[mfgamembers] Ideas for topics and speakers for next NE Vegetable and Fruit Growers Conference

[Jon Clements]

Hi everyone, Happy New Year! It's important for us to get some feedback on
what topics you would like to see addressed at the Conference in Manchester
in December. One clarification, is we have two apple sessions, one stone
fruit session, and the proposed cider session on the plate with the
Conference steering committee. There is no guarantee we will be able to
have 4 sessions as there are some other topics proposed -- so we need to
come up with some great program ideas and speakers. Please chip in with
what you'd like to hear about! Glenn mentioned we are meeting again on
February 9, so we need to have your ideas by then. A few of mine:

• calcium management in apples to prevent bitter pit and other fruit
quality issues

• leaf/fruit nutrient analyses: interpretation and fixes

• growth control/vigor management/annual cropping

• mobile apps used in orchard management

• irrigation and soil moisture monitoring (there may be a full session on
that topic, but what if it is opposite one of our sessions?)

• status of NEWA and other on-line decision support systems

• pest management of pears! aka, pear psylla!

• research updates from New England land/grants and New England Tree Fruit
Research Committee?

• current status of club apple varieties and where we might fit?

• pheromone traps for codling moth/OBLR/OFM and how to deploy/use

• beginning cider making: a primer?





On Sat, Dec 31, 2016 at 12:58 PM, Glenn Cook <cookeeze4 at hotmail.com> wrote:

> Hello Everyone,
>
>
>
> Duane Greene, Jon Clements and I are asking for input into topics and
> speakers for the upcoming Tree Fruit Sessions later this year at the New
> England Vegetable and Fruit Conference. We have the usual Tree Fruit 1 and
> Tree Fruit 2, and have also requested another Hard Cider session as well.
> This could be combined with Winery if there is interest. Let's get some
> ideas rolling around over the next  week or so to give us direction for our
> next steering committee planning session in early February. I will be away
> for a couple weeks, but will weigh in as often as I can.
>
> Thank you,
>
> Glenn Cook
> President MFGA
>
>
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> mfgamembers at virtualorchard.com
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>
>


-- 
Jon Clements
aka 'Mr Honeycrisp'
University of Massachusetts Amherst Extension
UMass Cold Spring Orchard
393 Sabin St.
Belchertown, MA  01007
413-478-7219 <(413)%20478-7219>
umassfruit.com
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