Agendas are set for the four Ag Week sessions organized by the Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association of Delaware and Delaware Cooperative Extension. Talk titles and times are included in the information below. Information on continuing education credits will be available sometime in December. In addition to our local experts, we will have several invited speakers from outside of Delaware. Read a little bit about them at the end of this announcement.
FVGAD Fruit Session | Exhibit Hall Board Room
Monday, January 13, 2025
Moderator: Lyndsie Mikkelsen, Extension Vegetable & Fruit Agent
1:00 – 1:30 p.m.
Key Arthropod Pests of Small Fruit
Dr. Kelly Hamby, Associate Professor, Entomology, University of Maryland
1:30 – 2:00 p.m.
Strawberry Varieties from the USDA, 2024
Dr. Kim Lewers, Research Geneticist, USDA-ARS Beltsville, MD
2:00 – 2:30 p.m.
Pollinators for Berry Crops
Dr. Natalie Boyle, Assistant Research Professor, Department of Entomology, Penn State University
2:30 – 3:00 p.m.
Weed Management Strategies for Berry Crops
Carrie Mansue, Sr. Program Coordinator, Rutgers University
3:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Physiological Disorders of Tree Fruit
Dr. Macarena Farcuh, Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist of Horticulture, University of Maryland
3:30 – 4:00 p.m.
Spot the Rot: Understanding Strawberry Neopestalotiopsis Disease
Jill Pollok, Plant Diagnostician, University of Delaware
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FVGAD General Vegetable Session | Exhibit Hall
Tuesday, January 14, 2025
Moderator: Emmalea Ernest, Extension Fruit & Vegetable Specialist
9:00 – 9:05 a.m.
Welcome
Shane Marvel, FVGAD President
9:05 – 9:20 a.m.
Update on Produce Food Safety Regulations
Justin Grimminger, Produce Safety Program, Delaware Department of Agriculture
9:20 – 9:50 a.m.
Produce Safety Update
Dr. Kali Kniel, Professor of Microbial Food Safety, University of Delaware
9:50 – 10:20 a.m.
Considerations for Mitigating Toxic Metal Contamination in Vegetable Crops
Dr. Angelia Seyfferth, Professor of Biogeochemistry and Plant-Soil Interactions, University of Delaware
10:20 – 10:50 a.m.
Using Laser and Electric Weeders in Vegetable Crops
Dr. Thierry Besancon, Associate Extension Specialist in Weed Science, Rutgers University
10:50 – 11:10 a.m.
Adapting our Ag Practices to Climate Risks – A.I. Climate Smart Solutions
Dr. Gulnihal Ozbay, Professor and Extension Specialist in Natural Resources and Dr. Rose Ogutu, Horticulture Specialist, Delaware State University
11:10 – 11:40 a.m.
One Straw Farm a Certified Organic Vegetable Farm in Maryland
Joan Norman, owner of One Straw Farm
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FVGAD Fresh Market Vegetable Session | Exhibit Hall
Tuesday, January 14, 2025
Moderator: Nick Adams, New Castle Co. Ag Agent
1:00 – 1:30 p.m.
Management Update for Fresh Market Vegetable Pests
Dr. David Owens, Extension Entomologist, University of Delaware
1:30 – 1:45 p.m.
Sweet Corn Enterprise Budgets Across the Growing Season
Nate Bruce, Farm Business Management Specialist, University of Delaware
1:45 – 2:15 p.m.
What Might Be Lurking in Your Soil?
Dr. Alyssa Betts, Extension Plant Pathologist, University of Delaware
2:15 – 2:45 p.m.
Optimizing Drone Spraying in Watermelons
Dr. Haley Sater, Agriculture Agent, University of Maryland
2:45 – 3:15 p.m.
Cover Crops for Plasticulture Row Middle Management
Dr. Kurt Vollmer, Extension Weed Management Specialist, University of Maryland
3:15 – 3:45 p.m.
Bird Deterrence in Sweet Corn with Laser Scarecrows
Dr. Rebecca Brown, Professor of Plant Sciences, University of Rhode Island
3:45 – 4:00 p.m.
Sweet Corn, Snap Bean and Lettuce Varieties with Stress Tolerance
Dr. Emmalea Ernest, Extension Fruit and Vegetable Specialist, University of Delaware
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FVGAD Processing Vegetable Session | Exhibit Hall
Wednesday, January 15, 2025
Moderator: Drew Harris, Kent Co. Ag Agent
9:00 – 9:05 a.m.
Welcome
Shane Marvel, President FVGAD
9:05 – 9:25 a.m.
White Mold in Processing Vegetables
Dr. Alyssa Betts, Extension Plant Pathologist, University of Delaware
9:25 – 9:55 a.m.
Management Update for Processing Vegetable Pests
Dr. David Owens, Extension Entomologist, University of Delaware
9:55 – 10:15 a.m.
Soil Amendments for Processing Vegetables
Lyndsie Mikkelsen, Extension Vegetable and Fruit Agent
10:15 – 10:45 a.m.
Effective Weed Control: The Focus is On the Weeds
Dr. Mark VanGessel, Extension Weed Science Specialist, University of Delaware
10:45 – 11:15 a.m.
Pea, Snap Bean and Lima Bean Variety Updates
Dr. Emmalea Ernest, Extension Fruit and Vegetable Specialist, University of Delaware
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2025 Invited Speakers
Dr. Thierry Besancon is an Extension Specialist in Weed Science for Specialty Crops at Rutgers University. His research projects explore multiple weed control strategies to manage herbicide resistant weeds in fruit and vegetable crops.
Dr. Natalie Boyle is Assistant Research Professor in Entomology at Penn State University. Her research background is in improving the management of solitary and social bee species to maximize their contribution to commercial pollination services.
Dr. Rebecca Brown is Professor of Plant Sciences at University of Rhode Island. She has a variety of research interests including alternative crops, mulching techniques, soil amendments and development of automated laser scarecrows for bird deterrence.
Dr. Kelly Hamby is Associate Professor of Entomology at University of Maryland. She works on insect management in small fruit and grain crops.
Dr. Kim Lewers is the strawberry breeder and Research Geneticist based at the USDA’s Beltsville, Maryland research station. She is working to develop disease resistant and adapted varieties for the Mid-Atlantic region. Her recent variety releases are Flavorfest, Keepsake, Cordial and Lumina.
Joan Norman is a founder and owner of One Straw Farm, a certified organic farm in Maryland. One Straw Farm has a 40-year history and currently markets most of its products through a CSA serving the Baltimore area.
Dr. Haley Sater is an agricultural extension agent for Wicomico County, Maryland specializing in fruit and vegetable production. Some of her recent projects have involved working with growers on vegetable variety trials and spray drone technology.
Dr. Kurt Vollmer is the Extension Weed Management Specialist at University of Maryland. He works on weed management in agronomic and vegetable crop systems, including weed management in plasticulture systems.