The Future of Vermont Ash is in Your Hands

Posted on May 29, 2013 by Women's Agricultural Network

Editor’s Note: This week’s blog post, from UVM Extension community forestry educator Caitlin Cusack, provides practical information about ways landowners and farmers can mitigate the impact of emerald ash borer on our woodlands. 

The hanging of purple traps in ash trees has become as much of a spring tradition in recent years as maple sugaring and mud season. Emerald Ash BorerThese traps are designed to detect the emerald ash borer (EAB), a small, non-native forest insect pest that attacks all species of ash native to Vermont and has killed millions of ash trees elsewhere in the US.

As a forester and coordinator of the Forest Pest First Detector Program—a network of over 100 volunteers who are helping Vermont detect and prepare for EAB and other damaging tree pests—one of the most common questions I hear from landowners is, should I cut my ash trees now?

Continue reading →

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Envirothon Celebrates the Intersection of Agriculture and Environment

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Jenn Colby

I could barely contain an excited squeal (yes—squeal) as I waited for the awards to be announced. I knew in my heart that one of my teams would be named Team of the Year. I say “my” teams without a valid sense of ownership. They and their teacher did the hard work. I had only met these kids twice, once before and today, but still…I was rooting for them.

It started about a year ago, when the Pasture Program was contacted by the VT Envirothon Current Issues coordinator. Envirothon is a national environmental competition where high school students compete in four standard categories (aquatics, soil, forestry, and wildlife) and one current issue which changes each year. We were contacted because the national program had chosen “Sustainable Rangeland Management” as the issue, which in Vermont is quickly translated to rotational grazing. Naturally, we jumped on the chance to teach high school students about the benefits of pasture! Continue reading →

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Graduate Student Studies Soil Health Post-Irene

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Debra Heleba

Lindsey Ruhl, graduate student at the University of Vermont (UVM) Department of Plant and Soil Science, originally didn’t set out to become a soil scientist. But she now knows the critical links among soil health and local food systems, water quality, and the livelihoods of farmers. And she’s passionate about soil science and its effect on food sovereignty.

Lindsey Ruhl

Lindsey Ruhl (photo courtesy of UVM Dept of Plant & Soil Science).

Lindsey is a recent recipient of a Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program (SARE) graduate student grant. Her project, called “Mitigating and Preventing Flood-Related Soil Quality Degradation Using Cover Crop Blends,” is a response to questions she had about soil health following a natural disaster, in this case Tropical Storm Irene. Lindsey is looking at strategies farmers can use when their fields are faced with “post-flood syndrome,” a variety of soil fertility problems that arise after flooding. In particular, she is investigating different cover crops—winter rye, forage radish, hairy vetch, and lupine—and their abilities to “alleviate post-flood deficiencies in organic vegetable production systems” and rejuvenate soils after a flood event. Continue reading →

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