2023 Conferences & Events

Grass-Fed Dairy Production Course (click to view flyer) - starts Friday, January 20, 2023 - SOLD OUT

With increasing organic grain prices, many dairy farms are looking to reduce or even eliminate feeding grain. Grass-fed dairy is of growing interest and this online course will walk you through unique aspects of this production system. The online program will include weekly presentation/discussion and online resources. This course has been Sold Out and we cannot accept any more registrations. Class accommodations are available (ie. receiving materials and calling in to listen to presentation). Please contact Susan at 802-524-6501 ext. 432 or susan.brouillette@uvm.edu if you have any questions.

Dry Bean Production in the Northeast - two-part webinar series

Friday, February 17, 2023, Noon to 1:30pm. Growing Dry Beans in the Northeast - Farmers and producers from the Northeast will share their experiences with dry beans, from harvesting and cleaning to storage and markets.

Friday, March 3, 2023, Noon to 1:30pm. The Basics of Dry Bean Production - a presentation from Scott Bales, a dry bean specialist at Michigan State University.

Free webinars. Register here for one or both webinars.

Industrial Hemp Conference, virtual (click to view brochure)

This virtual conference is scheduled for Thursday, February 23, 2023, 8:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. View the Industrial Hemp Conference web page for all the details.

No-Till & Cover Crop Conference (click to view brochure) - Thursday, March 2, 2023

View the No-Till & Cover Crop Conference web page for all the details.

Organic Dairy Conference - Thursday, March 9, 2023

Please join us for the 10th annual Vermont Organic Dairy Producers Conference on March 9, 2023!  Presentation highlights include improving pasture management using satellite imagery, nutrition and improving milk production, parasite management and the pasture ecosystem, dairy health issues during the grazing season, research updates, and organic dairy farm management decisions. Conference brochure will be posted soon!

Event will be held at Vermont Technical College, Judd Hall, 124 Admin Drive, Randolph Ctr, VT 05061 with registration starting at 9:00 a.m. Conference will be 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Registration is $25 per person and includes lunch. Online registration will be open very soon and will be posted here.

Interested in sponsoring and/or exhibiting at the conference? We would love to have you join us! View the Sponsor Information form here. Online sponsor registration will be open very soon and posted here.

Grain Production Webinar Series

This is a 4-part webinar series in place of the Grain Growers Conference. View the Grain Production Webinar Series web page for all the details.

Webinar dates include March 23, 24, 30 and 31, 2023 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

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Past Events

Dairy Webinar: Alternative Milking Strategies (click to view flyer)

On December 13, 2022, UVM Extension’s Sara Ziegler and grazing consultant Sarah Flack joined for a webinar on alternative milking strategies including seasonal production, once-a-day milking, and other alternative milking frequencies. They shared insights on the prevalence of these strategies on dairy farms around the northeast region, as well as common challenges, barriers to adoption, benefits, and economic considerations.

If you were unable to attend the webinar, here is the link to the YouTube video of it.

Fall Farm Meeting (click to view flyer)

On October 20, UVM Extension Northwest Crops and Soils Program (NWCS), Farmer’s Watershed Alliance (FWA), and Friends of Northern Lake Champlain (FNLC) held a Fall Farm Meeting at Rolland Rainville’s farm in Franklin.

Topic highlights include: Corn harvest, planting cover crops, updates on pasture manure injection, precision sustainable agriculture, and the state of soil health in Vermont. We will also receive an update on Lake Carmi and hear program updates from State Agencies. We also enjoyed a tour of Due North Vineyards!

Summer Field Day with a Focus on Forages (click to view flyer) - Thursday, September 8, 2022

We joined with Richville Farm owners on September 8,2022 to discuss corn harvesting and explore options and opportunities for feeding a high forage diet. We also looked at equipment including a kernel processor and grain drills. Dairy nutritionists Patrice Vincent and Kurt Cotanch joined us to share tips and considerations for successfully feeding more homegrown forage.

Summer Dairy Series

We invite you to participate in our Summer Dairy Series hosted by UVM Extension, NOFA-VT, and VT Grass Farmers Association (VGFA). This Summer Dairy Series brochure (PDF) list all the workshops offered by our different organizations. Each event shares a registration link or contact name for more information.

Following were three events hosted by NWCS.

FOCUS ON FORAGE - Friday, June 17, 2022, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.  Click here to view the flyer (PDF).

TRANSITIONING TO MORE GRAZING - Friday, July 1, 2022, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.  Click here to view the flyer (PDF).

PASTURE WALK AND PARASITE MANAGEMENT - Tuesday, July 26, 2022, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.  Click here to view the flyer (PDF).

Annual Field Day at Borderview Farm in Alburgh - Thursday, July 28, 2022, 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

We held a successful in-person on-farm Annual Field Day (click to view PDF flyer) at Borderview Research Farm, where attendees enjoyed a farm tour, exhibitor tent, and presentations by UVM researchers. As well as a great lunch and Ben & Jerry's ice cream!

Grain Grower Series

The Northern Grain Growers Association and the University of Vermont Extension Northwest Crops and Soils Program joined to bring the 2022 Grain Growers Conference to you! Three virtual programs were offered over the course of three weeks with a series of videos, presentations, and hands-on activities, each highlighting a specific grain crop in the Northeast. View the Grain Grower Series brochure for the details. YouTube video links are included below that includes captioning.

RESILIENCE IN RYE

• 3/22/22, Ecological Rye Production with Sandy Syburg of White Oak Farm in Wisconsin. View recorded video.
• 3/24/22, Conditioning, Aeration, and Storage of Grain with Don Hosteler of Brock Grain Systems in Indiana. View recorded video.

DYNAMIC DRY BEANS

• 3/30/22, Dynamic Dry Beans with Heather Darby (UVM) and Sarah Pethybridge and Matthew Ryan of Cornell University. View recorded video.

THE ANATOMY OF WHEAT FLOUR

• 4/5/22, PART 1—From the Field to the Lab with Heather Darby of UVM Extension, Carrie Brisson of King Arthur, Randy George of Red Hen Baking Co., and Jeffrey Hamelman of King Arthur. View recorded video.
• 4/6/22, PART 2—From the Mill to the Bakery with Andrew Heyn of New American Stone Mills. View recorded video.

Industrial Hemp Conference

University of Vermont Extension and Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets hosted the 4th annual Industrial Hemp Conference virtually over two days, Tuesday and Wednesday, March 15 and 16, 2022. The conference included live presentations on hemp trends, consumer knowledge, economics, CBD, grain and fiber hemp, pest and disease management, oil presses, Vermont rules updates, and more.

View our conference brochure here, to see the full agenda, speaker bios, and sponsors.

In May, we will post the videos from the Industrial Hemp Conference, either here on this website in this section, or we will share the proper link if we do not post them here.

Thank you to our conference collaborators (VAAFM and USDA NIFA) and our sponsors Bia Diagnostics Laboratories, Delmhorst Instrument Co., Neptune's Harvest, and King's AgriSeeds.

Dairy Webinar Series

The Northwest Crops & Soils Program hosted the Dairy Webinar Series  (click link to view PDF) from February 11, 2022 to March 9, 2022, which included seven (7) webinars covering a diversity of dairy-related topics from higher forage diets to cost of production to emissions and manure matters. Each webinar was recorded and we made the recordings available here.

2/11/22, Manure Matters: Sustainable Dung Ecology with Bryony Sands of UVM. YouTube video available.
2/18/22, Higher Forages Diet with nutritionists Patrice Vincent and Kurt Cotanch. YouTube video available.
2/23/22, Dairy Loose Housing Systems with Marcia Endres from the University of Minnesota. YouTube video available.
2/25/22, UVM Forage and Dairy Research with Heather Darby and Sara Ziegler. YouTube video available.
3/2/22, Green House Gas Emissions on Organic Dairy with Andre Brito of UNH and Horacio Aguirre-Villegas from University of Wisconsin-Madison. YouTube video available.
3/4/22, Genetic Considerations for Organic Dairy Herds with Glenda Pereira of the University of Maine. YouTube video available.
3/9/22, Cost of Production in Organic and Grass-fed Dairy Systems with Jen Miller of NOFA-VT and consultant Sarah Flack. YouTube video available.

Northeast Cover Crops Council Conference

The Northeast Cover Crops Council (NECCC), the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA), and the University of Vermont Extension held the fifth annual Northeast Cover Crops Council Conference (click to view the conference brochure) on March 10 and 11, 2022. Check back at a later date for information on accessing the recorded videos from the conference.

In May, we will share a link here on this page of how to access the recorded videos from the 2022 NECCC Conference.

Thank you to our conference collaborators (NECCC, PASA, USDA NIFA, and VAAFM) and our sponsors NY FarmNet, Seedway, King's Agriseeds, Albert Lea Seed, BioTill Cover Crops, and Friends of Northern Lake Champlain.

Discovery Acres Winter Webinar

The Discovery Farms® network hosted a free webinar titled, Cover crop and water quality: A multi-state webinar featuring the work of Discovery Farms Programs (click to view flyer) on Wednesday February 16, 2022. This included presentations from the Discovery Farms programs in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Arkansas, and Vermont. View this YouTubevideo recording here.

Learn more about Discovery Acres Vermont as well as the other programs in the Discovery Farms® network by visiting at our Discovery Acres website- https://go.uvm.edu/discoveryacres.

2021 Fall Field Day at Borderview Farm

View the Fall Field Day Flyer here (PDF). On October 22, 2021 we shared the latest research in small grains, cover crops, soil health, and forages. We toured research trials evaluating perennial grass varieties, fall forages, stockpiled forages, and a variety of cover crop trials. Roy Desrochers, UVM Sensory Expert, provided provide a fun and educational session tasting and describing local grains!

We also had a dedication of the new E.E. Cummings Crop Testing Lab and celebrated the lives of our friends Erica Cummings, Ken Van Hazinga, and Jack Lazor.

2021 Hemp Production Webinar Series

The Hemp Production Webinar Series went from April to November 2021. Thank you for joining us for one or more of the webinars. We recorded and have posted all of the webinars below. You can view the final Series Flyer for some of the final webinar details. All webinars were free and lasted one hour.

Following are the links to recordings of past webinars in this series and please note that the posted video will include closed captioning:

Growing High Quality Hemp Starts. Recorded April 12, 2021.
Hemp Irrigation Systems: Maximizing Efficiency & Productivity. Recorded May 11, 2021.
The Development of Seedless Triploid Hemp varieties. Recorded May 20, 2021.
Old Solutions to New Problems: Building with Hempcrete. Recorded June 24, 2021.
Manufacturing of Hemp Products. Recorded July 29, 2021.
The State of Play: Hemp in Vermont. Recorded September 13, 2021.
Hemp Chemicals and the Effects on the Human Body. Recorded September 14, 2021.
Researching the Market - Is there a Market for the Hemp you Plan to Grow? Recorded October 6, 2021.
Assessing the Market - How are Hemp Products Different? Recorded October 13, 2021.
Hear from Someone Who's Done It - A New Hemp Venture. Recorded October 20, 2021.
Fire Safety On-Farm: Building Requirements and Facility Safety. Recorded November 4, 2021.

2021 Summer Farm Meeting - On The Farm!!

On Wednesday, August 4, 2021, UVM Extension Northwest Crops and Soils Program (NWCS), Friends of Northern Lake Champlain (FNLC), and Farmer’s Watershed Alliance (FWA) held the Summer Farm Meeting at Bridgeman View Farm in Franklin. View our meeting Agenda here.

2021 Hemp Field Day (also the Hemp Training Program Intensive field day option)

UVM Extension Northwest Crops & Soils program hosted an on-farm 2021 Hemp Field Day (click to view detailed flyer) on August 10 at Borderview Farm in Alburgh.  The farm tour included visiting the flower/CBD, fiber, and grain trials. Then there were breakout session opportunities to participate in.

Measuring Healthy Soils - June 4, 2021, 1:00pm to 3:00pm EST

Part of the Northeast Healthy Soil Network Symposium. Includes Heather Darby as the moderator and panelists of farm owners, agricultural professionals, and researchers. Supported by the UVM Gund Institute for Environment. View the recorded YouTube video here. You can also view information on the Gund Institute web page, https://www.uvm.edu/gund/news/northeast-healthy-soil-network.

Manure Application Water Quality and Education Credits

The Vermont Agency of Agriculture (VAAFM) is providing an online opportunity to earn water quality and custom applicator credits to maintain certification.  Visit VAAFM’s Water Quality and Educational Credits webpage: https://agriculture.vermont.gov/water-quality-educational-credits to access videos and submit a form to receive credit. The videos, including the Custom Applicator Webinar from April 21st on manure injection and inline sensing equipment, are listed midway through the page. Next to the video listing is a PDF form that the applicator or farmer should submit in order to receive credit.

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

We offered 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 will hear from researchers, local farmers, and agricultural professionals sharing the latest research and experiences from the field. View the detailed brochure here.

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. View the July 2021 updated Hemp Growing Season Intensive flyer showing all the session opportunities for July, August, and September 2021.

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

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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