The Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association of Delaware’s Annual Educational Meetings will be held January 9-11, 2023 as a part of Delaware Ag Week. A general schedule and session agendas are below.
General Schedule of FVGAD Meetings
Monday, January 9
Fruit Session 1:00 – 3:55 p.m.
Exhibit Hall Board Room
NM Credits: 0.5
Tuesday, January 10
General Session 9:00 – 11:50 a.m.
Exhibit Hall
NM Credits: 0.5
Fresh Market Session 1:00 – 4:30 p.m.
Exhibit Hall
NM Credits: 0.5
Wednesday, January 11
Processing Vegetable Session 9:00 – 11:45 a.m.
Exhibit Hall
NM Credits: 1.0
FVGAD Awards Luncheon noon – 2:00 p.m.
Harrington Raceway & Casino, Gold Room
RSVP by January 3 required
Small Farm Irrigation Session 6:00-9:00 p.m.
Delaware Building
NM Credits: 3.0
Detailed FVGAD Session Agendas
FVGAD Fruit Session
Monday, January 9, 2023
Exhibit Hall Board Room
1:00-1:30 p.m.
Fruit Diseases to Look Out For
Jill Pollok, Plant Diagnostician, University of Delaware
1:30-2:00 p.m.
Freeze and Other Weather Impacts on Fruit Production
Don Seifrit, Extension Educator, Tree Fruit, Penn State University
2:00-2:30 p.m.
Fruit Enterprise Budgets
Nate Bruce, Farm Business Management Specialist, University of Delaware
2:30-3:10 p.m.
Experiences with Three Alternative Fruit Crops: Physalis, Haskap and Aronia
Dr. Andrew Ristvey, Principal Agent & Extension Specialist for Commercial Horticulture, University of Maryland
3:10-3:40 p.m.
Updates on Berry Fruit Research; Finding Ways to Mitigate Heat and Disease Stress
Dr. Kalpalatha Melmaiee, Associate Professor, Plant Breeding and Molecular Genetics, Delaware State University
3:40-3:55 p.m.
Indoor Fruit Production Experiences
Dr. Gordon Johnson, Extension Fruit and Vegetable Specialist, University of Delaware
Bill Owens, Owens Premium Produce
FVGAD General Session
Tuesday, January 10, 2023
Exhibit Hall
9:00-9:05 a.m.
Welcome
Shane Marvel, President FVGAD
9:05-9:20 a.m.
Updates from the Delaware Department of Agriculture on Produce Safety.
Amanda Ziegler, Food Safety Program Coordinator, DDA
9:20-9:45 a.m.
Current Issues in Produce Food Safety
Dr. Kali Kniel, Professor of Microbial Food Safety, University of Delaware
9:45-10:00 a.m.
Experiences in Retrofitting Watermelon Harvest Buses to Improve Food Safety
Dr. Gordon Johnson, Extension Fruit and Vegetable Specialist, University of Delaware
Jennifer Jones, Extension Program Assistant, Produce Food Safety, University of Delaware
10:00-10:30 a.m.
Using H2A Workers on Fruit and Vegetable Farms
H2A consultant, másLabor Group
10:30-11:00 a.m.
What is Climate Smart Agriculture and How Does it Impact Fruit and Vegetable Growers?
Dr. Emmalea Ernest, Scientist, Fruit and Vegetable Program, University of Delaware
11:00-11:25 a.m.
Success with Biofumigation for Control of Soil Borne Diseases
Dr. Gordon Johnson, Extension Fruit and Vegetable Specialist, University of Delaware
11:25-11:50 a.m.
New Crop Focus – Growing Baby Ginger
Shem Elias, Graduate Student, University of Delaware
FVGAD Fresh Market Vegetable Session
Tuesday, January 10, 2023
Exhibit Hall
1:00-1:30 p.m.
A Decade of Applied Research in Fresh Market Vegetables; New Project on Agrivoltaics
Dr. Gordon Johnson, Extension Fruit and Vegetable Specialist, University of Delaware
1:30-2:30 p.m.
Updates on Diseases of Fresh Market Vegetables and their Control
Dr. Andrew Wyenandt, Extension Specialist in Vegetable Pathology, Rutgers University
2:30-3:00 p.m.
Keeping it Fresh – Insect Management Updates in Fresh Market Vegetables
Dr. David Owens, Extension Specialist – Entomology, University of Delaware
3:00-3:20 p.m.
Alternative Weed Control Strategies for Fresh Market Vegetables
Dr. Mark VanGessel, Professor and Extension Specialist – Weed Science, University of Delaware
3:20- 3:40 p.m.
Fresh Market Vegetable Budgets
Nate Bruce, Farm Business Management Specialist, University of Delaware
3:40-4:00 p.m.
Research Updates on Pepper Shading and Pole Lima Beans
Dr. Emmalea Ernest, Scientist, Extension Fruit and Vegetable Program, University of Delaware
4:00-4:30 p.m.
Disease Management in High Tunnels
Dr. Rose Ogutu, Horticulture Specialist, Delaware State University
FVGAD Processing Vegetable Session
Wednesday, January 11, 2023
Exhibit Hall
9:00-9:05 a.m.
Welcome
Shane Marvel, President FVGAD
9:05-9:30 a.m.
A Decade of Applied Processing Vegetable Research; New Processing Vegetables Part 1
Dr. Gordon Johnson, Extension Fruit and Vegetable Specialist, University of Delaware
9:30-9:55 a.m.
Slimy Early and Late Season Pest Management
Dr. David Owens, Extension Entomologist, University of Delaware
9:55-10:15 a.m.
Weed Control for Processing Crops is Not Getting Easier with Palmer Amaranth and Herbicide Resistance
Dr. Mark VanGessel, Extension Weed Science Specialist, University of Delaware
10:15-10:45 a.m.
BREAK
10:45-11:05 a.m.
Root Knot Nematode Management Strategies in Processing Vegetables
Eboni Traverso, M.S. Student, University of Delaware
11:05-11:25 a.m.
Farm Financial Management Strategies for Rising Input Costs
Nate Bruce, Farm Business Management Specialist, University of Delaware
11:25-11:45 a.m.
Pea and Lima Trials; New Processing Vegetables Part 2
Dr. Emmalea Ernest, Scientist, Extension Fruit and Vegetable Program, University of Delaware
FVGAD Awards Luncheon and Business Meeting
Wednesday, January 11, 2023 noon – 2:00 p.m.
Harrington Raceway & Casino, Gold Room
All current FVGAD members are invited to attend free of charge, but must pay dues and RSVP by January 3, 2023 to guarantee a ticket
Tickets are $35 for non-FVGAD Members.
To pay FVGAD Dues, RSVP for Luncheon or Purchase Tickets use this form.
Small Farm Irrigation Session
Wednesday, January 11, 2023
Delaware Building
James Adkins – Irrigation Engineer, University of Delaware
A comprehensive irrigation design, selection and management course for small commercial vegetable & fruit farms from ¼ – 5 acres. Topics discussed will include water source and flowrate requirements, daily water use by crop, soil considerations, selection of the ideal irrigation type for your farm, system design, management and costs. Participants should be prepared with their crop types and field shape to design a system for their farm.