A UVM blog Out Croppings: Important crop news from the field!

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No-Till Intensive Trainings for Agricultural Service Providers (ASPs)

By outcropn

The University of Vermont Extension, in conjunction with the Natural Resources Conservation Service and The University of Maine Cooperative Extension, is offering a free No-Till Intensive Training for Agricultural Service Providers (ASPs)! Deadline to sign up is October 15, 2018.

The No-Till Intensive Training will include three parts:
1. Online Trainings – 8 CCA credits, 1 Pesticide credit
 A webinar series will host a farmer, researcher, or other expert practitioner. The online classes will discuss common obstacles to implementing a successful no-till program, address these issues through field proven technical knowledge, and follow a training plan that will best enable the ASP to support the farmers in the no-till practice transition. The webinars are scheduled to meet from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. every other Monday starting on November 5, 2018 and ending on February 18, 2019.

2. No-Till & Cover Crop Symposium – 5 CCA credits per event
 Participating ASPs will have the opportunity to attend both the 2019 and 2020 symposiums at no cost to them! Next year’s event is scheduled for February 28, 2019 in Burlington, Vermont.

3. In-Field Intensive Training – 6 CCA credits per training
 Four (4) in-field intensive trainings will be offered during Summer/Fall 2019. Participating ASPs are required to attend at least one. The in-field intensives will be held in Maine, Massachusetts, and Vermont. They will be hosted by local collaborating farms that have incorporated no-till into their crop management systems. These hands-on workshops will foster a stronger working knowledge of no-till equipment, soil health, fertility, and technology used to make no-till systems successful.

Enrolled ASPs must commit to attend ALL webinar trainings and ONE in-field intensive training.

To register, go to https://no-till-intensive-trainings.eventbrite.com. Or contact Catherine Davidson at (802) 524-6501, ext. 445, with registration and/or training related questions. Please request a disability-related accommodation upon registering if needed.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, through the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program under sub-award number LNE18-149.

USDA’s Pasture, Rangeland, Forage (PRF) program was designed to help protect a producer’s operation from forage losses due to lack of precipitation. The enrollment deadline for PRF coverage is November 15.

By outcropn

Media Release

Sept. 4, 2018

Contact: Erin Roche, 207.949.2940, erin.roche@maine.edu

 Webinar offered on pasture and forage crop insurance program

 Orono, Maine—Some farmers have experienced reduced hay yields or pasture regrowth due to drier-than-normal weather. The Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage (PRF) Rainfall Index crop insurance program is an option that may help offset the costs associated with lack of precipitation on grassland.

 An online webinar, scheduled Sept. 26, from 12 noon–1 p.m., will include an overview of the program, demonstration of a tool that shows historical precipitation by grid, and a farmer’s perspective on the program. Speakers include Cornell Cooperative Extension agricultural educator Keith Severson, and Leon Ripley, farmer and owner of Maple Corner Farm, Granville, Massachusetts.

 The webinar is for those who want to learn more about the program before the Nov. 15 enrollment deadline.  

The program is free; registration is required.  Register online; 1.0 CEU’s will be offered after completion of the webinar. For more information contact Erin Roche, 207.949.2940, erin.roche@maine.edu.

Sponsors include University of Maine Cooperative Extension, University of Massachusetts Extension, University of Rhode Island Cooperative Extension, and Cornell University Cooperative Extension with funding from the USDA Risk Management Agency.

University of Maine Cooperative Extension:

As a trusted resource for over 100 years, University of Maine Cooperative Extension has supported UMaine’s land and sea grant public education role by conducting community-driven, research-based programs in every Maine county. UMaine Extension helps support, sustain and grow the food-based economy. It is the only entity in our state that touches every aspect of the Maine Food System, where policy, research, production, processing, commerce, nutrition, and food security and safety are integral and interrelated. UMaine Extension also conducts the most successful out-of-school youth educational program in Maine through 4-H.

 

 

2018 Summer Farm Event

By outcropn

Join UVM Extension NWCS, Friends of Northern Lake Champlain, Farmer’s Watershed Alliance, and Agrilab Technologies for the 2018 Summer Farm Meeting at Bridgeman View Farm, 4826 Hanna Road, Franklin, VT on Thursday, August 9th, 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

This is a free event with lunch sponsored by Champlain Valley Equipment. There will be viewing and discussion of no-till corn, interseeded corn, and equipment including grassland manure injector, rippers, interseeder, and grain drill.  An opportunity to view a two-tier ditch project as well. Register today at 2018summerfarmmeeting.eventbrite.com.

Malt Barley and Hop Quality at the Annual Field Day

By outcropn

Malt Barley and Hop Quality is just one of the afternoon sessions you can choose to attend at the Annual Crops & Soils Field Day on July 26th at Borderview Farm in Alburgh, VT.  Andrew Peterson of Peterson Quality Malt will talk about malt barley quality and scouting for grain diseases.

The NWCS team will talk about hop quality including harvest timing, crowning, irrigation, scouting for pest and natural enemies, and end-of-season disease management.

Register today for the Annual Field Day –

www.regonline.com/2018cropsfieldday or call Susan at 802-524-6501.

Fee includes a great lunch, Tasting Tent sampling, and Kingdom Creamery ice cream!

 

Sign Up Today for the Annual Crops & Soils Field Day!

By outcropn

It is almost time for our Annual Crops & Soils Field Day (click to view flyer)!!

WHEN:  Thursday, July 26th

TIME: 10am to 3:30pm; registration starts at 9:15am

WHERE: Borderview Research Farm, 487 Line Road, Alburgh, VT 05440

SIGN UP TODAY: www.regonline.com/2018cropsfieldday

Cost is $10 per farmer and $25 all others. Lunch included.

 

In addition to the morning tour of our research trials, the afternoon sessions include:

·         No-till and Cover Crops, Ontario farmer Blake Vince

·         Perennial Forage Management, Consultant Sarah Flack and UVM Sid Bosworth

·         Pollinators, UVM Spencer Hardy and John Hayden from The Farm Between

·         Hemp Irrigation, Trevor Hardy from Brookdale Farms in NH

·         Malt Barley and Hop Quality, Peterson Quality Malt and Foam Brewery

We will have sponsor exhibits (all day) and our Tasting Tent (11:30am to 2:30pm).  Tasting Tent vendors this year include All Souls Tortilleria/VT Bean Crafters, Butterworks Farm, and Mill River Brewing!  And Kingdom Creamery will be there with delicious ice cream!

You can sign up to earn CCA and water quality training education credits.

Join us on July 26th and sign up today – www.regonline.com/2018cropsfieldday

Armyworm Alert!

By outcropn
Armyworms. Photo by Sid Bosworth, UVM Extension. Click on image to enlarge.

Armyworms were spotted in St. Johnsbury and Pawlet this week. Please don’t panic but do scout your corn and grass fields for armyworm caterpillars.

True Armyworm, Pseudaletia unipuncta, are typically spotted each year on some acreage in Vermont — crops most affected are grasses including field corn, grass hay and pasture crops. It is important for farmers and consultants to monitor fields. At high populations, armyworms can create significant damage very quickly.

Scout for caterpillars. When mature, they can be almost 1.5 inches long. The caterpillars are usually greenish or brownish, but can be almost black. The sides and back of the caterpillar have light colored stripes running along the body. They normally feed at night and can cause much damage before they mature.

Their preferred foods are grasses including corn, grains, and timothy but they will feed on other plants if grasses are unavailable. Feeding will start on the lower leaves and move upwards. A large population of armyworm caterpillars can strip an entire field in just a few days. When the field is eaten they “march” to adjacent fields. Please note: Corn fields that are reduced or no-tilled or fields infested with grass weeds are most susceptible.

For more information on armyworm, see “When Armyworms Come to Town” and/or True Armyworm resources on the Vermont Crops & Soils webpages. For additional scouting and control options, please contact the following agronomists.
Northwest VT: Heather Darby at (802) 524-6501 or heather.darby@uvm.edu.
Champlain Valley: Jeff Carter at (802) 388-4969 or jeff.carter@uvm.edu.
All other locations: Sid Bosworth at (802) 656-0478 or sid.bosworth@uvm.edu.

2nd Annual Northeast Cover Crops Council Conference

By outcropn

Call for Presentations for 2nd Annual Conference of the Northeast Cover Crops Council (NECCC)

 The second annual conference of the NECCC will be held in State College, PA, on November 15th, 2018, with a field day on the 16th. The organizing committee invites you to share your cover crop research or experiences during the conference. The conference theme for this year is “The Northeast – Leading the Charge”. 

 Please submit a title and 250-word maximum description of your volunteered presentation no later than July 15th. You may indicate your preference for oral or poster format. Proposals will be evaluated by a committee and organized into oral or poster sessions; if your oral presentation does not fit into an oral session, you will be invited to present a poster. You will be informed of your presentation format and time in August. Oral presentations will be 20 minutes long, while posters will be displayed all day on the 15th in the main lobby, with presenters at their poster from 8:30-9:30 am.

 Last year’s conference in Ithaca, NY, drew 170 participants from across the Northeast. Don’t miss this chance to share your work with local cover croppers! Please see http://northeastcovercrops.com/annual-conferences/2018-neccc-conference-information/present/ for more information and to submit. Contact Victoria Ackroyd (Victoria.Ackroyd@ars.usda.gov) with any questions.

2018 Annual Crops & Soils Field Day

By outcropn

Register now for the 11th Annual Crops & Soils Field Day on July 26th – www.regonline.com/2018cropsfieldday. Fifth generation Ontario farmer Blake Vince will share his experience with no-till and cover cropping. On their family farm, they produce corn, soybeans, and winter wheat on 1300 acres and have been no-till planting for more than 30 years.

The field day will provide opportunities for farmers to view research trials, see new innovative equipment, participate in workshop sessions, and visit the tasting tent to sample food products from local vendors and businesses.

Afternoon workshops will focus on no-till/cover cropping, perennial forage management, malt barley and hop quality, pollinators, and camera-guided weed control systems.

The cost, including lunch, is $10 for farmers and $25 non-farmers.  CCA and water quality training education credits are available.

We hope to see you on July 26th!

Interested in Trying Cover Crop Interseeding?

By outcropn

The University of Vermont Extension Northwest Crop and Soils Team recently received a grant to work with farmers to adopt cover crop interseeding.  Our team is seeking out interested farmers in the Champlain Valley and Northeast Kingdom to try interseeding this season.

What is interseeding?

InterSeeder – drills the cover crop seed in

Interseeding is a method of planting seeds in between rows of an established cash crop, such as planting cover crops into a corn silage system. With interseeding, cover crops can be planted as early as the 4th and 6th leaf stages of the corn. Interseeding can also occur later in the season after the corn has tasseled.

How do you interseed cover crops?

Cover crops can be interseeded into growing corn with a variety of equipment options. Specialized equipment includes Interseeder Grain Drills and Highboy Seeders, both options available through the UVM Interseeding Grant. In addition, broadcast spreaders, fertilizer spreaders, and helicopters can be used for interseeding cover crops.

Highboy – sprays cover crop seed into standing corn

What is the benefit of interseeding?

Interseeding allows farmers to get cover crops in the ground earlier so they don’t have to worry about getting them planted and established in the fall! Interseeding also allows farmers the opportunity to plant a more diverse array of cover crops that might include tillage radish and clover. Farmers all across Vermont have been rapidly adopting cover cropping to improve soil health, reduce erosion, and reap benefits associated with this practice.

Looking for more information on interseeding?

For a more detailed look at interseeding, please refer to the UVM Extension Northwest Crop and Soils Program Publications Under Cover: Integrating Cover Crops into Silage Corn Systems, Tips for Interseeding Cover Crops, and/or Interseeding Cover Crops—Innovative Technologies, which can be found on our cover crops webpage www.uvm.edu/extension/cropsoil/covercrops.

Interested in trying interseeding?

If you are interested in trying interseeding, please contact Heather Darby (heather.darby@uvm.edu) or Jeff Sanders (jeffrey.sanders@uvm.edu) at UVM Extension Northwest Crop and Soil Team 802-524-6501. The team has both equipment and technical expertise available. You can also view a fact sheet of information and get an enrollment form here.

 

Be on the lookout for Powdery Mildew

By outcropn

Be on the lookout! Keep an eye on your cucurbits for powdery mildew!  

Powdery mildew is a very common disease on
cucurbits (cucumbers, zucchini, squash, melons). Powdery mildew is likely to
first appear within a month and continue throughout the season. This video
shows the identification, life cycle, and scouting technique, and describes
biofungicide options for powdery mildew on cucurbits – https://youtube.com/watch?v=00mAyMRwuKE&t=24s 

The 2016 research report Evaluating the Efficacy of Organic Approved Fungicides for the Control of Powdery Milldew in Squash can be found here: https://bit.ly/2tjRyQO 

Image: Powdery mildew on squash leaf, Alburgh, Vermont, 2016.

 

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