Saturday, January 9, 2016
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Small Fruit
9:00 AM - Food Safety Considerations for Berry Growers Meredith Melendez, Rutgers Identifying the risk for potential berry contamination from human pathogens is an important part of a production system. Reducing risks through identification and implementing sound production practices is at the core of a food safety plan. Good Agricultural Practices specific to berry production will be discussed, including practical measures of reducing risk. 9:45 AM - Scale & Market Research - Looking at Demand for “Local” Across the Berry Markets Timothy Woods, UK 11:00 AM - How to Twist the Arm and Be Profitable Fred Messner, Grower, MO This presentation will cover the following topics: history leading up to establishment decision; details of rca (rotating cross arms) mechanics; management requirements; economics of production; and a q & a session. 12:00 PM - Updates in the 2016 Small Fruit and Grape Spray Guide Patrick Byers, Univ. of MO The presentation will cover any changes and updates in the 2016 Midwest Small Fruit and Grape Spray Guide, as well as general updates on pest management strategies. 1:30 PM - High Tunnel Raspberry Production in Grow Bags Jennifer Morganthaler & Marilyn Odneal, MSU This presentation covers the first two years of data and observations on a trial investigating the production of several varieties of primocane bearing raspberries in grow bags rotated in and out of a high tunnel with vegetable crops. Presently, little information is available on variety performance for containerized high tunnel raspberries. Information on system logistics and variety performance from this project will help growers to cost effectively test and possibly add a profitable bramble crop to their farming operation. 2:00 PM - Spotted Wing Drosophila & Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Pest Management Recommendations for 2016 Jaime Piñero, LU This presentation will discuss current pest status of both insects and will provide an update on the most effective monitoring and Integrated Pest Management (including organic) methods to protect berry crops from SWD and BMSB injury. 2:30 PM - Harvest Determination for Berries Patrick Byers, MU The presentation will discuss the parameters that are used by blueberry, bramble, strawberry, and elderberry producers to determine harvest dates. 3:30 PM - Getting Started with Table Grapes Marilyn Odneal, MSU The presentation will discuss the parameters that are used by blueberry, bramble, strawberry, and elderberry producers to determine harvest dates. 
Advanced Organic
9:00 AM - Midwest Climate Extremes and the Outlook for the 2016 Season Doug Kluck, NOAA North Central Doug will address some of the known shifts in precipitation and extreme rainfall events in the context of a changing climate. Doug will also share the latest information on the growing season in 2016 and some tools and information sources available from NOAA and it's partners. 9:30 AM - Organic Insect Pest Management with an emphasis on Biological Control Raymond Cloyd, KSU This presentation will discuss the plant protection strategies that maybe implemented to manage insect and mite pests "organically"by means of cultural, physical, pesticidal, and biological control practices. 11:00 AM - Bad Weather and Disease Prevention in Organic Vegetable Production Zelalem Mersha, LU The focus of this presentation will be how this change in weather pattern affects the dynamics of plant pathogens that affect our veggies, starting from the nurseries where they are raised to the fields and warehouses where they are grown and sold. Plant - weather disease relationship will be the central theme of the discussion. The presentation enlists some key diseases of some of the veggies that we highly cherish: tomatoes, potatoes, cucurbits, papers, and leafy vegetables. This presentation will also hint some practical and eco-friendly ways of vegetable disease management for home gardeners and producers in light of the changing weather. 11:30 PM - My Move to a 200-ft Hugh Tunnel: Opportunities and Challenges for Organic Vegetable Production Liz Graznak, Happy Hollow Farms Since starting Green Gate Family Farm in 2010, we have been employing strategies on our certified organic farm to improve and enhance the farm ecosystem. To us this means a focus on soil health and diversity. Some of the strategies we have employed to date are cover cropping, crop rotation, low-till/no-till practices, integrating poultry, trap cropping, farmscaping, and permaculture. 1:15 PM - Soil Biology and How to Help Beneficial Microbes Flourish on Your Organic Farm Bob Kremer, MU The soil microbial community within organic and ecologically managed systems are effective in mediating biological processes to achieve soil health and impact crop and fruit production. Soil health assessments reveal how organic farming systems that integrate ecological practices are effective management system for optimizing horticultural crop production while promoting soil conservation. Soil health ratings confirm the positive impact of ecologically based management practices on enhancing soil biological and biochemical processes, promoting crop and fruit production without synthetic chemical inputs, and improving environmental quality. 2:00 PM - Certified Naturally Grown; What It Is and How It Works Gerry Newman, Providence Farm I will explain how the program got its start, why so many farmers are turning to this approach and how you can be certified. 2:30 PM - Reducing/Eliminating Chemicals used in Management of Tomato and Grape Diseases Gerry Newman, Providence Farm Current specialty crop production, including vegetables, typically includes and requires the usage of a variety of pesticides/fungicides for the control of disease. 3:30 PM - Developing Weed Suppressive Soils Through Improved Soil Quality Management Bob Kremer Manipulating soil microbial communities using soil and crop management practices is a basic strategy in developing sustainable agricultural systems. Sustainable farming is based, in part, on the efficient management of soil microorganisms to improve soil quality. However, the identification of biological indicators of soil quality that can be used to predict weed suppression in soils has received little attention. Selected biological indicators of soil quality are associated with potential weed-suppressive activity in soil when soils are managed for high organic matter content. Soil quality and sustainable agricultural practices may be linked to integrated weed management systems for the biological suppression of weeds. |
Vegetable Production
9:00 AM - Winter & Summer Squash Production Andy Dunham, Grinnell Heritage Farms, IA Grinnell Heritage Farm produces 2-4 acres of Certified Organic cucurbits per growing season and has developed a program to get reliable summer and winter squash in central Iowa where the cucumber beetle can be challenging to control organically. Andrew will discuss planting, transplanting, mulching, weed control, harvest, and post harvest handling of summer and winter squashes. Watermelon and cantaloupe will also be covered. 11:00 AM - Vegetable Production Dale Raasch, Bridgewater Farm, IA The presentation will cover successes and failures and scaling up techniques. 1:00 PM - Principles and Practices to Raise a Quality Potato Crop Ajay Nair, ISU The presentation will cover some basic principles and fundamentals of commercial potato production with specific emphasis on cultivar selection, soil fertility, pest management, and harvest and quality indicator. Presentation will also include information on soil management practices for long-term sustainable potato production. 2:00 PM - Tomato & Chili Pepper Variety Trials at Lincoln University’s George Washington Carver Farm Steven Kirk, LU Following 2 years of field chili peppers and one year of high tunnel tomatoes, we will present an overview on our trials, tribulation, and experiences of growing chili & tomato variety trials in Central Missouri, and present our 2015 preliminary results. 3:30 PM - Insect Pests of Tomato & Pepper in the Field and High Tunnel Patrick O’Malley, ISU Extension Identification, life cycle, damaging stage, and control strategies will be looked at for insects that damage tomatoes and peppers in fields and in high tunnels.
Cut Flowers 9:00 AM - Introduction Mimo Davis, LU 9:15 PM - Virtual Flower Farm Tour Paula Rice, Bee Haven Flower Farm, ID A “through the Season” slide show of BeeHaven farm. 11:00 PM - Office to Field Business Planning and Recordkeeping Paula Rice Plan for an organized and smooth growing year by starting your "groundwork" in the office. Learn to use simple routines and tools for a strategic and successful season. We'll explore setting up the office to get records organized as well as considering strategies for planning your field planting, basic crop costing and building a seeding and planting schedule. 1:30 PM - The Nitty-Gritty of Growing, Harvesting, and Marketing Paula Rice We will explore and go over what it takes to grow, harvest, and sell your flowers successfully. 3:30 PM - The Nitty-Gritty of Growing, Harvesting, and Marketing, cont’d. Paula Rice Food Safety/GAPS
9:00 AM - FSMA Update: Produce Safety Alliance & Other Food Safety Resources Londa Nwadike, MU/KSU Dr. Nwadike will provide an overview of the US Food and Drug Administration's Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and its impact on produce growers and related entities. This should help growers understand if and how the legislation applies to them and what they need to do to comply. She will also provide information on the resources that the Produce Safety Alliance and other entities are preparing/ have made available to assist producers in complying with FSMA and in strengthening their on-farm food safety plan. 9:45 AM - Microbiology of Food Pathogens Cindy Brison, UNL Food borne illnesses occur in one out of six individuals in the US every year. Fresh produce has been associated with numerous large outbreaks in the last ten years. The pathogens causing these illnesses are evolving and changing. Many are naturally occurring and can be a problem whether you choose to use organic or conventional gardening methods. Learn the latest on safe food handling and emerging pathogens that affect fresh produce. 11:00 AM - Good Agricultural Practices for Organic Farms Meredith Melendez, Rutgers New Jersey organic farms have participated in extensive sampling for human pathogen indicator organisms. The results of this sampling and the relevant Good Agricultural Practices to reduce contamination risk in organic operations will be discussed. 1:30 PM - Food Safety Considerations for Agritourism Operations Meredith Melendez Consumers are learning more about food safety through increased educational efforts, media attention to food borne illness outbreaks and the impending implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act. Agritourism operations need to think about the con 2:15 PM - Food Safety for CSA & Farmers Markets Linda Naeve, ISU This session will discuss the food safety for direct-to-consumer marketing through farmers' markets and CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) models.
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