2017 VTFGA/UVM Apple Program Meeting, Feb 16

Hello:

As the New Year swings into gear, it’s time to plan for the 2017 VT Tree Fruit Growers Association and UVM Apple Program annual educational meeting. This year, the meeting will be held on February 16 at the American Legion Hall in Middlebury, VT. Attached you’ll find the meeting program and registration form. As we did last year, all registrations will be handled by VTFGA treasurer Ginny Brees, and payment will be by check only in order to reduce transaction costs.

We have a full program this year, and for the regular attendees from past years, it’s important to note that we will be starting a bit earlier than previously, with registration starting at 8:30 and the first talk at 9:00. We will welcome a diverse slate of guest speakers who will discuss critical issues identified during the 2016 growing season, including: Cornell entomologist Peter Jentsch, discussing insect pest management in orchards; Cornell plant pathologist Dr. Srdjan Acimovic who will cover disease, especially fire blight, management; and Trevor Hardy from Brookdale Fruit Farm who will discuss orchard irrigation systems (and the need for them). We’ll also have important updates on changes in the EPA Worker Protection Standard which were implemented on the first of this year, and a recap of the 2016 growing season by myself. Finally, I am especially excited to welcome Chair of the University of Florida Department of Horticulture Dr. Kevin Folta, who will discuss best strategies for science communication from farmers to consumers and the public.

Any registration questions should be sent to Ginny Brees at: dandgbrees; questions about the agenda should come to me.

I look forward to seeing everyone on February 16 and until then, happy pruning!

-Terry

p.s.: I have added a few emails from orchards that may not be on my mailing list; if you received this and would like to join the UVM Apple Program mailing list, please contact me; if you believe you received this in error, please delete, I won’t be re-sending to these addresses again.

VTFGA 2017 Membership & Meeting Registration.pdf
BrochureVTFGA121st2017.pdf

Announcing the January Northern Grapes Webinar: “Integrated Disease Management Based on Cultivar Susceptibilit y and Fungicide Sensitivity”

Here is the announcement for the January Northern Grapes Webinar. Please forward to your mailing lists.

Best,

Alex Koeberle

Alk239

Dear Northern Grapes Project Webinar participants:

The Northern Grapes Project Webinar Series

A recording of the December Webinar “Northern Grapes survey results: How the industry changed from 2011 to 2015” featuring Brigid Tuck and Tim Martinson is now available online. Please visit this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lc7l-H6q2H4&feature=youtu.be

Be sure to follow our Facebook page Northern Grapes Project for updates and announcements. We encourage your feedback on current webinars and requests for future topics through Facebook.


Announcing the January Webinar:

“Integrated Disease Management Based on Cultivar Susceptibility and Fungicide Sensitivity”

Patricia McManus David Jones
UW-Madison UW-Madison


Tuesday, January 10th, 2016

12:00 Noon Eastern (11:00 am Central)

7:00 pm Eastern (6:00 pm Central)

The speakers will discuss their recent research conducted in Wisconsin on susceptibility of cultivars to downy mildew, powdery mildew, and black rot, and how this knowledge can be integrated into disease management programs. Patricia McManus is Professor and Chair of Plant Pathology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she collaborates on the Northern Grapes Project to evaluate cold-hardy grape varieties for diseases and sensitivity to copper- and sulfur-based fungicides. David Jones is a M.S. candidate in the McManus lab and a soon-to-be Extension Educator at Michigan State Extension.

If you have received this email from someone other than Alex Koeberle, you need to register via the link below:

https://cornell.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_d9ZymnMfZOpJCy9

Registering for one Northern Grapes Webinar will place you on the mailing list, and you will receive announcements and connection instruction for all further Northern Grapes Webinars.

Registration will close at 8 am (Eastern) on Friday, January 6th.

Registration is NOT required if you received this email directly from Alex Koeberle, as it means that you are a member of the Northern Grapes Webinar mailing list.

All members of the Northern Grapes Webinar mailing list will receive an email the Monday before the webinar containing the web address (URL) for both webinar sessions as well as connection instructions.

Feel free to email Alex Koeberle (alk239) with any questions, if you want to check your registration status, or if you’d like to be removed from the Northern Grapes Webinar mailing list. Please DO NOT respond to the Northern Grapes listserve.

NOTE: I (Alex Koeberle) will be out of the office from December 23rd to January 3rd but will intermittently check my email.

The Northern Grapes Project is online and on Facebook! The December issue of Northern Grapes News is now available online.

The Northern Grapes Project was funded by the USDA’s Specialty Crops Research Initiative Program of the National Institute for Food and Agriculture, Project #2011-51181-30850 and through the New York State Specialty Crops Block Program.

We thank the following organizations and businesses for their support of the Northern Grapes Webinar Series:

Grower Associations Sponsors

Iowa Wine Growers Association

Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association

North Dakota Grape and Wine Association

Eastern Winery Exhibition

Colorado Wine Industry Development Board

Michigan Wine Industry Council

Connecticut Vineyard and Winery Association

Wisconsin Grape Growers Association

South Dakota State University Grape Program

Southern Minnesota Wine Grower Alliance

Industry Gold Sponsors

Double A Vineyards

Agro K

Bevens Creek Vineyard & Nursery

Industry Silver Sponsors

Scott Labs

December Northern Grapes Newsletter Available Online

The December issue of Northern Grapes News is now posted at:

http://northerngrapesproject.org/

In this Issue…

· Donors contribute $14,750 to support the Northern Grapes Project (Alex Koeberle and Tim Martinson)

· Lessons Learned: Northern Grapes Baseline and Economic Impact Study (Brigid Tuck)

· How Northern Grapes Vineyards and Wineries have Changed from 2011-2015 (Table)

· NGP Team Profile: Brigid Tuck, University of Minnesota (Brigid Tuck and Alex Koeberle)

· Vineyard Practices: Insights from the 2012 and 2016 Northern Grapes Surveys (Tim Martinson)

Previous issues of Northern Grapes News are archived at: http://northerngrapesproject.org/newsletters

Follow the Northern Grapes Project on Facebook for additional announcements and updates.

The Northern Grapes Project was funded by the USDA’s Specialty Crops Research Initiative Program of the National Institute for Food and Agriculture, Project #2011-51181-30850 and through the New York State Specialty Crops Block Program.

We thank the following organizations and businesses for their continued support of the Northern Grapes News:

Grower Associations Sponsors

Iowa Wine Growers Association

Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association

North Dakota Grape and Wine Association

Eastern Winery Exhibition

Colorado Wine Industry Development Board

Michigan Wine Industry Council

Connecticut Vineyard and Winery Association

Wisconsin Grape Growers Association

South Dakota State University Grape Program

Southern Minnesota Wine Grower Alliance

Industry Gold Sponsors

Double A Vineyards

Agro K

Bevens Creek Vineyard & Nursery

Industry Silver Sponsors

Scott Labs

Register Now for the 12-13-16 Northern Grapes Project Webinar

The Northern Grapes Project Webinar Series

Dear Northern Grapes Project Webinar participants:

“Northern Grapes Survey Results: How the industry changed from 2011 to 2015”

Brigid Tuck Tim Martinson
University of Minnesota Cornell University

Tuesday, December 13th, 2016

12:00 Noon Eastern (11:00 am Central)

7:00 pm Eastern (6:00 pm Central)

Two industry surveys, conducted by the Northern Grapes Project in 2012 and 2016, tracked changes in acreage, wine production, and economic impact of cold-tolerant grapes across the Midwest and Northeast. Increases in acreage, production, and sales were recorded. Overall economic impact from Cold climate cultivars increased from $401 million in 2011 to $539 million in 2015. The number of industry-associated jobs increased from 12,600 to 18,700 in 2015. Viticultural and winemaking practices changed over the five-year project, reflecting impacts of Northern Grapes Project research and outreach.

If you have received this email from someone other than Alex Koeberle, you need to register via the link below:

https://cornell.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_726fDwYhDX5efHv

Registering for one Northern Grapes Webinar will place you on the mailing list, and you will receive announcements and connection instruction for all further Northern Grapes Webinars.

Registration will close at 8 am (Eastern) on Friday, December 9th.

Registration is NOT required if you received this email directly from Alex Koeberle, as it means that you are a member of the Northern Grapes Webinar mailing list.

All members of the Northern Grapes Webinar mailing list will receive an email the Monday before the webinar containing the web address (URL) for both webinar sessions as well as connection instructions.

Feel free to email Alex Koeberle (alk239) with any questions, if you want to check your registration status, or if you’d like to be removed from the Northern Grapes Webinar mailing list.

Further Northern Grapes Project information is available on-line at:

http://northerngrapesproject.org/

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 and through the New York State Specialty Crops Block Program.

We thank the following organizations and businesses for their support of the Northern Grapes Webinar Series:

Grower Associations Sponsors

Iowa Wine Growers Association

Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association

North Dakota Grape and Wine Association

Eastern Winery Exhibition

Colorado Wine Industry Development Board

Michigan Wine Industry Council

Connecticut Vineyard and Winery Association

Wisconsin Grape Growers Association

South Dakota State University Grape Program

Industry Gold Sponsors

Double A Vineyards

Agro K

Bevens Creek Vineyard & Nursery

Industry Silver Sponsors

Scott Labs

Upcoming Workshop: Growing Table Grapes for Profit
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Growing Table Grapes for Profit Workshop

December 1, 2016
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Hosted by

CCE Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture Program
REGISTER NOW
This full day CCE ENYCHP workshop is designed for beginning farmers, veteran farmers, and hobbyists that are interested in diversifying. Come and learn about the ins and outs of growing table grapes in New York. This session will cover subjects such as table grape biology, trellis construction, vineyard management, as well as marketing and planning for your new enterprise. To view the full agenda, see the attached document in this email.

Cost: $20 for ENYCHP Members/ $30 for non-enrolled

Time: 9:00am- 4:00pm

Location: CCE Albany County
24 Martin Road
Voorheesville, NY 12186

Speakers will include:

  • George Hamilton, University of NH Cooperative Extension
  • Andy Farmer, Northeastern Vine Supply
  • Tim Martinson, Cornell University State Viticulture Specialist
  • Jim O’Connell, CCE ENYCHP
  • Anna Wallis, CCE ENYCHP
  • Liz Higgins, CCE ENYCHP
  • Angus Thomson, Bellvale Community

For more information please contact Laura McDermott at (518)-791-5038, lgm4 or visit our website
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Strep Resistance, fire blight management Tools

category [tree fruit, IPM]

Good morning,

Dr. Quan Zeng, CAES, has been working on Fireblight and strep resistance, and has presented information on-line for you. Many of you submitted samples for this work which helped a great deal. The following is from Quan.

Below you can find a link to the webinar presentation I produced with Plant Management Network regarding fire blight and streptomycin resistance. I summarized the survey we performed, that as of 2016, the New England region is free of streptomycin resistance. I also provided an overview of how the resistance happens, current updates, and some future management tools as alternatives to streptomycin.

http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/edcenter/seminars/outreach/Apple/FireBlight/?

Quan Zeng

Assistant Scientist II

Department of Plant Pathology & Ecology

The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station

123 Huntington Street, P.O. Box 1106

New Haven, Connecticut 06504

phone: 203-974-8613

fax: 203-974-8502

e-mail: Quan.Zeng

http://www.ct.gov/caes

Mary Concklin

Visiting Associate Extension Educator – Fruit Production and IPM

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

Northern Grapes Update

To all past registrants for the Northern Grapes Webinar series:

Our thanks to the industry groups that have contributed ‘gap’ funding to support continued outreach for the Northern Grapes Project:

Iowa Wine Growers Association
Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association
North Dakota Grape and Wine Association
Eastern Winery Exhibition
Colorado Wine Industry Development Board
Michigan Wine Industry Council
Connecticut Vineyard and Winery Association

Collectively these groups have contributed or pledged $9000 toward the goal of $20,000 in support.

We are still looking for other state support to cover this project- TB

Plans are underway for the next season of the Northern Grapes Webinars.

1. First Webinar: We will kick off the season on December 13, with a look at how the acreage, production, wine production, employment, and economic impact of the Northern Grapes industry has changed since our first survey in 2011.

2. Suggest a topic: As we line up programs, we would like to know what topics or questions you would like us to cover.

Please post your comments on our Northern Grapes Project Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/NorthernGrapesProject/

3. Crave Conference: Each year, Cornell Viticulture and Enology researchers, graduate students, and extension specialists get together to present 15 minute talks to each other on research and extension topics and projects from the previous year. This is our way of finding out what our colleagues at Cornell are up to. These talks cover a variety of topics, and represent preliminary results that are ‘hot off the presses’. Some are quite technical, though they should be understandable to those involved in grape and wine production. I invite you to connect via WebEx to our web broadcast for as much or as little time as you want. Because much of the information is preliminary and unpublished, we will not be recording it. Hope some of you can tune in to our webcast for topics that interest you.

– Tim Martinson

Tracking grape ripening

By Terence Bradshaw

As harvest approaches, it is critical to track ripening in the vineyard to best achieve the juice chemistry values to optimize wine quality. Sampling should be methodical and regular (at least weekly, or more often as harvest approaches). Generally a 100 berry sample is sufficient to ascertain general ripeness. Berries should be randomly selected, but should come from a diverse distribution in the vineyard: from all parts (top, shoulder, bottom) of the cluster, and from clusters well-distributed through the canopy. Fruit can be collected into a plastic bag, crushed lightly, then a corner of the bag cut off to squeeze juice into a sampling jar. Juice should then be assessed for pH, sugars, and titratable acidity (TA). Remember that for most popular cold climate grapes, TA is a primary determinant for ripeness; for reds (Frontenac, Marquette), a target TA of 1.5% or lower is preferred; for whites, 1.2% should be considered the upper end, although La Crescent may frequently have higher values. Ideally, all grapes for winemaking should have TA below 1%, but that is not always possible for the cultivars that we grow. Work with any wineries you plan to sell grapes to to determine their preferred juice chemistry levels before harvest.

Juice chemistry tracking for cultivars in the UVM vineyard may be found at: http://www.uvm.edu/~fruit/grapes/uvmvineyard/2016UVMfieldtesting.pdf

A primer video on evaluating grape ripeness may be found at: http://www.extension.umn.edu/food/small-farms/crops/knowing-when-to-harvest-your-grapes/

Dr. Imed Dami at Ohio State has a good fact sheet on evaluating grape ripeness at: http://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/HYG-1436

Sugar level and pH are easily evaluated with simple tools (a refractometer and pH meter, respectively) available from most winemaking supply outlets. TA test kits are typically available from the same vendors. A procedure for measure TA through titration is available at: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/wine/titratable-acidity