ADJUSTED GROSS REVENUE INSURANCE WORKSHOP
JANUARY 19, 2001, 9:30 am-noon. Free.
University of Vermont Extension Office, Howe Center, Rutland VT

Charles Koins, of USDA Risk Management, has graciously agreed to come to Vermont to meet with growers and explain this new insurance program. The Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) program was developed with diversified horticulture in mind. This insurance plan is a new approach to government crop insurance in that it is offered by the Risk Management Agency through private commecial insurance companies. In addition, the program insures revenue rather than the crops themselves. Many different crops can be protected against losses of revenue due to a variety of unavoidable causes. The AGR uses the last 5 years of your Schedule F tax form information as a base to provide a level of guaranteed revenue for the insurance period. January 31 is the deadline for signing up for AGR coverage for the 2001 grwoing season.

VERMONT VEGETABLE AND BERRY GROWERS ASSN. FARM SHOW MEETING
JANUARY 24, 2001, 1:00- 4:00 pm, Barre VT. Free. First Presbyterian Church, down the hill from Barre Municipal Center.
(Take exit 7 of I-89, follow route 62 into Barre. Turn right at the lights onto route 302, go 1/4 mile then turn left just after the Grand Union.
Green church is on the right)

1:00 Greenhouse Raspberries at Bulrush Farm
Stewart Skrill is one of the first growers in Vermont to experiment with greenhouse raspberries, adapting the Cornell system to organic methods. Last year his 30 by 72 foot greenhouse started fruiting in early May, and the crop was sold at farmers market.

1:45  Scouting for the Enemy in 2000- Hank Bissell and Bob Pomykala
Hank and Bob will describe how the Vermont Integrated Pest Management program for vegetables and berries worked last season, when the emphasis was on intensively training scouts at a few farms. The key pests, how they were uncovered, and what was done about them will be discussed.

2:30   Production and Pest Management Practices at Chapelle's Potatoes
Bob Chapelle has been growing spuds for over 2 decades high in the hills of central Vermont. He currently produces 55 acres of potatoes in rotation with small grains on 110 acres of land in Williamstown, using IPM techniques.

3:15  Farmers Outstanding in their Fields, 2000 - Vern Grubinger
Tag along for a whole season of farm visits with your extension vegetable and berry specialist. See something new, something different, some things that worked, and some that didn't. Slides will feature dozens of farms, from north to south, large and small.

2 recertification credits will be available for pesticide applicators.

VERMONT VEGETABLE AND BERRY GROWERS ASSN. ANNUAL MEETING: FEBRUARY 13, 2001, Holiday Inn, Rutland, VT
(just north of the intersection of Route 7 and Route 4 west)

8:00 Registration, Trade Show and Refreshments
9:00 President's Remarks
        Hank Bissell, Lewis Creek Farm, Starksboro
9:15 The Rebirth of Vegetable Crops Teaching and Research at UVM
        Buddy Tignor, Plant and Soil Science Dept, UVM
9:45 The Latest on Worker Protection Standards
        Doug Johnstone, Vermont Department of Agriculture
10:15 Break
10:45 Getting and Managing Jamaican Labor through the H2A program
        Laurie Bombard, Sam Mazza Farm, Colchester
        Bob and Jane Pomykala, Pomykala Farm, Grand Isle
11:15 Food Safety Nightmare Prevention for Vegetable and Berry Growers
        Karen Schneider and Dale Steen, UVM Extension
11:45 Business Meeting and Farewell to Jon Turmel as Secretary/Treasurer
12:00 Luncheon and Trade Show
1:30 Vegetable Production and Pest Management in Nepal
        Ann Hazelrigg, UVM Plant Diagnostic Lab
2:00 Pros and Cons of Farm Businesses: Corporations, Trusts, Sole Proprietorships
        Marge Randles EA CFP, owner, Randles Advisory Services LLC
2:45 Managing Crops, Pests and Labor at Norris Berry Farm
        Norma and Rick Norris, Monkton

2 recertification credits will be available for pesticide applicators attending this meeting.
PRE-REGISTRATIONS - MUST BE RECEIVED BY FEBRUARY 9
$20 for Members, $30 for Non-Members, including lunch
$10 for Members, $20 for Non-Members, without lunch
Add $5 for at-the-door registrations.

Membership dues for calendar year 2001 are $32. Benefits include: A 2000-2001 Extension Vegetable or Small Fruit Management Guide, a subscription to the Agriview newsletter which contains the Vermont Vegetable and Berry News and a subscription to American Vegetable or American Fruit Grower magazine. Mail your check to: VV&BGA, c/o Doug Johnstone, 677 Skitchewaug Trail, Springfield, VT 05156

NEW ENGLAND STRAWBERRY SCHOOL
MARCH 6, 2001   Fireside Inn, West Lebanon NH
From I-89 north, take Exit 20, turn left off the ramp, at 2nd set of lights turn left at Inn sign. From I-89 south, take exit 20, turn right off the ramp - look for the Inn sign shortly on the left.

To make lodging reservations call the Inn directly 603-298-5906 or 800-962-3198.
Ask for the meeting attendees room rate of $79.00. Pre-Registration: $20 per person includes lunch; Registration at-the-door: $25 per person. Mail check by Feb 26, payable to ‘UVM Extension' to: Ann Hazelrigg, Hills Building, UVM, Burlington VT 05405-0082

8:30   Registration
9:00   Marvin Pritts, Cornell University
          Optimizing Nutrient Management in Strawberries
9:30   Bill Lord, University of New Hampshire
          Advances in Annual Strawberry Plasticulture
10:15 David Handley, University of Maine
          Overview of Strawberry Cultivar Strengths and Weaknesses
10:45 Break
11:00 Rich Cowles, Connecticut Ag. Experiment Station
          Biology and Management of Root Weevils
11:00  Marvin Pritts
           New Approaches to Weed Control in Strawberries
12:00  Lunch
1:00    Rich Cowles
           Use of Insect Pathogenic Nematodes to Control Soil Dwelling Pests
1:30    David Handley
           Conventional and Alternative Management of Tarnished Plant Bug
2:00    Bill Lord
          Renovation and Rotation for Crop and Soil Health
2:30  Question and Answers
At least 2 Recertification credits will be available.

NATIONAL ORGANIC STANDARD FOR MANURE AND COMPOST
(excerpted from USDA final rule on organic standards)
1) Raw animal manure must be composted unless it is:
(ii) Applied to land used for a crop not intended for human consumption;
(ii) Incorporated into the soil not less than 120 days prior to the harvest of a product whose edible portion has direct contact with the soil surface or soil particles; or
(iii) Incorporated into the soil not less than 90 days prior to the harvest of a product whose edible portion does not have direct contact with the soil surface or soil particles;
(2) Composted plant and animal materials (may be applied at any time if) produced though a process that:
(i) established an initial C:N ratio of between 25:1 and 40:1; and
(ii) maintained a temperature of between 131 F and 170 F for 3 days using an in-vessel or static aerated pile system; or
(iii) maintained a temperature of between 131F and 170F for 15 days using a windrow composting system, during which period, the materials must be turned a minimum of five times.