UVM Fruit Blog

2018 Initial Pesticide Applicators’ Certification Meeting

White River Junction

April 25, 2018

VFW Post 2571, 97 South Main Street

~ or ~

Burlington, VT

April 26, 2018

Robert Miller Community Center, 130 Gosse Court

Meeting will be held from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm at each location

Sponsored by UVM Extension and Vermont Agency of Agriculture with financial support from the USDA Risk Management Agency

Notes for 2018

*Two site options are available. YOU ONLY NEED TO ATTEND ONE SITE. Please choose site during registration.

*Registration is ONLINE ONLY. Please see links for each site below.

*Lunch will NOT be provided. You may bring your own or leave during the break to seek other options. Kitchen facilities are not available.

Program Overview

*This program will provide training and review of Vermont Pesticide regulations and the information covered in the CORE manual that is necessary to understand and to pass the CORE exam.

*The CORE exam will be given after this training in the afternoon from 2-4pm. (No category exams will be given but can be scheduled with VAA for a later date.) *Coffee and pastries provided. Lunch on your own.

Audience

This meeting is for anyone wishing a Vermont Pesticide Applicator license:

landscapers, nursery employees, school custodial staff, farmers, agricultural employers (WPS compliance), garden center employees, pest control operators, government or municipal employees, university employees, etc.

Pesticide Applicators

This program will provide FOUR Vermont recertification credits.

Speakers

Topics will be presented by members of UVM Extension and the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets.

Study Materials

*It is necessary to study the CORE manual BEFORE the review to have all the knowledge necessary to pass the exam.

*Core manuals ($41) and required inserts must be obtained in advance from http://agriculture.vermont.gov/pesticide_regulation/applicator_dealer_resources.

REGISTRATION

Registration fee is $30.

After April 11, Late Registration is $40.

Space is limited so register early!

https://www.regonline.com/2018initialcertwhiteriverjct

~ or ~

https://www.regonline.com/2018initialcertburlington

To request a disability-related accommodation to participate in this program, please contact Sarah Kingsley-Richards at (802) 656-0475 by April 4, 2017 so we may assist you.

Questions?

Please contact Sarah Kingsley-Richards at (802) 656-0475 or sarah.kingsley with questions or visit http://pss.uvm.edu/pesp/ for more information.

This material is funded in partnership with USDA, Risk Management Agency, under award number RM17RMETS524005. Any reference to commercial products, trade names, or brand names is for information only, and no endorsement or approval is intended.

Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture. University of Vermont Extension, and U.S. Department of Agriculture, cooperating, offer education and employment to everyone without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or familial status.

"This institution is an equal opportunity provider"

Available loans and grants for VT farmers

By Terence Bradshaw

Below is a list of available programs for Vermont farmers:

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From: Kate Stephenson

Planning Projects on Your Farm This Spring?

Thinking about investing in new infrastructure or equipment to grow your business in 2018? The Vermont Farm Fund can help with no-hassle, low-interest loans to Vermont farmers and value added food producers.

They offer Business Builder loans from $5,000-30,000 at 3% interest.

The VFF is a nonprofit true revolving loan fund: as the community of recipients pays back their loans, funds are replenished for the next cycle of borrowers.

In 2017 the VFF made 15 loans, for projects ranging from egg washing equipment, building a new sugarhouse, purchasing fruit dehydrating equipment, buying a blast freezer for flash freezing artisan ice cream, installing herb processing equipment, building a coverall goat barn, and building a small office cabin on the farm.

If you have an idea for a project that helps to grow your food and farm-based business, but need to finance your project, please call 802-560-3099 or visit www.vermontfarmfund.org.

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Produce Safety Rule Compliance Deadline and
High Demand Prompts Second Round of Improvement Grants

Montpelier, VT – January 26, 2018 marks the first major compliance date for farms covered by the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule. Farms that grow, harvest, pack, or hold produce with greater than $500,000 in annual produce sales must be in compliance with the rule’s standards for on-farm produce safety practices beginning Friday.

To assist growers in making on-farm improvements that prevent or reduce produce safety risks, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM) launched the Vermont Produce Safety Improvement Grant Program, which recently awarded eight grants of between $7,000 and $10,000 to Vermont growers to make on-farm food safety improvements. Growers will have another opportunity to apply for Produce Safety Improvement Grants beginning February 28, 2018 at 9:00 AM.

Vermont produce growers have shown a strong demand for support to grow produce safely, efficiently, and economically. The Agency accepted applications for the first round of the Vermont Produce Safety Improvement Grant Program on Wednesday, November 15, and within several hours, applications exceeded the total available funds. “It was remarkable how timely applications were submitted. We’ve seen just a glimpse of how much funding demand there is for produce farms working to implement produce safety practices on their farm,” said Vermont Agriculture Secretary, Anson Tebbetts.

Growers interested in applying for the second round of grants are encouraged to submit their applications as early as possible on February 28, as the Agency expects a similarly strong demand for funding. Projects granted in the first round include produce safety upgrades to wash and pack areas, employee handwashing stations, health and hygiene signage, and improvements to produce cold storage and temperature controls, with awards totaling $74,029.

Approximately $74,000 in funding will be available in the second round of the grant, and again, funds will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis to eligible applicants. Applicants must grow, harvest, pack, or hold “covered produce” as defined by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule and have average annual produce sales of greater than $25,000. To prepare to apply for grants in the second round, applicants should—

Visit www.agriculture.vermont.gov/produceprogram to download the Request for Proposals and review grant eligibility and submission requirements.
Enroll in the Vermont Produce Portal at www.agriculture.vermont.gov/produceprogram and click on “Produce Portal.” This is a requirement for grant eligibility.
Log onto www.agriculturegrants.vermont.gov to create a user account. This is where you will submit your online application.
Plan your project and prepare to submit your application beginning February 28, 2018 at 9:00 AM.

VAAFM’s Produce Program looks forward to reviewing second round applications and remains committed to assisting produce growers with making produce safety improvements and upgrades to their farm operation focused on food safety and improving the sustainability of their businesses.

Questions related to the Produce Safety Improvement Grants or the FSMA Produce Safety Rule should be directed to AGR.FSMA.

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Where trade names or commercial products are used for identification,

no discrimination is intended and no endorsement is implied.

Always read the label before using any pesticide.

The label is the legal document for the product use.

Disregard any information in this message if it is in conflict with the

label.

The UVM Tree Fruit and Viticulture Program is supported by the

University of Vermont Agriculture Experiment Station, a USDA NIFA E-IPM

Grant, and USDA Risk Management Agency Funds.

the Northern Grapes webinar series is back!

February 1, 2018

The Northern Grapes Webinar Series returns this February with a series of four webinars – scheduled for the second Tuesday of each month.

This year’s schedule will include :

· February 13. Description of a new publication and spreadsheet, Winery Establishment Considerations and Costs, by Lindsey Pashow, Ag Business Development & Marketing Specialist with Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Harvest New York program. Click here to register!

· March 13. Trunk and cordon renewal practices, particularly in response to winter injury, by Thomas Todaro and Paolo Sabbatini of Michigan State University.

· April 10. Using the NEWA weather and pest models in implementing a Vineyard IPM strategy, by Tim Weigle and Dan Olmstead, NYS IPM program, Cornelll University.

· May 8. Methods for determining SO2 levels in the winery, by Demi Perry, Cornell Enology Extension Laboratory.

You are invited to join us via ZOOM, our new web conferencing software that is even easier to use than the WebEx platform for previous Northern Grapes Webinars. Please note that you will have to register for each webinar individually – we will send out a registration link a few weeks prior to each event. I hope you find the information presented in this series informative and useful.

Tim Martinson, Ph. D.

Sr Extension Associate

Cornell University

For questions, or to unsubscribe from the Northern Grapes Project, please email Raquel: rfk58

UVM Apple / VT Tree Fruit Growers Assn meeting Feb 15, Middlebury, VT

By Terence Bradshaw

The 122nd Annual UVM Apple Program and Vermont Tree Fruit Growers Association educational meeting will be held on Thursday, February 15, 2018 at the American Legion Hall, 49 Wilson Rd, in Middlebury, VT. The meeting focus this year is on insect management in Vermont orchards. Those include not only traditional pest insects and how to best monitor them on your farm, but also old and new trunk boring insects of concern as well as beneficial, native pollinator insects and practices that can best manage them on your farm. There will also be presentations on implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act, Risk Management through crop insurance, and the latest update on cider apple production research.

The full meeting brochure may be found at: http://go.uvm.edu/2018applemtg
and registration form at: http://go.uvm.edu/2018applereg

Early registration deadline is February 4.

Where trade names or commercial products are used for identification,

no discrimination is intended and no endorsement is implied.

Always read the label before using any pesticide.

The label is the legal document for the product use.

Disregard any information in this message if it is in conflict with the

label.

The UVM Tree Fruit and Viticulture Program is supported by the

University of Vermont Agriculture Experiment Station, a USDA NIFA E-IPM

Grant, and USDA Risk Management Agency Funds.

Upcoming educational meetings for current and prospective grape producers

Two important and useful meetings for grape growers are coming up in January in New Hampshire and Maine. They are on consecutive days, so consider making a trip of it and attending both:

1. Effective Disease Management in Northeastern Vineyards

Wednesday January 10, 2018 – 8:00 AM – 3:30 PM
Flag Hill Winery – 297 North River Road, Lee NH 03961

Sponsored by: UNH Extension and the New Hampshire Winery Association

The flier is available here:

https://extension.unh.edu/events/files/BF4C947F-5056-A432-4F12A40A7CD78D06.pdf

And the events listing here:

https://extension.unh.edu/events/index.cfm?e=app.event&event_id=43958

2. An Introduction to Growing Grapes in Maine

Thursday January 11, 2018 – 10:30 AM – 3:00 PM
Arnold/Howard Rooms, Augusta Civic Center

76 Community Drive, Augusta, Maine 04330

Sponsored by: University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Maine Pomological Society

More information here: https://extension.umaine.edu/highmoor/blog/2017/12/01/umaine-cooperative-extension-viticulture-workshop-january-11-2018/

I hope to see some of you there.

-Terry

Feb 15: UVM / VT Tree Fruit Growers Assn Winter Meeting

By Terence Bradshaw

Please save the date for the 122nd UVM Apple Program & Vermont Tree Fruit Growers Association Annual Meeting and Conference to be held at the American Legion Hall in Middlebury, VT. The main focus for this year’s meeting will be on insect management, including: developing efficient and effective scouting programs; pollinator protection, preservation, and enhancement; new and emerging insect pests to watch for; and other important topics such as how implementation of new federal food safety rules will affect your farm.

I hope to see everyone there on Thursday, February 15. More details to come.

-TB

Where trade names or commercial products are used for identification,

no discrimination is intended and no endorsement is implied.

Always read the label before using any pesticide.

The label is the legal document for the product use.

Disregard any information in this message if it is in conflict with the

label.

The UVM Tree Fruit and Viticulture Program is supported by the

University of Vermont Agriculture Experiment Station, a USDA NIFA E-IPM

Grant, and USDA Risk Management Agency Funds.

recruiting farmers- regulations research study

Growers: Meredith is a professor in Nutrition & Food Science who specializes in Food & Ag Policy

Farmers face regulation on a variety of topics. How do these regulations impact agriculture? How long does it take to comply and what does it cost? Are there strategies that could simply regulatory frameworks? Are there ways to make compliance more efficient? Researchers at UVM want to hear from Vermont farmers about how much time and what kind of actions are required to comply with different regulations. This information may identify pathways for regulation changes and gives farmers a voice in expressing how regulations affect their farm. If you are interesting in sharing your perspective, please contact Dr. Meredith Niles at 802-656-4337 or mtniles to schedule an interview. She will travel to your farm for convenience. All individual information will remain anonymous in the reporting of results. Farmers will be compensated with $50 for their time. Interviews will begin in November 2017 and take place through the Winter of 2017.

Meredith T. Niles, PhD

Assistant Professor

Food Systems Program

Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences

350 Carrigan Wing, Marsh Life Sciences Building

University of Vermont

mtniles

Office: 802-656-4337

www.meredithtniles.com

Wine Distribution and Vermont Restaurants- Webinar 11/15

By Terence Bradshaw

Wine Distribution and Vermont Restaurants

A Virtual Workshop

Wednesday, November 15th

8:30 am – 9:30 am

An introduction to wine distribution and restaurant sales in Vermont. We will discuss:

*How to evaluate using a distributor vs. self distribution
*How to research distributors and determine which to approach

*The basics of how to approach a distributor, including information you need to have prepared beforehand.

Plus opportunities for Q&A.

Our speakers come from Farrell Distributing, but will be speaking about Vermont distribution options more broadly. Speakers are: Ryan Chaffin, Dawn Rowlee, Don MacDonald, Stuart Timmons.

Materials, including a webinar recording, will be posted at http://vermontfresh.net/programs/vermont-wine-project/ after the workshop. No pre-registration required.

Instructions for Connecting:

Use This Link: https://zoom.us/j/790877195

This meeting is set up to use your computer audio and video (you can choose to turn both your camera and microphone off when you join, but they are enabled by default to facilitate the Q&A period).

For some browsers this link will ask you to click on a ZoomUs app to run the meeting. If this happens and you don’t want to do that (it really is just one or two clicks) Zoom recommends trying a different browser.

If you have trouble connecting contact helen or call 802-434-2000.

Don’t forget to sign up for December 1st – a session on sensory profiling and peer-to-peer evaluation systems for wine makers, details & registration are here.

Federal crop insurance deadlines

From: Jake Jacobs
To: Terence Bradshaw
Subject: RE: Crop insurance deadlines?

Hi Terry,

You are correct – sales closing date for crop insurance for apples and peaches is November 20.

I am waiting for reply on an updated Vermont fact sheet for apple growers. In the meantime, there’s info available from RMA. I have attached the RMA fact sheets for 2018 apple and peach crops and also Whole Farm Revenue Protection program (WFRP). WFRP can cover a single commodity but offers some advantages for growers who have multiple commodities, up to a max of $8.5 million in revenue. Apparently quite a few apple growers in Washington state and the northwest are taking advantage of this program, some even going so far as splitting larger orchards into small enough tracts to be able to qualify to participate.

Jake

Fact Sheet.RMA 2018 apples.pdf
Fact Sheet.RMA 2018 peaches.pdf
Fact Sheet.WFRP.Aug2017.pdf