Vegetable & Fruit Advisors

NOFA Vermont has two people who can assist commercial organic vegetable and fruit growers with technical needs.

Wendy Sue Harper, Ph.D.

NOFA Vermont hired Wendy Sue Harper in September of 2007 as the Farm Education Coordinator. For the past eighteen years, she worked for at the University of Vermont as a Senior Lecturer of Soil Science and Ecological Agriculture in the Department of Plant and Soil Science and as Program Manager for the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program, as well as Extension Horticulturist. During her tenure, she created, directed, managed, and administered many agricultural and educational programs, and gave numerous presentations and workshops to farmers and farm interns. Wendy Sue inspected farms for the Vermont Organic Farmers starting in 1998. She also served on the NOFA Vermont Technical Advisory Committee and provided technical assistance to NOFA Vermont and farmers in the areas of soil management and composting.

Wendy Sue is developing NOFA Vermont’s vegetable and fruit technical assistance program, which will include technical-education programs for growers, requested research on problems, and on-farm visits.

Please contact Wendy Sue at the NOFA office.

Richard Wiswall

NOFA Vermont has contracted with Richard Wiswall, farmer and farm financial planner, to provide technical assistance to organic farmers in Vermont seeking production and financial assistance on small fruit and vegetable operations. Richard, from Cate Farm in East Montpelier, VT, has 22 years of experience growing organic vegetables and medicinal herbs and has developed systems that yield consistent profits.

Richard provides on-farm technical assistance for organic vegetable producers as part of NOFA Vermont's technical assistance program. The technical assistance program is free to farmers - made possible by a grant from the Vermont Housing Conservation Board's Farm Viability Enhancement Program.

Richard will provide tools farmers can use for farm financial planning, including goal setting, establishing crop enterprise sheets and farm record keeping. Richard can help you analyze your crop records for the past season, and plan for successive seasons. Here is what one group of farmers who have worked with Richard had to say, "Working with Richard Wiswall has been a great benefit to our farm. He has helped us to begin looking at our business with an eye towards profitability and lifestyle sustainability." Please contact Richard at 454-7157, or contact the NOFA office for more information.

Winter Growing Research Results

Note:  this report is the result of a Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (NESARE) partnership grant that NOFA-VT received (ONE08-084) which funded farmers to conduct on-farm research on winter growing, season extension, and storage. [Why did we apply for this research grant?]

 Are you a farmer interested in participating in research like this? Please contact Wendy Sue Harper at NOFA Vermont: (802) 434-4122 x 21 or wendysue@nofavt.org

Summary of On-Farm Research Report on Winter Growing and Storage

Eight farmers completed research projects on winter growing and storage in the witner of 2009-2010. A summary of their on-farm research and results follows. A link to a PDF of the full report submitted by the farmers follows each summary.

Winter Growing:

1.  Champlain Orchards: Broccoli under Row Covers
2.  Luna Bleu Farm: Watering Impacts on Soil Temperature
3.  Screamin’ Ridge Farm: Examining Bed Pitch Impact on Soil Temperature
4. Valley Dream Farm: Row Cover Comparisons
5.  Walker Farm: Row Cover Height

 Winter Storage:

1. Jericho Settlers Farm: Winter Carrot Storage to Maintain Quality and Minimize Staining
2. New Leaf Organics: Carrot Storage Systems
3.  Rockville Market Farm: Post-Harvest Winter Squash Treatments

 

Winter Growing

Five farmers conducted research on growing winter crops in unheated hoop-houses, as follows:

 

1.  Champlain Orchards: Broccoli under Row Covers

Champlain Orchards examined transplanted broccoli under one or two row covers in a hoop-house. They were interested in this experiment because of the NE-SARE funded work University of New Hampshire Extension Professor Becky Grube-Sideman has done on winter sprouting broccoli as an alternative tunnel crop. Broccoli transplanted into pots at the end of October and transplanted into the ground in mid December was grown under one or two row covers. Plants were evaluated for size and quality through mid-January.

Results showed that the number of row covers was less important than varietal differences. Champlain Orchards plans to experiment with more cold-hardy crops like spinach, kale and other greens next year.

[download full farmer report]

 

2.  Luna Bleu Farm: Watering Impacts on Soil Temperature

Luna Bleu Farm wanted to determine how watering at different times of day impacted soil temperature and thus, spinach growth. They were concerned that cold water would chill soil and reduce growth. They compared the temperature of watered to un-watered greenhouse soil in their experiment.  Their findings are summarized below:

• Watering time:  They had to water for 90 minutes to put a sufficient amount of water on their spinach. This was longer than the 20-minute watering they had initially intended. By watering for 90 minutes at a time they found they decreased the overall labor required to water plants over the season.

• Temperature results showed that their water temperature was warmer than expected and that watering actually warmed the soil by 5 degrees Fahrenheit on average. By watering as early in the day as they could, usually by 9:00am, the water darkened the soil and enabled it to absorb more solar rays, gaining up to another 5 degrees of warmth by the time the row covers needed to be put back on the spinach later in the day. 

• Water only on sunny days during the coldest part of the winter.

Luna Bleu will continue to use these three watering management techniques in their winter growing.

[download full farmer report]

 

3.  Screamin’ Ridge Farm: Examining Bed Pitch Impact on Soil Temperature

Screamin’ Ridge Farm compared the soil temperature of two flat beds to two beds with a southern slope by taking 4 temperatures in each bed over the season. The temperature inside the high tunnel and the outside air temperature were also recorded.

Results showed no difference in soil temperature based on the bed pitch during the coldest part of the winter; however, as the sun moved higher in the horizon after February 4, the pitched beds warmed more quickly. Many variables in this study impacted getting clear results, including variable bed height, snow pile shading of greenhouse beds, and beds containing different types of winter crops. It was noted that the one bed that was raised to16 inches, which was twice the height of all the other beds at 8 inches high, attained ambient air temperatures more quickly.

Screamin’ Ridge Farm plans to further examine higher beds, and possibly subsoil heating, in the future.

[download full farmer report]

 

4. Valley Dream Farm: Row Cover Comparisons

Valley Dream Farm conducted a row cover comparison in unheated hoop-houses to determine the best way to extend their growing season. In one hoop-house, they compared no row cover, one row cover and two row covers on Magenta lettuce.  The growth rate was measured by comparing size from October 1^st to November 28^th. In another hoop-house, they examined one layer of row cover with and without hoops to two layers of row covers with and without hoops on Space and Remington spinach. Growth rate was measured in terms of pounds of product from October 1^st to December 20th. December 20^th was their last harvest because this greenhouse was destroyed by 100 mph winds.

Valley Dream Farm found that lettuce grown with two row covers was 1/3 larger than that grown with one row cover. Lettuce grown with no row covers had no growth. They also found that spinach grown without hoops was similar to baby spinach: shorter, thinner, and less appealing. The number of covers did not matter. In the trials without support hoops, all test areas had similar weights of about 6.5 pounds, while spinach grown with hoops had approximately 2 pounds of additional weight and was of higher quality.

Valley Dream Farm plans to use these results to grow their next winter crops.

[download full farmer report]

 

5.  Walker Farm: Row Cover Height

Walker Farm examined the height of row covers over greens. Winter growers know that high tunnels hold more volume of air to the tunnel skin and are thus more resistant to heat loss and temperature changes. Does this hold true for row covers within the hoop-house? Walker Farm used various heights of row covers to determine how increasing the volume of air under row covers influenced the temperature. They compared three heights of row cover: 1) directly on the crop, 2) with hoops one foot above the crop, and 3) with hoops two feet above the crop.

Results showed that while temperatures varied from relatively mild in January to moderately cold in February, the differences among the various heights remained fairly constant.  The two-foot high cover consistently provided warmer temperatures during the night.

A second important management task they learned from their observation was the importance of taking off all the row covers each sunny morning to allow the crop direct light. While temperature is important for growth and protection, light is at a premium from mid-December to mid-February and management of the covers for optimum growth is essential.  

Walker Farm will continue to grow winter greens; they would like to develop an easy and convenient method to cover and uncover the crops with the two-foot high row covers.

[download full farmer report]

 

Winter Storage

Three farmers conducted research on best crop storage practices, summarized below:

 

1. Jericho Settlers Farm: Winter Carrot Storage to Maintain Quality and Minimize Staining

Jericho Settlers Farm wanted to determine the best storage system to produce high quality carrots. They evaluated 4-pound bags of harvested Napoli carrots under four different treatments: 1) washed, bagged in perforated plastic bags and put into cold storage; 2) cold storage unwashed for one week, and then washed and put back into cold storage (delayed washing while stored under high humidity); 3) barn storage for one week and then washed and put into storage (delayed washing while stored under low humidity); and 4) stored unwashed and washed just before evaluation.  Half the carrots were evaluated in February and half in April for staining, flavor with a Brix meter, and crunchiness.

Jericho Settlers Farm found that the carrots washed immediately post-harvest (treatment 1) were still of marketable quality in respect to all three attributes (staining, flavor, and crunchiness) at the end of winter storage (harvested November 2009 and stored until April 2010). Although they had expected some lost crunchiness or sweetness (Brix) as compared to the other treatment groups, they did not find this to be the case. Treatment 1 had the lowest staining of any treatment. Crunchiness was only reduced in the group which was stored for 2 weeks post-harvest in a dry (open barn) environment (treatment 3). Brix levels were lower for all the groups in the April evaluation and the February Brix readings were lower than the November readings taken immediately post-harvest (averaged 10.2 Brix). Treatment 4 Brix readings were higher in April than others, but these carrots were not marketable due to staining. 

Jericho Settlers Farm also noticed that the carrots stored in clean nylon-weave grain bags (as compared to perforated plastic bags) were of substantially better quality than all 4 treatment groups in the experiment.  These carrots were not part of the initial experiment, so there was neither official replication nor evaluation in November or February. They did take Brix readings, crunchiness, and staining evaluations of them in April. These carrots had 1% staining, with most carrots not being stained at all, and they had Brix readings of 6.0 on average and were very crunchy. All of the many bags like this in storage were of excellent quality in April.

Based on this research, Jericho Settlers Farm will wash all carrots post-harvest in the fall when they still have plenty of staff, and then they will be stored until needed for the winter CSA. The farm does not need to invest in a winterized washing station. They plan to store the majority of their carrots in clean nylon-weave grain bags as opposed to plastic bags and will examine purchasing these bags with their logo on them to facilitate wholesaling winter root crops.

[download full farmer report]

2. New Leaf Organics: Carrot Storage Systems

New Leaf Organics researched storage methods for carrots in their new root cellar. All carrots were cooled from field heat for 3-4 hours, washed, and packed. There were four packing treatments: 1) 25lb. plastic ventilated bags; 2) waxed boxes packed with dried maple leaves; 3) waxed boxes packed with sawdust; and 4) green harvest totes. The harvest totes were packed with 50 lbs of carrots; all three other methods each held 25-35 lbs. The carrot area in the root cellar was kept at 34-36 degrees with a relative humidity of 90-95 percent.

New Leaf Organics found that all methods of storage seemed to be successful on all three levels: appearance, flavor, and waste. The green totes (method 4) faired the best with flavor being excellent, the appearance being unchanged, and the waste being less than 1 lb.  The plastic bags (method 1) seemed to have the least favorable appearance results, with root growth and sprouting all along the carrot. This required increased cleaning before giving product to CSA customers. While the flavor was fine, waste was 12 lbs, and overall time required was significantly more. Both sawdust and leaf mulch did not hold flavor well; the appearance was acceptable overall but did involve cloth wiping to remove the mulch residue. Although there was sprouting and root growth, it was less than with plastic bags.

For carrot storage New Leaf Organics will use green totes next year, but maybe smaller ones for ease of stacking and movement. They will definitely repeat post-harvest methods of spray washing and drying carrots thoroughly before storage. 

[download full farmer report]

 

3.  Rockville Market Farm: Post-Harvest Winter Squash Treatments

Rockville Market Farm researched post-harvest treatments for winter squash to increase storage ability and length of sales. Field-washed pie pumpkins, delicata squash, acorn squash and butternut squash were 1) untreated, 2) treated with Clorox bleach solution or 3) treated with StorOX, an approved hydrogen peroxide solution.

Results from this study were inconclusive. The wet 2009 season impacted the overall storability of some of Rockville Market Farm’s winter squash. Untreated delicata squash had the highest percent salable squash. A delay in weighing squash prevented determining salable weights of other squash types. Rockville Market Farm plans to continue this research to extend their sales of winter squash.

[download full farmer report and data]

 

These eight farmers have found farm-specific solutions that will impact their management practices and the viability of their winter growing operations.  Some participants will continue research on winter growing, season extension and winter storage to answer more questions on their farms.

 

Are you a farmer interested in participating in research like this? Please contact Wendy Sue Harper at NOFA Vermont: (802) 434-4122 x 21 or wendysue@nofavt.org

Resources for Organic Farmers in Vermont

Information, Services and Support for Vermont's Organic Vegetable and Fruit Growers

Articles, Fact Sheets and Links to other helpful sites

 

• All About Growing
• Business Planning and Development
• Crop-specific Information
• Especially For New Farmers
• Farm Management
• Farmer Technical Assistance
• Greenhouses and Energy
• Networks and Grower Organizations
• Organic Certification
• Organic Research
• Pest Management
• Pest Management Publications
• Sustainable Ag Links
• Soil and Media Testing
• Using Biologicals
• Winter Growing

 

All About Growing—Start Here
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Vermont Vegetable and Berry Page, University of Vermont (UVM) Extension

One of the first places vegetable and berry farmers should visit is the Vermont Vegetable and Berry Page maintained by Vern Grubinger, Ph.D. This site contains a plethora of resources on every topic, including: soils, production, pests, food-processing, marketing, pricing, organizations, events, and even alternative energy on farms. As the State’s Extension Vegetable and Berry Specialist, Vern visits farms upon request to examine problems and offer advice.

 

Business Planning and Development
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Farmers' market resource page
For information about marketing and pricing.

VERMONT FARM VIABILITY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM
The Vermont Farm Viability Enhancement Program provides farmers with business planning and technical assistance through consultants, which is tailored to a farmer’s needs. Farmers assess the farm operation’s strengths and weaknesses for possible management changes to increase profitability. On-farm consultations result in a written business plan. NOFA-VT is a provider for this program; if you want to work with NOFA-VT consultants you must say so on your application.

VERMONT SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER
The Vermont SBDC’s goal is to spur Vermont's economy by helping its small businesses succeed and grow. The SBDC mission is to strengthen existing business entities, and assist start-ups through high quality, no cost counseling, and high quality, affordable training programs.

VERMONT VEGETABLE AND BERRY PAGE, UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT EXTENSION
One of the first places vegetable and berry farmers should visit is the Vermont Vegetable and Berry Page maintained by Vern Grubinger, Ph.D. This site contains a plethora of resources on every topic, including: soils, production, pests, food-processing, marketing, pricing, organizations, events, and even alternative energy on farms. As the State’s Extension Vegetable and Berry Specialist, Vern visits farms upon request to examine problems and offer advice.

WOMEN’S AGRICULTURAL NETWORK
WAgN provides education and technical assistance to those individuals interested in starting or expanding their agricultural endeavors.

Crop-specific Information
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RICE GROWING HANDBOOK
Could rice be Vermont's newest crop? Linda and Takeshi Akaogi have been experimenting with growing rice down on their farm in Putney. CLICK HERE to read Cheryl Bruce's article about their trials.  

COLD CLIMATE GRAPE PRODUCTION, UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT EXTENSION
Lorraine P. Berkett, Ph.D., the University of Vermont’s Extension Professor IPM Specialist, has assembled information on ecological production methods and IMP alerts for grapes information.

UVM APPLE PROGRAM
Lorraine P. Berkett, Ph.D., the University of Vermont’s Extension Professor IPM Specialist in Apples, has developed ecological production methods for apples. Her site has cultural information and IMP alerts. Lorraine is part of a multi-state organic apple project for growers: ORGANIC APPLE PRODUCTION. She visits orchards upon request to examine problems and offer advice.

Especially For New Farmers
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Center for Sustainable Agriculture
The Center for Sustainable Agriculture was established in 1994 as a unit within the University of Vermont to integrate university and community expertise to promote sustainable farming systems throughout Vermont and the region.

Vermont Land Trust
Vermont Land Trust’s Farmland Access Program VT Land Trust is a non-profit organization dedicated to conserving working land for the future of Vermont. Their Farmland Access Program with Land Link Vermont helps farmers gain access to quality and affordable farmland.

Vermont New Farmer Network
The Vermont New Farmer Network is a working group of agricultural organizations committed to serving the needs of new and aspiring farmers in Vermont.

VERMONT NEW FARMER PROJECT
The University of Vermont Extension's "virtual toolshed," including a land access database and information on other resources available to new farmers.

Vermont Vegetable and Berry Page, University of Vermont Extension
One of the first places vegetable and berry farmers should visit is the Vermont Vegetable and Berry Page maintained by Vern Grubinger, Ph.D. This site contains a plethora of resources on every topic, including: soils, production, pests, food-processing, marketing, pricing, organizations, events, and even alternative energy on farms. As the State’s Extension Vegetable and Berry Specialist, Vern visits farms upon request to examine problems and offer advice.

Women’s Agricultural Network (WAgN)
WAgN provides education and technical assistance to those individuals interested in starting or expanding their agricultural endeavors.

Farm Management

PERSONNEL POLICY
Having a personnel policy in place before hiring workers will help keep expectations aligned and ease any disagreements. You can download Riverberry Farm's Personnel Policy and Sexual Harassment Policy as examples to work from.

Crop Planning Spreadsheet
Figuring out what to plant where and when can be challenging, especially for diversified growers. This spreadsheet from Kenneth Mulder of Green Mountain College, provides a framework for planning. This spreadsheet was introduced in a 2010 summer workshop in partnership with Rutland Area Farm and Food Link. For a video of the workshop and other resources, click here.

 

Farmer Technical Assistance
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Perry's Perennial Pages, University of Vermont Extension
Leonard Perry, Ph.D., the University of Vermont’s Extension Greenhouse and Nursery Specialist, has information on selecting and growing hardy ornamental perennials in Vermont. Leonard visits grower’s operations upon request to examine problems and offer advice.

Plant Diagnostic Clinic, University of Vermont Extension
Ann Hazelrigg manages the University of Vermont’s Plant Diagnostic Clinic. Their web-based materials help growers identify common insects and diseases. The Plant Diagnostic Clinic identifies of diseases, plants, weeds, and plant insects encountered by Vermont agricultural operations. Ann visits farms upon request to examine problems and offer advice.

University of Vermont Extension
Located throughout the state, University of Vermont Extension links Farms to UVM to specialists that provide timely, research-based information and education. Their “Extension A-Z” lists all their programs, resources, and information.

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS) - Vermont
NRCS puts nearly 70 years of experience to work in assisting farmers with conservation. Their programs provide technical assistance and cost-share to farmers for implementing good conservation practices that improve environmental quality.

Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (VAAFM)
VAAFM has a great “Subject Index” that lists all the farm programs in the State, including programs, practices, and rules.

Vermont Farm Service Agency (FSA)
The United States Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) administers and manages many farm financial programs. These programs include: the farm commodity, credit, conservation, disaster, and loan programs. It has a network of federal, state and county offices that serve farmers. Their loan programs can help farmers buy land, build and upgrade facilities to meet expanding markets.

Greenhouses and Energy
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Energy Conservation for Greenhouse Growers
David Tatum's and Jimmy Bonner's, Mississippi State University Extension, two paged document focuses on greenhouse heating.

Energy Conservation, Efficiency and Production
Energy-related resources and programs from NRCS.

Energy Information for Vegetable and Berry Growers
Vern Grubinger’s Vermont Vegetable and Berry Page lists energy information and links. These include case studies on many types of alternativeenergy to heat greenhouses in Vermont,conservation checklists to improve greenhouse efficiency, biofuel studies,information on solar and wind energy, and more. 

Farm Energy Field Guide
Maine Rural Partners, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing collaborative, integrated approaches to rural development, has developed a comprehensive webpage with useful links about energy efficient checks, building, lighting, greenhouses, cooling, pumps, energy audits, renewable energy and more.

Greenhouse Energy Consumption
Scott Sanford, University of Wisconsin Madison, has developed a web page focused on greenhouses with links to many recourses listed on how to reduce your energy use.

Greenhouse Energy ConservatioN Check List
John W. Bartok, Jr., Agricultural Engineer at the University of Connecticut developed this excellent conservation checklist which included information about heating and cooling greenhouses, trucks and tractors, and water systems.

Reducing Natural Gas/Propane Use for Greenhouse Space Heating
The four paged document, produced by Scott Sanford at the University of Wisconsin's Biological Systems Engineering Department and Wisconsin Focus on Energy, has many suggestions on how to reduce heating fuel use.

Networks and Grower Organizations
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Organic Trade Association
OTA is a membership-based business association for the organic industry in North America.

Vermont Farms! Association
The Vermont Farms Association is an organization of farmers offering on-farm educational experiences.

Vermont Fresh Network
The Vermont Fresh Network builds innovative partnerships among farmers, chefs and consumers to strengthen Vermont's agriculture.

Vermont New Farmer Network
The Vermont New Farmer Network is a working group of agricultural organizations committed to serving the needs of new and aspiring farmers in Vermont.

Vermont Vegetable & Berry Growers Association
This diverse grower organization promotes the economic, environmental and social sustainability of vegetable and berry farming in Vermont through education, promotion and communication among growers.

Organic Certification & Farming
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Vermont Organic Farmers Certification (VOF)
The VOF page has guidelines on organic production, the process, fees, and deadlines, forms for required record keeping, and resources and articles for organic growers.

Organic Research
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Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada (OACC)
The OACC conducts organic farming research and provides knowledge transfer and extension services for organic farmers.

Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF)
OFRF works to foster the improvement and widespread adoption of organic farming practices.

Northeast SARE
Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education provides grants and information to improve profitability, stewardship and quality of life. Farmer Grants test new crops, practices and systems through on-site experiments and share the results with other farmers. Grants average about $5,200, and are capped at $10,000. Farmer Grant applications are due in December.

 

Pest Management
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ATTRA
ATTRA has 100s of articles on organic pest and crop management written in a very readable format.

NOFA VERMONT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ADVISORS
NOFA Vermont provides organic growers with technical assistance and educational opportunities. Please see our web pages linked above.

ORGANICA - A RESOURCE FOR ORGANIC APPLE PRODUCTION
The OrganicA website provides organic apple growers with organic IPM information; Lorraine Berkett, Ph.D. of UVM Extension leads this project.

ORGANIC MATERIALS REVIEW INSTITUTE
OMRI pages contain lists of materials approved for use in certified organic production. Please be aware that growers must always read the pesticide label, which can be found via the web if you search of the name of the materials and label, as some OMRI approved materials are labeled for residential use only, thus these materials not allow in commercial production in the State of Vermont. 

PEST IDENTIFICATION SERVICE, THE PLANT DIAGNOSTIC CLINIC, UVM EXTENSION
Pest management begins with a proper diagnosis of what the problem is. Ann Hazelrigg manages the University of Vermont’s Plant Diagnostic Clinic. Their web-based materials help growers identify common insects and diseases. The Plant Diagnostic Clinic identifies of diseases, plants, weeds, and plant insects encountered by Vermont agricultural operations. Ann visits farms upon request to examine problems and offer advice. You can contact her at: Ann.Hazelrigg@uvm.edu or 802-656-0493.

MAINE ORGANIC FARMERS AND GARDENERS ASSOCIATION'S (MOFGA) PEST REPORTS
MOFGA's Organic Crop Specialist, Eric Sideman, Ph.D., periodically compiles pest reports for farmers and gardeners.

eORGANIC
Extensions website that focuses on organic agriculture has general sections on the organic management of insects, diseases, and weeds. Each section contains sub-sections of many topics with friendly articles based in science for effective whole system pest management.

PEST MANAGEMENT, VERMONT VEGETABLE AND BERRY PAGE, UVM EXTENSION
One of the first places vegetable and berry farmers should visit for pest management information is the Vermont Vegetable and Berry Page Pest Management section maintained by Vern Grubinger, Ph.D. This section contains excellent links related to pest management issues. Also see the section on crop by crop production. As the State’s Extension Vegetable and Berry Specialist, Vern visits farms upon request to examine problems and offer advice. You can contact him at: VernonGrubinger@uvm.edu or at 802-257-7967. 

STATE OF VERMONT PESTCIDE SAFETY REGULATIONS
IMPORTANT ORGANIC PESTICIDE SAFETY INFORMATION FOR ORGANIC GROWERS

The Worker Protection Standard (WPS) is a federal regulation that applies to organic growers using pesticides in the production of agricultural plants on farms, forests, nurseries, and greenhouses.  The WPS requires the agricultural employer to take steps to reduce the risk of pesticide exposure and possible illness and injury to employees, while organic pesticides are used.

If you apply organic pesticides on your commercial farm and have employees, the employees MUST be trained. You are required to be a Certified Handler (if you are not a certified applicator) in order to train employees. It is important to note that a COMMERCIAL ORGANIC grower, who has employees, must use only pesticides with the Agricultural Use Requirement statement on the label.  This statement includes important safety information for yourself and your employees.

Agency of Agriculture inspectors will be checking organic fruit and vegetable operations, nurseries, greenhouses, orchards, etc. routinely during the 2010 growing season to make sure that those applying organic pesticides are in compliance with the WPS.  If you need help with training or any other compliance issue please contact Annie Macmillan at 828-3479, or Anne.Macmillan@state.vt.us. For further information on this regulation please click on the heading link above.

Vinegar as an Herbicide
Growers should be aware that acetic acid (vinegar) in concentrations greater than 8% cannot be used as an herbicide unless it is an EPA registered product, and can be hazardous to handle. One product ("Weed Works Weed & Grass Killer"), a 20% solution, has recently been approved by the EPA. Click here to download the label with ag use requirement information. Note: This product has not been reveiwed or approved by OMRI.

 

Pest Management Publications

A WHOLE FARM APPROACH TO PEST MANAGEMENT
This easy to read SARE Bulletin provides examples of ecologically based practices and systems farmers use to help management their pests. It has an excellent resource section in the back.

CROP ROTATION ON ORGANIC FARMS: A PLANNING MANUAL (PDF)
Rotations are the foundation of every organic farms' pest management program. Editors Charles L. Johnson and Sue Ellen Johnson have created friendly guide to help you develop a rotation that works for you.

DISEASE AND PESTS OF VEGETABLE CROPS IN CANADA
This excellent text by Ronald J. Howard, J. Allan Garland, and W. Lloyd Seaman is used by Northeast extension and NOFA technical assistance people. Excerpts can be found on the web. If you are looking to buy a copy locally, contact Ann Hazelrigg, who keeps copies on hand for growers at a reduced cost. Contact her at: Ann.Hazelrigg@uvm.edu or 802-656-0493.

MANAGING COVER CROPS PROFITABLY
This SARE Handbook contains a wealth of information about cover crops. It includes crop crops’ performance and roles, cultural traits, management, and advantages and disadvantages in text and very helpful chart format.

MANAGING INSECTS ON YOUR FARM: A GUIDE TO ECOLOGICAL STRATEGIES
This e-book by Miguel A. Altieri and Clara Nicholls provides the principles of ecologically based insect pest management. It can be downloaded for free.

RESOURCE GUIDE FOR ORGANIC INSECT AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT
Brian Caldwell, Emily Rosen Brown, Eric Sideman, Anthony Shelton, Christine Smart are updating this excellent pest management guide to add more crops. The current edition includes brassicas, cucurbits, lettuce, solanaceous crops and sweet corn. For each crop it contains pest and disease information, cultural controls, materials approved for organic production and their efficacy and references. There is no e-version of this book; if you are a NOFA Vermont member you will get a 10% discount when you order it through the NOFA Vermont office; an order form it located at: http://nofavt.org/books-merchandise.

STEEL IN THE FIELD: A FARMER'S GUIDE TO WEED MANAGEMENT TOOLS
This SARE e-publication edited by Greg Bowman focuses on effective weed control by the use of rotations, cover crops and the mechanical tools available to farmers.

Sustainable Agriculture Links
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ATTRA
Looking for the latest in sustainable agriculture and organic farming news, events and funding opportunities? ATTRA features all that, plus in-depth publications on production practices, alternative crop and livestock enterprises, innovative marketing, organic certification, and highlights of local, regional, USDA and other federal sustainable Ag activities.

CENTER OF SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
The Center for Sustainable Agriculture was established in 1994 as a unit within the University of Vermont to integrate university and community expertise to promote sustainable farming systems throughout Vermont and the region.

GROWING FOR MARKET
Growing for Market is a monthly magazine for small scale growers providing information about growing and marketing produce, herbs, and flowers.

NORTHEAST SARE
Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education provides grants and information to improve profitability, stewardship and quality of life. FARMER GRANTS test new crops, practices and systems through on-site experiments and share the results with other farmers. Grants average about $5,200, and are capped at $10,000. Farmer Grant applications are due in December.

THE NEW FARM
The Rodale Institute’s website reaches out to food producers to exchange valuable “farmer-to-farmer know-how.” The website presents expert resources for crop and livestock production, direct marketing, local food systems, policy campaigns and community-building collaborations.

VERMONT VEGETABLE AND BERRY PAGE, UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT EXTENSION
One of the first places vegetable and berry farmers should visit is the Vermont Vegetable and Berry Page maintained by Vern Grubinger, Ph.D. This site contains a plethora of resources on every topic, including: soils, production, pests, food-processing, marketing, pricing, organizations, events, and even alternative energy on farms. As the State’s Extension Vegetable and Berry Specialist, Vern visits farms upon request to examine problems and offer advice.

Soil and Media Testing
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AGRICULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL TESTING LAB AT UVM
The Agricultural and Environmental Testing Lab provides commercial growers with test soil for macronutrients, micronutrients, pH, CEC, percent organic matter for $14, heavy metal testing costs $10, they run the PSNT, pre-sidedress nitrate test for field corn and sweet corn, from mid-June to mid-July for $8, and test manure for its nutrient value for $35. They provide fertilizer recommendations for vegetables, berries tree fruit, ornamentals, grains and field crops that are based on research for crops grown in Vermont and other New England and Northeast states with similar soil types.  

CORNELL SOIL HEALTH TESTING SERVICES
The Cornell Soil Health Lab offers two Soil Health Testing packages: a Basic Package ($40, recommended for grain/forage crops, non-Ag uses) and a Comprehensive Package ($65, recommended for vegetable and organic production, trouble-shooting in non-Ag uses, and for first time soil health assessment). The Basic Package includes aggregate stability, available water capacity, surface and subsurface hardness, organic matter, active carbon, and the standard soil fertility package. The Comprehensive Package includes the Basic Package PLUS the root health bioassay and potentially mineralizable nitrogen (this is the complete soil health test as in past years). 

GREENHOUSE SOILS AND MEDIA TESTING AT U-MAINE
The Saturated Media Extract Test or the greenhouse media test is used for both potting mixes and greenhouse or hoop house soils that have been highly amended. U-Maine will test for macronutrients, micronutrients, lead, pH, CEC, percent organic matter nutrients plus soluble salts and nitrate-nitrogen all for $22. If you put UVM Extension Vegetable and Berry Specialist Vern Grubinger’s email at the bottom he will get a copy and provide recommendations.

GREENHOUSE SOILS AND MEDIA TESTING AT U-MASS
The Saturated Media Extract Test or the greenhouse media test is used for both potting mixes and greenhouse or hoop house soils that have been highly amended. U-Mss will test for macronutrients, micronutrients, pH, CEC, percent organic matter nutrients plus soluble salts and nitrate-nitrogen all for $22. If you put UVM Extension Vegetable and Berry Specialist Vern Grubinger’s email at the bottom he will get a copy and provide recommendations.

Using Biologicals

Science has been aware of the ability of microbial organisms found in compost (and later in compost watery extracts or compost teas) to suppress some diseases since the late 1960s with the work of Harry Hoitink at Ohio State University. In recent years, more and more biological products have been developed to help suppress diseases. The thinking goes that when good guys are present it appears more difficult for the bad guys to get a foothold on the surface of plant tissue. But how reliable are these materials in disease prevention? Linked below are two excellent articles and an ATTRA resource. The articles discuss some of the issues of using either garden or farm made compost teas or manufactured biological products to help suppress diseases and boost plant immunity. These articles will help you decide whether using biological materials should be a part of your garden or farm disease management strategy.

Please remember to check OMRI lists to make sure the materials you choose are still listed each year before you purchase any of these products.

 

Efficacy of Various Biological and Microbial Fungicides - by Margaret McGrath of Cornell University

Compost Tea to Suppress Plant Disease - by Vern Grubinger of UVM

 

Winter Growing
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Winter Growing Research Results
Results from on-farm research at 8 Vermont farms, looking into winter growing and storage.

 

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Funding sources for the NOFA Vermont Vegetable and Fruit Technical Assistance Program include:

• The John Merck Fund
• The USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SARE)
• Vermont Farm Viability Enhancement Program

Vegetable and Fruit Farming Calendar

Information, Services and Support for Vermont's Organic Vegetable and Fruit Growing Community

Vermont and regional agricultural-related events. NOFA-VT events are marked by a blueberry .