2021 Conferences & Events

2021 Hemp Production Webinar Series

Our kick-off to the Hemp Production Series was Monday, April 12, with a session on Growing High Quality Hemp Starts.

Our next free webinar is Tuesday, May 11, 12:00pm to 1:00pm EST. Our topic is Hemp Irrigation Systems: Maximizing Efficiency & Productivity, which will cover basics of hemp water usage as well as developing efficient irrigation systems. Our speaker will be Gretchen Schimelpfenig, PE, Technical & Operations Director of RII.

Please view the Series Flyer for details. All webinars are free.

To join the Zoom webinar Click here or enter the link into your web browsers. 
https://uvmextension.zoom.us/s/91499885432#success

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Past Events

Challenges and Opportunities: New Manure Application Equipment Webinar

Are you a custom manure applicator? Or interested in learning more about hayland manure injection?
Join us for a live webinar on Wednesday, April 21st from 8:30-9:30 a.m. to learn about hayland manure injection, inline nutrient sensing, and their impact on managing nutrients. Speakers include Extension Outreach Professionals Kirsten Workman and Jeff Sanders, and custom applicator Eric Severy from Matthew’s Trucking LLC. Earn one custom applicator or farmer water quality credit. There is no cost to attend, but pre-registration is required.

Register online here - https://manureapplicationwebinar.eventbrite.com

2021 Grain Growers Conference - Out of the Box Webinar Series

The Northern Grain Growers Association and the University of Vermont Extension Northwest Crops and Soils Program brought the Grain Growers Conference to you virtually this year with three programs being offered - The Culture of Corn, The Resonance of Rye and The Splendor of Spelt.

View the Grain Growers Conference web page for the past conference details and YouTube links to the recorded presentations.

2021 Online Dairy Education Series

Join us for an exciting two week online learning series covering a diversity of dairy-related topics from forage production to bedded packs to alternative milking frequencies. You'll hear from researchers, local farmers, and agricultural professionals sharing the latest research and experiences from the field. View the detailed brochure here.

These are Free meetings using the Zoom online platform. We do require pre-registration - https://onlinedairyeducationseries.eventbrite.com

Following are the six event topics and speakers. Join us for all one, two, or all of them!

Following are the recorded videos, which include closed captioning, and a PDF of their presentation (if available):

March 9, Exploring Alternative Milking Intervals (YouTube video) and the presentation (PDF).

March 10, Evaluating Sensory Properties of Dairy Products (YouTube video) and the presentation (PDF).

March 12, Cow Comfort: Can it be Improved in your Barn? (YouTube video), the presentation (PDF), and the following handouts:

• Dairy Facility Risk Factors (PDF)
• Estimating the Impact of Cow Comfort (PDF)
• Seven Things that can improve Cow Comfort, Productivity and Well-being (PDF)
• Steps to Improving Existing Freestalls (PDF)

March 16, Forage Quality: How to Improve, Assess and Feed More Forage (YouTube video), the Quality Forage presentation (PDF) from Kurt Cotanch, and the Managing Forage Crops presentation (PDF) from Sid Bosworth.

March 18, Updates on Local and Regional Research Projects (YouTube video). Including Bedding Strategies presentation (PDF) from John Barlow, Feeding Legumes to Organic Dairy Cows (PDF) by Andre Brito, Impact of Forage Mixtures (PDF) by Miriam Snider, and Interseeding Forage Crops (PDF) by Kathy Soder.

March 19, Corn Silage Hybrid Testing Update and Management Tips (YouTube video), the presentation (PDF) from Joe Lawrence, and a Benchmarking Table handout (PDF).

2021 Industrial Hemp Conference - virtually

We had a successful Industrial Hemp Conference on Friday, February 26, 2021. Thanks to everyone that was able to join us!

The 2021 Industrial Hemp Conference proceedings are now available online. You will find the presentation videos for all the live presentations and the on-demand ones, as well as a PDF of the live presentation powerpoint (if available) and resources that were posted on the virtual conference website. The proceedings are on the eXtension website and are available for a fee of $75.

If you attended the conference on February 26 virtually, you can send me an email request to receive a voucher code to access these proceedings at no additional cost, susan.brouillette@uvm.edu. I can confirm your attendance with our master attendee list.

You can access the 2021 Industrial Hemp Conference proceedings here – https://campus.extension.org/course/view.php?id=2033

Northeast Cover Crops Council's Conference

The NECCC's first-ever virtual conference was held on March 4, 2021. Thanks to everyone that joined us!

View the conference link for details as they are posted - http://northeastcovercrops.com/2021-conference/.

Virtual Farm Discussion Groups

We have been offering an opportunity for farmer-to-farmer discussion groups that you can connect to online or by phone. We have hosted virtual discussion groups monthly since April and are scheduling another one for December 11, 12:00pm to 1:00pm.  View this letter (PDF) for the general information as well as the connection information for the discussion group. This discussion group will focus on gaining your input and suggestions for our programs upcoming outreach and educational activities

Brewer and Hop/Grain Grower Events

The UVM Extension Northwest Crops & Soils Program is excited to announce a series of fun and educational events to transfer valuable knowledge about ingredient and beer sensory quality while establishing standard methods and terminology to promote effective communication between suppliers and brewers. The three events will build on each other and result in a much deeper understanding of sensory analysis and meeting the changing needs of beer drinkers. Our goal is to help you be successful through education and networking. COVID-19 procedures will be followed.

View the flyer for details and event information (PDF). We have held two events so far in September and October. The third event will be in 2021 with date and location to be determined.  Events are free. See flyer for details.

Industrial Hemp Training Program - for Agricultural/Technical Service Providers

UVM Extension Northwest Crops and Soils (NWCS) program is offering this free course in collaboration with the following organizations: Vermont Agency of Agriculture (VAAFM), Food & Markets, Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR), SUNY Morrisville, University of Maine Cooperative Extension, Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners (MOFGA), Northeast Organic Farming Association of NY (NOFA-NY), and Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program (NE-SARE). This course is only for Agricultural/Technical Service Providers please.

Offerings include up to 13 webinars (7 are required), up to 5 in-field intensives (1 is required), and admission to attend the 2021 and 2022 Industrial Hemp Conferences! You will also be asked to complete a pre- and post- course survey. All this is FREE and you can also earn Certified Crop Adviser credits! Sessions will be live on Tuesdays, 12pm - 1pm.

Sorry, but we are not taking on new registrations at this time as registeration was required by October 26, 2020.

The program flyer (PDF) or the Eventbrite website includes more detailed information.

Questions? Please contact Catherine Davidson, Catherine.davidson@uvm.edu, or Heather Darby, heather.darby@uvm.edu or 802-524-6501.

Online Educational Resources (PDF) - a summary of online courses being offered by UVM Extension Northwest Crops & Soils Program through eXtension, as well as webinar series and videos we have created (current and past). We also included some teen and youth information from UVM Extension.

Virtual Field Day Fridays - We can’t host you at the farm, but we can visit virtually!

In lieu of the UVM Extension Northwest Crops and Soils Annual Field Day, we held several Virtual Field Day Fridays. You can view our flyer of the dates and topics, as well as our Funding Sources and Collaborators for our program research here Flyer (PDF).

July 24 - Small Grains; Integrated Pest Management 
August 7 - Interseeding Cover Crops; Solar Corridors; Forages
August 21 - Hops; Corn Silage Trials
September 4 - Dry Beans; Flint Corn; Behind the Scenes at the Grains Lab
September 18 - Hemp; Cover Crops

All video's from the webinars are posted online on a Map of Borderview Farm (PDF). Open this PDF file and you can click on the video you wish to watch. The video locations, match up with the research trial locations at the farm. The videos/recordings will also include closed captioning.

2020 Hemp Growing Season Webinar Series     

Coordinated by the University of Vermont Extension Northwest Crops & Soils Program and the Center for Sustainable Agriculture.

Join us for these webinars being offered LIVE and FREE on Thursdays from noon to 1pm. See below for dates/topics. We will record the webinars and post them to this website, as well as our Hemp web page. These recordings will also include closed captioning.

June 11th – The Vermont Hemp Rules with Stephanie Smith, Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets. View the YouTube webinar recording here - https://youtu.be/Z02EyQkkN9U. View the presentation here (PDF).

June 18th – Getting the Season Started with Heather Darby and John Bruce of the UVM Extension Northwest Crops and Soils Program. View the YouTube webinar recording here - https://youtu.be/7ErgkuUwUUc. View the presentation here (PDF).

July 9th – Identifying and Manage Arthropod Pests in Hemp with Heather Darby and Scott Lewins of the UVM Extension Northwest Crops and Soils Program. View the YouTube webinar recording here - https://youtu.be/KbKbDkEwk2I. View the presentation here (PDF).

July 30th – Identification and Management of Disease in Hemp with Ann Hazelrigg, UVM, and Chris Motyka. View the YouTube webinar recording here - https://youtu.be/wouZy-3Ioxk. View the presentation (PDF) here.

August 6th - CBD Post-Harvest Handling (Drying focus) with Chris Callahan, UVM. View the YouTube webinar recording here - https://youtu.be/dIPozbV-MuY.  View information and the presentation slides (PDF) here.

August 13th – Hemp Sampling Pre-Harvest with Robert Shipman and/or Michael DiTomasso of the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets. View the YouTube webinar recording here - https://youtu.be/9NFlbdJyS-w. View the presentation slides (PDF) here.

September 10th – Hemp Testing at Certified Labs with Robert Shipman and/or Michael DiTomasso of the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets. View the YouTube webinar recording here - https://youtu.be/LNw_4wQojB0. View the presentation slides (PDF) here.

This is material is based upon work supported by USDA/NIFA under Award Number 2018-70027-28588.

Webinar Series: Grazing & Forage Season Extension

Several webinars are being offered through this series collaborated by UMass Extension, UVM Extension, and UMaine Extension. Pre-registration is requested. Please click on this Webinar Series Flyer to see the details and the Go To Webinar link for registration. Following are the dates with webinar topics, which also includes the link to register (click on webinar title):

July 31, 12:15-1:00 PM, Brassicas and Other Cool Season Annuals with Heather Darby of UVM Extension
August 11, 7:00 to 8:00 PM, Stockpiling with Troy Bishopp: 60 Days From Your Fall Feeding Plan
August 28, 12:15-1:00 PM, Harvesting Over-wintering Cover Crops with Sam Corcoran of UMass Extension
September 18, 12:15-1:00 PM, Bringing it All Together: Integrating Alternative Forage into Your Feed Plan with Kathy Soder of USDA-ARS

Dig into Your Day…with Cover Crops & Conservation (click to view flyer) - The University of Vermont Extension is offering a FREE Webinar Series!
This webinar series will discuss current research on cover crops and conservation in various cropping systems, interesting findings, and common obstacles to implementing a successful cover crop and no-till program. Each webinar will be 30 minutes and will end with a 15 minute Q&A session.YouTube videos of completed webinars will be posted when available.

Dates & Topics Listed Below:
Monday, 3/23/20 9am to 9:45am - Precision Sustainable Agriculture (YouTube video available) with Steve Mirsky, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service
Thursday, 3/26/20 9am to 9:45am - Cover Crops in the Corn/Soybean Rotation (YouTube video available) with Peter Tomlinson, Kansas State University, Department of Agronomy
Monday, 3/30/20 9am to 9:45am - Cover Crop Profitability with Rob Meyers (YouTube video available), University of Missouri Extension, Agricultural Engineering
Thursday, 4/2/20 9am to 9:45am - No-Till and Cover Crops in Organic Systems (YouTube video available) with Joel Gruver, Western Illinois University, School of Agriculture
Monday, 4/6/20 9am to 9:45am - No-Till and Cover Crops in Vegetable Systems (Organic Focus) (YouTube video available) with Natalie Lounsbury, University of New Hampshire, Earth and Environmental Sciences
Thursday, 4/9/20 9am to 9:45am - Stewarding the Birthplace of No-Till with John Young (YouTube video available), Young Family Farm, Innovative No-Till Farmer from Herndon, Kentucky
Monday, 4/13/20 9am to 9:45am - Cover Crop and Soybean Research in Vermont (YouTube video available) with Heather Darby, University of Vermont Extension, Northwest Crops and Soils Program
Thursday, 4/16/20 9am to 9:45am - Cover Crops and No-Till in Soybeans (YouTube video available) with Cara Peterson, University of Maryland, Sustainable Agricultural Systems Lab

Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) credits are available through online registration or by emailing your CCA number and/or farm name to catherine.davidson@uvm.edu within 2 days of the webinar.

Grain Growers Webinar (PDF) - was held Tuesday, March 24, 2020, 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Included the following two webinar presentations that you can now access to watch. Each are 1 hour or under.
Growing Rye for Flavor and Function (YouTube video available) with Aaron MacLeod of Hartwick College.
Cover Crop Based No-Till and Interseeding Techniques (YouTube video available) with Erin Silva from University of Wisconsin.

Grain Growers Conference (program brochure and agenda) - Tuesday, March 24, 2020 at The Essex Resort & Spa, Essex, VT. View our Conference web page - go.uvm.edu/2020grainsconference. This conference has been CANCELED, sorry for any inconvenience.

2020 Winter Farm Meeting (click for meeting agenda) - Friday, February 7, 2020 at the American Legion, 100 Parah Drive, St. Albans, VT. Free event with lunch sponsored by Yankee Farm Credit. Conference web page https://2020winterfarmmeeting.eventbrite.com.

2nd Annual Industrial Hemp Conference (click for full brochure and agenda) - Thursday, February 20, 2020 at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Burlington. View our Conference  web page - go.uvm.edu/2020hempconference.

No-Till Cover Crop Symposium (click to view conference web page) - Wednesday, February 26, 2020 at the DoubleTree by Hilton, South Burlington, VT

Hop Conference (flyer) - Friday, February 28, 2020 at the Delta Hotels Marriott Burlington, Burlington, VT. View our Conference web page - go.uvm.edu/2020hopconference.

Organic Dairy Producers Conference - Wednesday, March 11, 2020 at Judd Hall at Vermont Technical College, Randolph, VT. View our Conference web page - go.uvm.edu/2020organicdairyconference.

• 2019 Summer Farm Meeting - Wednesday, August 14, 2019, Bridgeman View Farm, Franklin, VT. View the detailed agenda (PDF). 

• Summer Organic Dairy Series - UVM Extension, NOFA-VT, and Organic Valley are collaborating and offering several organic dairy related workshops this summer. View our flyer for the details and registration information. Workshops are offered in July, August and September and are in Vermont, New Hampshire and New York.

• 2019 12th Annual Crops & Soils Field Day - Thursday, July 25, 2019. Our theme is Twelve Years of Research - But Wait, There's More! View the 2019 Field Day Booklet (PDF).


• Malt Flavor Evaluations - was held on Wednesday, June 26 in Burlington, VT. For brewers and growers.

• No-Till Training Program - In-Field Intensives. As part of the No-Till Training Program, Agriculture Service Providers (ASP) and program participants must attend at least one (1) in-field intensive training. We are also inviting ASPs working with farmers curious about implementing no-till. We are offered 4 workshops, In-Field Intensives information flyer (PDF)

• 15th Annual Grain Growers Conference (click to view brochure) is Thursday, March 28. Following are the PDF versions or links to most of the conference presentations listed chronologically.

Paul Schwarz, Impact of Disease on Malting Grains (PDF)
Erik Andrus, Growing Rice in New England (PDF)
Jeffrey Hamelman and Randy George, 100% Rye, NGGA Testing (PDF) and NGGA Rye Baking Test Evaluation Form (PDF)
Jason Furch, Recipes from Baking Session (PDF)
Jacob and Bruce Buck, Growing and Storage of Malting Barley (PDF)
Tom Molloy, Research and On-Farm Experiences with Camera-Guided Cultivation in Maine (PDF)
Jennifer Lapidus, From Grain to Loaf: A regional flour mill in the south (PDF)
Mark Bernard, Transitioning to Organic and Value Added Products (PDF)
Roger Rainville, Small Scale Oil Pressing (PDF)
Lynn Ellen schimoler, Joe Bossen and Elijah Massey, Financial and Technical Assistance Resources for Farmers and Processors (PDF)
Becca Regier, Baking session recipes. Caraway Rye Crisps (PDF) and Barley Cookies (PDF)
Rye Matthews, Basics of Growing Hemp for CBD (PDF)
Kristy Borrelli, Role of Cover Crops in Nutrient Cycling and Soil Health (PDF)
Joel Steigman, Growing, Processing, and Milling Spelt (PDF)

Additional links for information from Kristy Borrelli.
Making the Most of Mixtures: https://extension.psu.edu/making-the-most-of-mixtures-considerations-for-winter-cover-crops
Managing Soil Health: https://extension.psu.edu/managing-soil-health-concepts-and-practices

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• No-Till Cover Crop Symposium (PDF), was held Thursday, February 28, DoubleTree by Hilton, Burlington, VT.

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• 9th Vermont Organic Dairy Producers Conference (click to view brochure) was held Thursday, March 14. Following are the PDF versions or links to the conference presentations.

Gary Hirshberg, Perspective on Organic Dairy (PDF)
Linda Tikofsky, Milk Quality: It's the Little Things (PDF)
Research Updates, Combined Slide Show from all Presenters (PDF)
Larry Tranel, Economics of Grazing Dairy Heifers (PDF)
Larry Tranel, TRANS Iowa Low Cost Parlors - link to view video - https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/parlor
Larry Tranel, Transforming a Milking Parlor at Low Cost Fact Sheet - downloadable link - https://store.extension.iastate.edu/Product/12657

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• (click to view brochure) was on Friday, February 8 and was very successful!  Following are the PDF versions of the presentations listed chronologically. To access the presentation videos, contact susan.brouillette@uvm.edu.
• I have also included this PDF of our Sponsor and Exhibitor contact information (PDF).

Online proceedings for the Industrial Hemp Conference are available for $75 and includes video recordings of presentations conducted during the conference. The proceedings are housed at eXtension’s Online campus. If you have not yet been to this site, you will need to create an account. To do so, on the left bar under “Login,” click on “Create new account.” You will need to complete some basic information and confirm your account via email.  Once you have created an account, you may enroll in the proceedings. You will enter your payment into eXtension’s PayPal system.

Monique McHenry, PhD, Cannabis as a Plant: Taxonomy and Chemistry (PDF)
Christine Motyka, Propagation Techniques for starting CBD Hemp Plants (PDF)
Joe Veldon, Breeding and Selection of CBD Hemp (PDF)
Keanan Stone, Hemp Grain/Fiber Commercial Production (PDF)
Trevor Hardy, Plasticulture for Hemp Production (PDF)
Heather Darby, Hemp Production in the Northeast (PDF)
Steve Kostell, Micro-manufacturing of Agricultural products for Industrial Hemp (PDF)
Jane Kolodinsky, Markets for Hemp - Considerations (PDF)
Reuben Stone, Hemp Grain Harvest & Storage (PDF)
Jay Noller, Developing Sustainable Markets for Hemp (PDF)
Rye Matthews, Farming Hemp in Vermont (PDF)
Keith Morris, Permaculture Design (PDF)
Christine Motyka and Scott Lewins, Integrated Pest Management in Hemp (PDF)
Chris Bailey, Hemp Seeds 101: Processing, Products, and Markets (PDF)
Brenden Beer, Field to Market (PDF)
John DiGiuseppe, Harvest and Drying (PDF)
Marc Tardiff, Acadia Farms (PDF)
Zoe Stapp, Hemp Irrigation 101 (PDF)
Bob Escher AIA and Alex Escher, An Ancient Material to Solve Contemporary Problems (PDF)
Scot Waring, Hemp Processing and Analysis (PDF)
Jay Noller, CBD Production Systems in Oregon (PDF)
Heather Darby, Fertility Management (PDF)

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• 10th Annual Hop Conference (PDF), was Thursday, February 21, DoubleTree by Hilton, Burlington, VT. View detailed Conference Agenda (PDF).We had a great conference with informative and fun topics. Listed below are PDFs of the presentations.

Online proceedings for the 2019 Hop Conference are available for $35 and includes video recordings of presentations conducted during the conference. The proceedings are housed at eXtension’s Online campus. If you have not yet been to this site, you will need to create an account. To do so, on the left bar under “Login,” click on “Create new account.” You will need to complete some basic information and confirm your account via email.  Once you have created an account, you may enroll in the proceedings. You will enter your payment into eXtension’s PayPal system.

Tom Spilsbury, British Hop Industry & Growing English Hops (PDF)
Gene L'Etoile, Pests and Diseases of Hops (PDF)
Heather Darby and John Bruce, Historical Hop Evaluation Trial (PDF)
Ellen Dillenbeck and Lejla Mahmuljin, Brewing with Wild Vermont Hops (PDF)
Blake Crosby, Hops 101 (PDF)
Kevin Broderick, Whitefield Hop Yard (PDF)
Tom Spilsbury, Three Tier Hop Drying (PDF)

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• 2019 Winter Farm Meeting, Tuesday, February 12, 10am to 2:30pm, Champlain Valley Equipment, St. Albans, VT. Free event including lunch sponsored by CVE. View detailed Meeting Agenda (PDF).
• 2019 Precision Agriculture Forum (PDF), Friday, February 15, 10am to 3pm, The Abbey, Sheldon, VT. Coordinated by Farmer's Watershed Alliance (FWA).

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2018 Events

Tile Drainage Webinar Series - Drainage and Doughnuts

View our Tile Drainage Webinar Series - Drainage and Doughnuts (PDF).  What you will learn -

• Best management practices to use on tile acreages
• Increase knowledge on how farmland with subsurface tile drainage may affect water quality
• Increase knowledge about how Required Agricultural Practices (RAPs) affect the use of subsurface tile drainage
• Learn about end-of-tile treatments

Videos

• Wed, October 24, Introduction to Tile Drainage, Joshua Faulkner, UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture
• Fri, October 26, Tile Drainage and Management in Wisconsin, Matt Ruark, University of Wisconsin - Madision
• Wed, October 31, Tile Drainage and Management in New York and end-of-tile treatment, Eric Young, USDA ARS - Marshfield, WI
• Fri, November 2, Tile Drainage and Management in Ohio, Lindsay Pease, University of Minnesota - St.Paul
• Thu, November 8, Conservation and Tile Drainage Survey Results, Heather Darby, UVM, and Update on RAPs adn tile drain rule amendment, Ryan Patch, VAAFM

View our NMP Course Information flyer (PDF) to find out about our NMP course and when it will be offered.