Vegetable Production track |
Friday Schedule |
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Commercial vegetable production acreages have seen a steady growth over last five to ten years. Demand for fresh and locally produced vegetable has spurred growth in farmers markets, CSA's, restaurants, and wholesale supply chains. This vegetable production track brings presenters covering a wide variety of topics relevant to commercial vegetable production in the Great Plains area.
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Morning
9:00 - 9:40 AM Session 1 9:45 -10:30 AM Session 2 10:45 -11:25 PM Session 3 11:30 - 12:15 PM Session 4 |
Lunch
12:15-1:00 PM Afternoon 1:00-2:30 Keynote 2:45-3:30 PM Grower Association Meetings |
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9:00 - 9:40 am
Bountiful Brussels Sprouts: Tips for Success with a Finicky Crop | Recording In this talk, we'll cover the basics of growing Brussels sprouts, including variety selection, fertility, common pest and disease problems and their management, and will discuss the effects of topping on stalk and sprout yields. Becky Sideman, University of New Hampshire 316 Kendall Hall Durham, NH 03824 [email protected] (603) 862-3203 https://extension.unh.edu/tags/applied-vegetable-fruit-research-new-Applied Fruit and Vegetable Research in New Hampshire |
Becky has a split appointment as an Extension Specialist and Professor in the Department of Agriculture, Nutrition & Food Systems, and is a researcher with the NH Agricultural Experiment Station. Her areas of expertise include sustainable agriculture, season extension and high tunnel production, and vegetable and small fruit crop production. Her applied research projects have the goal of helping growers to minimize production costs and ecological impacts, while producing economically viable yields of high-quality crops. Recent projects have focused on identifying new crops, cultivars and production practices that expand opportunities for New England growers.
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9:45 - 10:30 am
Onion Production with a Focus on Fertility | Recording Tim will present production information with a focus on fertilizer research conducted on onions over the prior 20 years. He will discuss conventional and organic fertilizers and the impact they have on yield, quality and disease in onion bulbs. Much of his research has focused on producing sweet- Vidalia onions. Tim Coolong, University of Georgia 1111 Miller Plant Sciences Athens, GA 30602 [email protected] (706) 542-2471 |
Dr. Timothy Coolong is a professor of horticulture at The University of Georgia. His background is in vegetable production and he was the statewide commercial Extension vegetable specialist until 2018, when he moved into a position focused on commercial production of organic vegetables and teaching. He also recently took on responsibilities for hemp agronomy in Georgia. Dr. Coolong has focused his research on variety evaluation, season extension, as well as irrigation and fertilizer management in vegetable crops.
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10:45 - 11:25 am
Low Tunnel Benefits Beyond Season Extension | Recording This presentation will discuss experiences with low tunnels covered with spun-bonded row cover in different climates and regions in the U.S. Most information on low tunnels is on season extension, but here we will discuss the benefits on water and nutrient use efficiency and protection against insect pests. Ramon Arancibia, University of Missouri Extension One N. Delaware Street Butler, MO 64730 [email protected] (660) 679-4167 |
Ramón Arancibia is a Field Specialist in Horticulture with MU Extension. He has more than 30 years’ experience in research and production of horticultural crops in MO, VA, MS, VI, LA, CA and Chile. His areas of expertise include sustainable production systems, plasticulture and protected agriculture, and micro-irrigation. One of his research areas has focused on protected production systems in vegetable crops. As an extension specialist, he is assisting produce growers in Missouri to increase the sustainability of their production systems.
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11:30 - 12:15 pm
Cover Crops and Nightshade Production at Pekarek's Produce | Recording Pekarek's Produce has used cover crops for over 10 years in their vegetable production operation. Ryan will discuss what species, timings, benefits, and problems he has seen over the years. He will discuss crop rotation with cover crops and specifically focus on tomato, pepper, and eggplant production in a plasticulture system. Ryan Pekarek, Pekarek Farms 2447 O Road Dwight, NE 68635 [email protected] (402) 641.3305 pekareksproduce.com |
Ryan farms with his wife Katie, 5 kids, and crew near Dwight, NE. Pekarek's Produce grows 15 acres of vegetables and small fruits in the field, greenhouse, and 5 high tunnels. Sales are made year-round via local wholesale, a CSA, farmer's markets, and a farm stand. Ryan's current focus in farming is adding cover crops into the vegetable and row crop systems to maintain and improve the operation's profitability and soil resource at the farm.
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