From Campus to Community: Research that Takes Root in Vermont Gardens
2025 UVM Extension Master Gardener Conference
From Campus to Community: Research that Takes Root in Vermont Gardens
Saturday, November 22, 2025
Offered on Zoom
“Research is formalized curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose.” – Zora Neale Hurston
Thanks for a fantastic conference! Please see below for resources shared during our time together.
Resources Shared at the Conference
Conference Program & User Guide
Session Resources
(listed in order of conference presentations)
From Campus to Community. Speaker: Linda Prokopy
Garden Season Look Back. Speaker: Ann Hazelrigg
- UVM Plant Diagnostic Clinic
- VTInvasives
- Vermont Forest Invasive Pest Status Map
- UVM Extension Master Gardener Helpline
Research Update: Jumping Worms. Speaker: Maryam Nouri-Aiin
- Jumping Worm Best Management Practices
- Amynthas Intrinsic Clock (Research Report)
- Assessing and Mitigating the Impact of Invasive Earthworms on Small Vegetable and Nursery Farms
Research Update: Legumes. Speaker: Eric Bishop von Wettberg
- Overwintering Snap Peas as a Cover Crop and Early Season Vegetable
- Edible Legume Leaves: High-Protein Greens for Year-Round Nutrition and Nitrogen Fixation
- Kernza: An Ecological Grain Crop
Research Update: Seed Sovereignty. Speaker: Dan Tobin
Conference Details
Agenda
10:00 am Welcome
Speaker: Deb Heleba. We will get settled for our day together and go over what to expect.
10:10 am From Campus to Community
Speaker: Linda Prokopy. We will kick off the conference with a welcome from the new Dean of the University of Vermont College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Dr. Linda Prokopy.
10:30 am Garden Season Look Back
Speaker: Ann Hazelrigg. Join UVM Extension plant pathologist Dr. Ann Hazelrigg for an engaging look back at this year’s garden season. From unexpected weather conditions to lessons learned, we’ll explore what thrived, what struggled, and how gardeners across Vermont tackled common plant diseases and insect challenges.
11:15 am Research Update: Jumping Worms
Speaker: Maryam Nouri-Aiin. Dr. Nouri-Aiin is an entomologist and soil ecologist at UVM who works at the intersection of biological control, microbial ecology, and invasive species dynamics. She will provide the latest research results on her ongoing investigations of invasive jumping worms.
12:00 pm Lunch Break
12:30 pm Garden Table Talks
Join small groups of fellow gardeners for relaxed, roundtable-style conversations. It’s a chance to share insights, swap stories, and connect more deeply with others who care about growing community—one conversation at a time.
Topics include:
- Composting
- Forest pests
- Effective tabling
- Pollinator gardens
- Wellness gardening
- Volunteering FAQs
1:30 pm Research Update: Legumes
Speaker: Eric Bishop von Wettberg. UVM Crop Geneticist Dr. von Wettberg will share his research on community plant breeding and genetics legumes, focusing on mung beans, adzuki beans, and forages. His team studies wild relatives of crops to breed better crops, conserve crop genetic resources, and build resilience to weather extremes into agricultural systems.
2:15 pm Research Update: Seed Sovereignty
Speaker: Dan Tobin. As a UVM rural sociologist, Dr. Tobin conducts research on many aspects of the sociology of agriculture, including seed systems. He will address past work on seed libraries in Vermont as well as other research on seed sovereignty in the region.