Dear Growers: here are the programs for 2 upcoming meetings.
Stay tuned for the Feb. 15 program for the Annual Meeting of the
Vermont Vegetable and Berrys Growers Association in Rutland.

VERMONT VEGETABLE AND BERRY GROWERS FARM SHOW MEETING, BARRE
January 26, 1:00- 4:00 pm

In the green 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.
First Presbyterian Church is on the right)
Free and open to the public.

1:00 Bio-Intensive Sweet Corn Production ? Ruth Hazzard

Ruth Hazzard is the coordinator of Extension vegetable and berry programs
at the University of Massachusetts. She has conducted many years of
research and on-farm trials looking at non?toxic pest management strategies
for sweet corn. She'll describe how to make the best use of biological
insecticides for control of European corn borer and corn earworm, as well
as how to manage weeds in corn without the use of herbicides.

1:45 Growing Strawberries Using the Annual Bed System -Paul Arnold

Paul and Sandy Arnold are the owners of Pleasant Valley farm in Argyle,
NY, just north of Albany. They produce a diversity of organic vegetables
and fruits for sale at local farmers markets. For the past several years,
they've been using the annual bed system in which strawberry plugs are
planted in the fall, then harvested next spring. They average about 13,000
lb/acre. Paul will tell describe the various ways he has tinkered with this
system, and what works, what doesn't.

2:30 Vegetable Production and Marketing at Foote Brook Farm

Tony Lehouillier started out with an acre of vegetables and a greenhouse 5
years ago. Now he grows 60 acres of certified organic produce, mostly at
his family's former dairy farm in Johnson. The diverse crops are marketed
through the Deep Root Co?op, a farm stand in Stowe and at the farmers
market in Morrisville. Tony will talk about how things have evolved on the
farm and in the marketplace.

3:15 Farmers Outstanding in their Fields, 1999 - Vern Grubinger

Your vegetable and berry specialist will take you on a visual tour of all
the on?farm twilight meetings and workshops you missed this past growing
season. No pictures of natural disasters this year I promise.

For additional information or to request special accommodations contact:
Vern Grubinger, University of Vermont Extension
(802) 257?7967 or verng@sover.net

VERMONT GARLIC GROWERS ROUND TABLE, South Royalton, Vermont
Friday January 28, 2000 10 am - 3 pm
The South Royalton House

Featuring: David Stern, Director of the Garlic Seed Foundation
"The Sweet Smell of the Stinking Rose: A Complete Look at Cultivation and
Growing of Allium sativum L."

Plus: presentations by a panel of renowned Vermont garlic growers!
Tim Sanford, Luna Bleu Farm, S. Royalton
Eugenie Doyle, The Last Resort, Bristol
Fred Bacon, River Bottom Farm, Williamsville

Followed by: open discussion, questions and answers, general intellectual
and olfactory stimulation

Fueled by: a pot-luck luncheon....so bring something stinky!
(Coffee, tea, pastry and cider will provided)

Price: FREE! (donations requested to cover beverages and room fee)

DIRECTIONS:
>From the south: Take exit 2 (Sharon exit) off I?89. Turn left off the ramp,
go under the underpass. At junction with Route 14 turn right and go north 5
miles. Turn left over the bridge into the village of S.Royalton. Drive half
way around the village green, The S. Royalton House is on the southwest
corner of the village green.

>From the north: take I?89 to exit 3 (Bethel exit) and take a left on Route
107. Go to the junction with Route 14, then turn right and take Route 14
south to S. Royalton. Cross the bridge, go into the village and drive half
way around the village green.

NEED MORE INFORMATION or SPECIAL ACCOMODATIONS?
Vern Grubinger, University of Vermont Extension (802) 257?7967
David Stern, Rose Valley Farm (315) 587?9787
 

NEW CROP INSURANCE PROGRAM IS AIMED AT DIVERSIFIED AGRICULTURE

The Adjusted Gross Revenue insurance plan is a non-traditional approach to crop insurance that is now being offered by the USDA Risk Management Agency through private commecial insurance companies. It protects growers of all types against losses of revenue due to unavoidable causes. A huge variety of crops are included in the coverage. Instead of using an estimated value of these crops calculated by someone else, 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. This is the first year that AGR is available in Vermont. YOU MUST SIGN UP BY JANUARY 31 TO GET COVERAGE FOR THE 2000 GROWING SEASON! For more information, contact one of the following: Arthur G. Caroll Crop Insurance Agency 800-531-4700 or Rain and Hail, LLC 800-776-4045.