Press Release: Working Lands Enterprise Board Announces Upcoming Grant Availability – Informational Sessions Scheduled!

Please see the following announcement for the latest grant availability from the Vermont Working Lands Enterprise Initiative. This is one of the few programs available to individual producers as well as cooperatives and service providers to support investments which help develop the working landscape including agriculture and forestry.
-TB

Forwarded message from:
Noelle Sevoian

Working Lands Specialist

VT Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets
802-585-9072


Working Lands Enterprise Board Announces Upcoming Grant Availability

The Working Lands Enterprise Board (WLEB) is pleased to announce the availability of over $500,000 in grant funds for this program year. The application period will open on October 1, 2015, with grants targeting essential, catalytic investments in Vermont’s farm and forest economy. Grants will be available to Vermont agriculture and forest sector businesses, as well as service providers that provide the critical technical assistance needed for business growth.

The two investment areas are as follows:

1. Business Investments

Projects may include, but are not limited to: Infrastructure (project-specific planning, permitting, and/or engineering/architectural plans; and/or building and equipment costs); Marketing (accessing new markets and securing new customers); Research and Development (testing new systems or technologies or developing innovative solutions). Projects focused on scaling up to meet new market opportunities are encouraged. Working capital is an eligible use of funds.

2. Service Provider Investments

Projects should show direct impacts on Vermont Working Lands businesses. Types of technical assistance provided may include: Scaling up; Market development, marketing plans, and sales; Business and financial planning; Succession planning; Access to capital; Manufacturing efficiencies or process flow

Applicant Information Sessions are scheduled for October 9th and 14th 2015 from 4:30pm – 6:00pm and will be held as webinars with opportunities to attend in person. Please find below the currently scheduled sessions. More to be announced on October 1st!:

Link to Register from your home: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/rt/2574274848696658434

Friday, October 9th, 4:30 – 6:00pm

· Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, 2nd Floor Conference Room, 116 State Street, Montpelier, VT, 05620, phone: 802.585.9072

· Northern Vermont Development Association, 36 Eastern Avenue, St Johnsbury, VT, 05819, phone: 802.748.5181

Wednesday, October 14th, 4:30 – 6:00pm

· Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, 2nd Floor Conference Room, 116 State Street, Montpelier, VT, 05620, phone: 802.585.9072

· Northern Vermont Development Association, 36 Eastern Avenue, St Johnsbury, VT, 05819, phone: 802.748.5181

A change to this year’s process will be that all Business Investment applicants selected to submit a full application will be required to include a business plan. Applicants are encouraged to visit our Resources for Businesses page at http://workinglands.vermont.gov/apply/ta/tools

The WLEB began operations in August 2012 and to date has awarded over $3 million in grant funds to 110 grantees, leveraging an additional $4.3 million of matching and outside funds. The WLEB looks forward to continuing this impressive track record in Fiscal Year 2016.

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The Working Lands Enterprise Initiative, (Act 142), is administered by the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets in partnership with the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks & Recreation and the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development. The Working Lands funds are administered by the Vermont Working Lands Enterprise Board (WLEB), an impact investment organization whose mission is to grow the economies, cultures, and communities of Vermont’s working landscape by making essential, catalytic investments in critical leverage points of the Vermont farm and forest economy, from individual enterprises to industry sectors. For more information, visit http://workinglands.vermont.gov/

About the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets: VAAFM facilitates, supports and encourages the growth and viability of agriculture in Vermont while protecting the working landscape, human health, animal health, plant health, consumers and the environment. www.Agriculture.Vermont.Gov

September Northern Grapes Project News You Can Use – Yeast Assimilable Nitrogen

http://northerngrapesproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/September-2015-News-You-Can-Use-Yan.pdf

News You Can Use

YAN – Yeast Assimilable Nitrogen

 

 

September 2015

Mark Nesbitt, former graduate student at Cornell University, sets up the ChemWell analyzer to measure YAN in grape juice samples.

Photo: Tim Martinson, Cornell University

In addition to sugars, adequate yeast assimilable nitrogen (YAN) concentration is required for successful alcoholic fermentation of grape musts. Unlike sugars, however, YAN is difficult to measure and impossible to estimate. YAN also varies widely by cultivar, year, climate, harvest date, and viticultural practices. Too little YAN can result in stuck fermentations or production of off-aromas, such as H2S, but too much YAN (which can happen, especially when prophylactic YAN additions are made) can lead to problems with spoilage organisms or production of fusel alcohols.

Recently, much work has been done in the Cornell University Extension Enology Lab to determine YAN concentration of different cultivars in locations across the state, and if YAN levels can be predicted prior to harvest. In the last couple of years, cold-hardy hybrids have been included in this analysis as part of the Northern Grapes Project. Further, research wines are made with the cold-hardy hybrids with varying YAN additions, which are analyzed for TA, pH, % ethanol, organic acids, and residual YAN. Wines will also be subjected to sensory difference tests to determine the impact of YAN concentration.

This issue of News You Can Use contains links to a Research Report from the Year 3 Northern Grapes Project Progress Report covering the YAN work being conducted in Dr. Anna Katharine Mansfield’s lab, as well as a webinar on YAN given by Dr. Mansfield in February 2014.

– YAN Research Report: http://northerngrapesproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/YAN.pdf

– YAN Webinar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsdYaxvP3gw

Further, links to other articles about YAN, published in past issues of Veraison to Harvest (published by Cornell University Cooperative Extension viticulture and enology team) provide further background information and other research projects

– http://www.fruit.cornell.edu/shared/pdfs/TrackingYAN.pdf

– http://www.fruit.cornell.edu/shared/pdfs/FAQYAN.pdf

– http://grapesandwine.cals.cornell.edu/sites/grapesandwine.cals.cornell.edu/files/shared/documents/Veraison-to-Harvest-2009-6.pdf. (See “YAN, the other harvest parameter (that we mostly pretend doesn’t exist,” pg. 2-3, 8)

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

315-787-2449 (desk)

315-787-2216 (fax)

www.northerngrapesproject.org

Grape maturity and late-season petiole sampling

by Terence Bradshaw

Grape maturity
We have begun weekly preharvest sampling of the winegrapes at the UVM Horticulture Research and Education Center. Right now, grapes are about a week ahead of last year’s ripeness schedule, and with warm/hot, dry weather this week, ripening should advance quickly. I still don’t expect harvest to begin for another couple of weeks for most varieties.
Sampling results for 2015 can be found at: http://www.uvm.edu/~fruit/grapes/uvmvineyard/2015UVMfieldtesting.pdf

Past year’s sampling may be found at: http://www.uvm.edu/~fruit/?Page=grapes/uvmvineyard/uvmvineyardhorticulturearchives.html&SM=gr_submenu.html

Petiole sampling
Growers may ascertain overall nutritional status in their vineyards at two times through petiole analysis: bloom and 70-100 days post-bloom.Now is the time for late (post-veraison/pre harvest) petiole sampling for plant nutrient status. Dr. Joe Fiola form the University of Maryland has posted some good recommendations in his latest Timely Viticulture newsletter:

  • Grape petiole analysis is recommended along with soil samples and visual observations as part of a complete nutrient management program.
  • A three year cycle of sampling all of the varieties in a vineyard is typically recommended.
  • Tissue/petiole analyses reveal the actual nutrients in the vines.
  • Spring tissue sampling is a good time to sample, as you can make nutrient adjustments to the vineyard that will influence this year’s crop quality.
  • Nitrogen status is best evaluated with tissue sampling not soil sampling.

Some specifics on sampling:

  • Each sample should be less than 5 acres; less if there are major changes in soil or topography
  • Sample different varieties separately. Samples should represent plants that are planted on the same soil type and are of the same age, variety and rootstock.
  • Vines should represent that portion of a block that is maintained under the same cultural practices, i.e. fertilizer, irrigation and vigor control practices. For example, irrigation blocks are not to be combined with non-irrigated blocks even if they are on the same soil type.
  • Do not sample vines on the border of the block or near dusty roads.
  • For the late-season sampling period, sample the petiole of the most recent- FULLY EXPANDED leaf (NOT the one across from the first blossom cluster as during bloom).
  • About 75-100 (depending on size) petioles are needed as they are typically smaller at the end of the shoot.
  • Gently wash petioles with water and gentle detergent, pat dry and place in OPEN paper bag (lunch, #6 size) to dry for a few days.
  • The closest analytical lab for grape petiole analysis is the Cornell Nutrient Analysis Laboratory . Please note that they now have partnered with Agro-One Services. It is recommended that you contact them before you send any samples to confirm that recommendations will be sent along with the analysis and to confirm costs.
    Video about petiole sampling: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EHbojLfXek

Tile Drainage Field Day – planning for August Capital District

This field day may be helpful for growers interested in learning about and seeing tile drainage installation in action. Please RSVP directly to Aaron.

From Aaron D. Gabriel, Capital Area Agriculture and Horticulture Program:

 

We are planning to have a Tile Drainage Field Day the last week of August, provided that the weather cooperates.

 

Please email, text, or call me if you want to attend.  And once I know, I will tell you the date and time.

 

Here are the details:

  • The location will be my farm at 119 Waite Rd., Easton, Washington County.

o   One field will be tiled with a tile-plow by Travis Allen.  The 9-acre field is way out in back, the Google GPS coordinates are: 43.010097, -73.580610.  (past these coordinates into google to find the field.)  I will have sandwich board signs directing you on Waite Rd, directing you down the Henderson’s dirt laneway under the powerlines.  Follow the signs.  This is an interesting field with gentle and steep slope in various directions.  We are planning on three separate outlets.  Hudson silt loam soil.

o   I will try to have another drainage tile being laid that day in my pasture by our red barn right on Waite Rd.  This will be dug with a backhoe.

  • I will have NRCS and other experienced folks along with Travis to explain the process and answer questions.
  • To drive out to the “9-acre field”, you will go down and up a fairly steep pasture.  Should not be a problem for most cars.  It is not a far walk if you have to park before the “gully”.
  • This field day will be about the nuts and bolts of draining fields.
  • Please RSVP.
  • Please share this notice with other folks.

 

I hope to see you there.

 

Aaron Gabriel, Sr. Extension Resource Educator, Agronomy

Cornell Cooperative Extension                                     518-380-1496 cell

415 Lower Main St.                                                      518-746-2560 ofc

Hudson Falls, NY 12839                                               adg12@cornell.edu

www.fieldcrops.org

Cornell Cooperative Extension

Capital Area Agriculture and Horticulture Program

http://blogs.cornell.edu/capitalareaagandhortprogram/

ReTain applications in Vermont orchards

by Terence Bradshaw

As we see harvest coming right around the corner, the time to apply ReTain for drop control is upon us. Dr. Duane Greene from UMASS presented at the 2015 UVM Apple Program / Vermont Tree Fruit Growers Association meeting on the use of ReTain and NAA for drop control, slides from his talk can be found at: http://www.uvm.edu/~fruit/treefruit/tf_meetings/PGRsVTFGA15.pdf

In summary:

  • The ReTain label limits application to a maximum of 333g active ingredient per acre, but lower rates and multiple applications may be made.
  • Earlier application timing results in greater delay in ripening, later timings improve drop control.
  • Multiple applications at reduced rates may be more successful than a single application.
  • NAA (Fruitone) may also improve drop control but when used alone may advance ripening and reduce storage life.
  • NAA when applied with a half-rate or ReTain will improve drop control with less delay in ripening and reduction in red color than ReTain applied alone.

Growers should consider beginning ReTain applications on September-ripening cultivars (McIntosh, Gala, Cortland, Honeycrisp) in the next week if they have not already. Full rates may be made at this time, or half rates so long as a follow up spray will be applied. Inclusion of 10 ppm NAA may be warranted on cultivars and blocks where poor color development has been an issue where ReTain was used alone. A second application of ReTain may be made in another two weeks. This will allow for harvest of McIntosh and Gala beginning the week of September 7. For Honeycrisp and Gala, lower rates may be warranted. All ReTain sprays should include a non-ionic surfactant to increase uptake of the active ingredient. Plant growth regulator applications should be made alone without tank-mix components that may reduce material effectiveness.

August 2015 issue of Northern Grapes News

image

 

August issue of Northern Grapes News.  Here’s the direct link:

http://northerngrapesproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/NG-News-Vol4-I3-Aug-2015.pdf

 

In this Issue:

-Does Production Region Matter?

-NGP Team Profile: Mike White.

-NGP Team Profile: Paul Read.

-I Have Galls in my Vineyard: Should I Call my Nursery?

-Cold Climate Wine Quality Assurance Program. 

 

Northern Grapes Project Homepage: http://northerngrapesproject.org/

Northern Grapes Project Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/NorthernGrapesProject

Sister “e-Viticulture Homepage: http://eviticulture.org/

 

Chrislyn A. Particka, PhD

Extension Support Specialist

Cornell University

School of Integrative Plant Science, Horticulture Section

630 W. North Street

Geneva, NY 14456

cap297@cornell.edu

315-787-2449 (desk)

315-787-2216 (fax)

www.northerngrapesproject.org

NEFCON Research and Demonstration Field Day August 20

Another meeting announcement of interest to fruit growers. New England Fruit Consultants conducts applied research and provides outreach/consultancy services to growers throughout New England. Please respond to the phone/email below if interested. -TB

New England Fruit Consultants

2015 Research & Demonstration

Field Day

New England Fruit Consultants in collaboration with Apex Orchards will present the results of this year’s field trials with various crop protection materials, growth regulators and other products that play an important role in crop production in New England. Pesticide license recertification credits (3.0) are available for attending the meeting.

Date :Thursday August 20, 2015

Location : NEFCON Research Farm / Apex Orchards

153 Peckville Road

Shelburne, MA 01370

Time : 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Directions : From all areas, take Rt. 91 or

Rt. 2 to the Greenfield rotary (exit 26)

Take Rt. 2 (Mohawk Trail) west 3 miles

to Peckville Road

Take right – orchard is 1/2 mile

If planning to attend, please R.S.V.P. by phone or email by Monday August 17th.

413-367-9578 (phone) TUnefcon

Program (3 pesticide re-certification credits)

9:00 AM – 9:30 AM – Welcome and orientation – coffee, juice and doughnuts

9:30 AM – 11:00 AM – Orchard tour of research and demonstration plots of interest

11:30 PM – 1:00 PM – Speaking program –

· Update on the Recent Fire Blight epidemics and Future Implications, Dr. Roberta Spitko

· Effective Management of Apple Maggot with Currently Available Tools, Dr. Rafael Vega

· Dealing Effectively and Constructively with Public Concerns about Pesticide Use at Farmer’s Markets and PYO Operations. Dr. Roberta Spitko

· Flyspeck and Sooty Blotch: Late-season Control Strategies, Mr. Glenn Morin

1:30 – ???? – Free B-B-Q lunch

Catering by Bub’s B-B-Q

“Best barbecue in the PioneerValley for over 30 years”

B-B-Q Spare Ribs, Chicken, Pulled Pork Sandwich, Dill Potato Salad

Spicy “Dirty” Rice, Orange-glazed Sweet Potatoes

Announcement – Field Day 2015.pdf

Foliar analysis and final IPM activities before harvest

by Terence Bradshaw

As the calendar flips to August, it’s time to wrap up field activities in preparation for harvest in Vermont orchards.

Foliar nutrient analysis – It is the time in the growing season to collect leaf samples for analysis. Samples are usually collected between July 15 – Aug. 15. The UVM Agriculture and Environmental Testing Lab can provide analysis, but at this time their output does not generate fertility recommendations. The following are potential options of labs for analysis. It is recommended that you contact the lab for instructions and costs before samples are sent. Plus, it is important to confirm that they will send recommendations along with the analysis.

(1) University of Maine Analytical Lab: http://anlab.umesci.maine.edu/
(2) University of Massachusetts Soil and Tissue Testing Lab: http://www.umass.edu/plsoils/soiltest/
(3) Cornell Nutrient Analysis Lab: http://cnal.cals.cornell.edu/

Wrapping up spraying – Primary insects of concern are apple maggot and codling moth. Both should be managed in high-pressure orchards. AM can often be managed with a single insecticide application based on monitoring with red sticky traps. The threshold is one fly per unbaited trap, or five flies per trap if apple volatile baits are used. Codling moth are entering their second flight in many orchards, so management is advised if this pest is a problem for you. Insecticide options are listed in the 2014 New England Tree Fruit Management Guide. Dr. Arthur Agnello discusses these summer insect pests in more detail in the July 7, 2014 issue of Scaffolds .

Summer diseases – It is important to maintain fungicide coverage to protect against sooty blotch, fly speck, and summer fruit rots. Materials should be applied after every 200 accumulated hours of leaf wetness or 2 inches of rainfall, whichever occurs first. Except on later-harvested cultivars, a fungicide application made by mid-month should provide good control through harvest. For retail orchards, fungicide sprays are likely wrapped up by now.

Remember to watch pre-harvest intervals on all products at this time of year.

Possible storm damage to Vermont crops

by Terence Bradshaw
From Jake Jacobs at UVM Extension Risk Management:

Some recent passing storms have included strong winds, hail and
scattered flooding which may have caused damage to crops. Producers
with crop insurance are reminded to report damage within 72 hours of
discovering the damage and they must file a written claim within 15
days of the event. Insured producers need to contact their crop
insurance agent immediately if they suspect damage.