this coming December 13-17th, 2021, in order to provide education, professional development, and pesticide credits to growers and service providers across New England and New York. We are hopeful that this coordinated regional effort will be a fun, effective, and safe way to keep up to date with the latest and greatest vegetable and fruit news! Stay tuned for details as we develop our plan for the December 2021 meeting by checking our conference website or by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Sue Scheufele

General Chair, NEVFC 2021

Announcement_rgs.pdf

A reminder about the remainder of the upcoming New England Winter Fruit Seminar Series:

March 3 (Wednesday): Managing Apple Maggot Fly
March 10 (Wednesday): Managing Early Season Apple Insect pests
March 17 (Wednesday): Honeycrisp Bitter Pit and Soft Scald Management, & Ag-Radar; Weather Tools for Orchard Decisions
March 23 (Tuesday): Tree Row Volume – What it is, why it matters, and how to use it
March 30 (Tuesday): NEWA 2.0 – Project upgrades for 2021

All start at noon and run to 1:30 app.
1 pesticide recertification credit for each
Pre-registration for each Zoom meeting/seminar required.

Each attendee who wants to receive pesticide credits must register separately and view from a separate device.

Pre-register here: https://ag.umass.edu/fruit/news-events/new-england-winter-fruit-seminar-series

Subject: Crop Ins & Disaster Coverage deadlines

Hello all,

The deadline for producers to enroll in federal crop insurance or disaster assistance coverage programs for most spring-planted crops is March 15. Please see the attached information and share with Vermont producers and others who may have an interest.

Thank you.

Jake

—

Ms. Jake Jacobs

UVM Agricultural Risk Management and Crop Insurance Education

208 Morrill Hall, 146 University Place

University of Vermont

Burlington, VT 05405

Email: jake.jacobs

Message phone line: 802-656-7356

Website: http://go.uvm.edu/ag-risk

Announcement-news rel.Mar15deadlines.2021Feb.pdf

To attend today’s meeting, you need to register at this link:

https://uvmextension.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_z40mdZl_RHW9DJkZFlEfQA

This is separate from the VTFGA membership. If you did not register at the UVM Extension Zoom link, you will not receive the link to attend the meeting.

When you register at the above link, you will be emailed the link to join the meeting.

When you register, you will be asked to enter your pesticide license # to receive credits. If you do not have a license or do not need credits, just enter “na”.

Thanks, sorry for any confusion, and we’ll see everyone today at noon.

In order to ‘attend’ Thursday’s 125th Annual VT Tree Fruit Growers Association annual meeting, you will need to pre-register: https://uvmextension.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_z40mdZl_RHW9DJkZFlEfQA

After registering, you will receive a unique link to log into the Zoom webinar.

Agenda:

12:00 Registration

12:05 News from UVM Fruit Team
Dr. Terence Bradshaw, UVM Tree Fruit and Viticulture Specialist

12:20 Vendor spotlight
Eric Boire, VTFGA President

12:25 Vermont Pesticide Program
Annie MacMillan, Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets

12:35 Invasive insects on our doorstep
Judy Rosovsky, Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets

1:05 VTFGA Business meeting
Eric Boire, VTFGA President

1:15 Vendor Spotlight
Jake Jacobs, UVM Risk Management Agency

1:25 SCBGP Wrap up and future directions of VTFGA
Rose Wilson, Rose Wilson Consulting LLC

2:00 Adjourn

The meeting is approved for two (2) pesticide recertification credits. In order to receive credits, you must log in individually, with your pesticide applicator’s license number (entered at registration). You will also have to log in by 12:00, stay logged in for the duration of the meeting (2:00), and answer the poll questions that come up during and at the end of the meeting. If you are watching with someone else and both want credit, you will need to each have a device logged in and answer the poll questions.

The Vermont Tree Fruit Growers Association is the membership-supported industry organization that provides support services fruit growers. Membership information is available at: https://vt-tree-fruit-growers-association-annual-dues.cheddarup.com/. The last session of this meeting will outline the important work that VTFGA does for the industry.

See you on Thursday,

Terry

Passing along some important information from my colleague Mary Concklin at UCONN. -TB

From: Concklin, Mary
Sent: Thursday, January 21, 2021 3:51 PM
Subject: Fruit Update

Good afternoon,

The USDA has published a booklet titled Building Sustainable Farms, Ranches and Communities. A guide to federal programs. This 101 page publication has an exhaustive list of grant and assistance programs available for agriculture. It is well worth looking through to see if there are programs that can help your business. There may be additional programs you were unaware of. This booklet can be accessed here.

Airblast 101- Your Guide to Effective and Efficient Spraying, 2nd Edition is available. This 306 page guide is available for download free or order a hard copy on-demand, and can be found at

www.sprayers101.com/airblast101/ . E-books are expected to be forthcoming shortly.

TB note: I spoke with one of the authors of this, Dr. Jason Deveau, today. He has agreed to co-present the March 23 webinar, Tree Row Volume: What it is, why it matters, and how to use it. More details at: https://ag.umass.edu/fruit/news-events/new-england-winter-fruit-seminar-series

EPA Finalizes Improvements to Pesticide Application Exclusion Zone Requirements

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized important improvements to requirements for the pesticide application exclusion zone (AEZ)—the area surrounding pesticide application equipment that exists only during outdoor production pesticide applications. EPA’s targeted changes improve the enforceability and workability of the AEZ requirements, decrease regulatory burdens for farmers, and maintain critical worker protections. These revisions are consistent with the 2018 Pesticide Registration Improvement Act (PRIA). The AEZ requirements are part of EPA’s agricultural Worker Protection Standard (WPS) regulations.

These targeted changes include:

· AEZ requirements only apply within the boundaries of the agricultural establishment, removing off-farm responsibilities that were difficult for state regulators to enforce.

· Immediate family members of farm owners are now exempted from all aspects of the AEZ requirements. Farm owners and their immediate family are now able to shelter in place inside closed buildings, giving farm owners and immediate family members flexibility to decide whether to stay on-site during pesticide applications, rather than compelling them to leave even when they feel safe remaining.

· New clarifying language has been added so that pesticide applications that are suspended due to individuals entering an AEZ may be resumed after those individuals have left the AEZ.

· Simplified criteria to determine whether pesticide applications are subject to the 25- or 100-foot AEZ.



No changes were made to the “Do Not Contact” provision that prohibits a handler/applicator and the handler’s employer from applying a pesticide in such a way that it contacts workers or other persons directly or through drift.

To read the rule in full, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-worker-safety/worker-protection-standard-application-exclusion-zone

Reprinted from the Cornell Eastern NY Commercial Horticulture Newsletter, November 3, 2020

In case you didn’t know, Sunday January 24 is National Belly Laugh Day. Enjoy! (picture from Pinterest)

Have a great weekend.

Mary

Mary Concklin

Visiting Extension Educator – Fruit Production and IPM

IPM Program Coordinator

Department of Plant Science & Landscape Architecture

1376 Storrs Road, U-4067

University of Connecticut

Storrs, CT 06269-4067

Telephone: (860) 486-6449

Email: mary.concklin

www.ipm.uconn.edu

Funded in part by USDA-NIFA

Here’s a great opportunity for local winemakers. -TB

What Science has Taught Winemakers

How 30 years of industry/university collaboration has changed winemaking practice

Speakers:Thomas Henick-Kling, Director, Viticulture & Enology , Wine Science Center, Washington State University, Richland WA and Peter Bell, winemaker, Fox Run Vineyards, Geneva NY

When: Wednesday, February 3, 3:00 Eastern Time

Topics to be covered: Since startup wineries emerged in the late ‘80s and ‘90s, informal winemaking techniques and winemaker training have given way to increasing science-driven technical sophistication and data-informed practices. Industry and University collaboration have played a big role in this transformation. Peter Bell (industry) and Thomas Henick-Kling (university) have both been instrumental in driving this evolution – and worked together in the Finger Lakes for several years. They will share their perspectives on how technical advances resulting from industry/university collaborations have shaped winemaking practices in the East and West.

To Register: https://cornell.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMrdu6gqzgqHNWyX_uUlo01Mh6w7QwmTcFK

Webinars are offered at no charge, but registration is required.

Timothy E. Martinson, Ph. D.

Senior Extension Associate

Statewide Viticulture Extension Program

Section of Horticulture, School of Integrative Plant Science

Cornell AgriTech

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

106 Hedrick Hall

635 West North Street

Geneva, NY

tem2

Cornell University

office: 315-787-2448

mobile: 607-592-2616

https://hort.cals.cornell.edu/people/timothy-martinson

Another great webinar from the folks at Penn State Extension. -T

Vineyard Pest Management: Conventional and Alternative Vineyard Floor and Weed Management The Vineyard Pest Management: Conventional and Alternative Vineyard Floor and Weed Management session will review alternative under-vine management strategies as well as conventional weed management options with herbicides. When Wed., Mar. 31, 2021 (10:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET) Format Live Online via Zoom Learn More Webinar Details Benefits, drawbacks, and best management practices for mowing, cultivation, and using perennial under-vine cover crops will be discussed. Herbicide options for the management of weeds in vineyards will be discussed in addition to how herbicide choices and programs should be refined based on the specific weeds (e.g., annual, perennial, glyphosate resistant) observed in your vineyard. We hope you can join us! Registration is required to receive the link to access the webinar. RSVP To RSVP, please click Yes or No by March 31, 2021. We look forward to your response. If you no longer want to receive emails from Penn State Extension, please Opt-Out.

FYI

Cornell Cooperative Extension 2021 NYS Tree Fruit Conference February 2-4, 2021 Registration is now open! Sponsored jointly by the CCE Eastern NY Commercial Horticulture & CCE Lake Ontario Fruit Programs. The Cornell Cooperative Extension Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture Program and the Lake Ontario Fruit Program will be cooperatively hosting the 2021 Cornell NYS Tree Fruit Conference online from Feb 2-4. Due to COVID-19 limitations on live meetings, this program replaces CCE-LOF’s Winter Fruit Schools and CCE-ENYCHP’s Fruit & Vegetable Conference (tree fruit section). Live meetings will be hosted over the Zoom webinar platform, and will consist of 12 sessions over the course of three days: two morning sessions and two afternoon sessions each day. DEC credits (5.25 total) are being offered for the first three sessions on February 2nd. In addition to the live webinars, attendees will receive access to a conference webpage, which will contain vendor content, and additional educational materials relevant to each session. Early registration price (available through January 26th) is $85 for LOFP and ENYHCP enrollees, and $95 for unenrolled farms. Prices will increase by $10 following the 26th. Please note that each attendee must sign up with their own email address in order to access the conference page, attend the live webinars, and receive DEC recertification credits. Click Here to Register Full details are available now at the NYS Tree Fruit Conference website at: http://blogs.cornell.edu/nystreefruitconference/ There you’ll find all the information, including full session descriptions, registration, sponsorship, and what you need to know to receive DEC credits. Participant requirements for joining the Cornell Tree Fruit Conference: · A computer (preferred) or tablet with high-speed internet access · A computer (preferred) or tablet with video conferencing capabilities to view presentations · Download Zoom onto your computer or tablet · Don’t have zoom? Sign up for free at https://www.zoom.us and click on “Sign Up, It’s Free” · A quiet space to listen to presentations  Don’t have access to a computer or the internet? Please reach out to Craig at 585-735-5448 for more information. If you have any questions regarding the conference registration process, please get in touch with Andy Galimberti at ag2422 or at 734-660-4273. 2021 CCE NYS Tree Fruit Conference Sponsors Wafler Nursery https://waflernursery.com/ New York Apple Association https://www.applesfromny.com/ FMC https://ag.fmc.com/us/en Nutrien Ag Solutions Nutrien – Fancher 1-585-589-6330 Nutrien – Sodus 1-315-483-9146 Nutrien – Milton 1-845-795-2177 Gowan USA https://gowanco.com/ Agro-K https://www.agro-k.com/ Is your organization interested in being a conference sponsor? Find out more at the following page! Sponsorship Information CCE ENYCHP | enych.cce.cornell.edu ‌ ‌ ‌

CCE ENYCHP | 61 State Street, Troy, NY 12180

I’ve repaired the bad link I previously sent out. This should be of interest to growers who are getting started with pruning. The weather has been nice for it. -TB

Dormant Grapevine Pruning Workshop and Commercial Grower Panel

Presenters: Cain Hickey, Penn State Extension Viticulturist, Tremain Hatch, Virginia Tech. University Viticulture Extension Associate, and Mizuho Nita, Associate Professor and Extension Specialist, Virginia Tech University.

The presenters will discuss the fundamentals of dormant pruning, address considerations for cane and spur pruning, and review disease management in the dormant period. A grower panel will follow the presentations.

When: Wednesday, January, 13 2021 (10:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET).

To register: https://extension.psu.edu/dormant-grapevine-pruning-workshop-and-commercial-grower-panel

This is a Zoom meeting, and pre-registration is required.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

The Penn State Wine and Grape Team

Do you like us on Facebook? For more frequent updates and shares follow us!

Penn State Wine & Grape U. Blog: http://psuwineandgrapes.wordpress.com

To subscribe to the Penn State Extension Wine & Grape Newsletter list, please send a blank message to: WINEGRAPE-L-SUBSCRIBE-REQUEST