Wild Blueberry Newsletter February 2024

Wild Blueberry Newsletter header graphic, text and a photo of blueberries and leaves

February 2024

UMaine Wild Blueberry Conference

Event Registration or by calling Mary Michaud at 207.581.3175

Date: February 17, 2024
Time: 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Location: Moore Community Center, 125 State Street, Ellsworth, Maine 04605
Parking: In front and to the side of the Moore Center. Overflow parking can be found across the street at Knowlton Park.
Room: Follow signs to the Theatre located on the second floor.
Formats:

  • In-person with breakout rooms, coffee, lunch, etc.,
  • Virtual: Available, if you choose to attend virtually, the Zoom link will be emailed to you the day before the event.

Three Pesticide Credits are available for full-day attendance.

Cost: Pay what you can, $10, $20, $50, $100. Suggested donation of $20. All proceeds go directly towards the Extension Wild Blueberry Programming.
Exhibitor Tables: Email Shivani Patel at wbcm@maine.edu (Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine) for exhibitor information and sign-up.

Agenda:

AM Value-Added
Theatre
9:00-10:00 a.m. – WeCo Fresh Pack Line and Berry Storage, Ron Howard, Dr. Phil Fanning

10:00-10:30 a.m. – Freeze Drying with Gean’s Greens, Frank Mannario

10:30-10:45 a.m. – Break

10:30-11:00 a.m. – Successes, Setbacks and the Future of Wild Blueberry Wine: A Progress Report, Michael Terrien

11:00-11:30 a.m. – WBANA-sponsored Health Research Update, Kitty Broihier, Colleen Craig

11:30 a.m. -12:00 p.m. – Networking Visit Exhibitors, Research Posters

12:00-1:00 p.m. – Lunch

AM Crop Management
Conference Room
9:00-9:30 a.m. – Using Drones to Detect Water Stress, Chlorophyll and Yield, Dr. YongJiang Zhang

9:30-10:00 a.m. – Food Safety Research and Regulations, Dr. Rob Machado, Lindsey Werner

10:00-10:30 a.m. – Applying Mulch, Peter Jordan, Dr. Lily Calderwood

10:30-10:45 a.m. – Break

10:45-11:30 a.m. – Federal Assistance for Organic Production, Chris Grigsby, Dr. Lily Calderwood

11:30-11:45 a.m. – Grants to Clean Power your Farm Operation, Malcolm Smith, Leigh Hallett

PM Integrated Pest Management
Theatre
1:00-1:30 p.m. – Wild Blueberry Commission, Eric Venturini

1:30-2:30 p.m. – Endangered Species Act and Pesticides, Cameron Douglas

2:30-3:00 p.m. – Disease Management, Dr. Seanna Annis

3:00-3:30 p.m. – Insect Pest Management, Dr. Phil Fanning

3:30-4:00 p.m. – Introducing Drone Spraying, Patrice Sison

Upcoming Webinar on Organic Management of SWD

This webinar will report on a national project to develop organic approaches for the management of spotted-wing drosophila.

Date: Wednesday, February 7, 2024

Time: 2:00-3:30 p.m.

Registration: oregonstate.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_efBnBYi8QDSzu2NOGopQBg#/registration

A team of researchers across the United States is studying approaches to the management of spotted-wing drosophila in organic fruit crops, with funding from the USDA-Organic Research and Extension Initiative. Please join team members for this event that will update attendees on recent research and the emerging results from studies underway in various berry crops. Presenters will focus on recent efforts to release the classical biological control agent Ganaspis brasiliensis (samba wasp) at organic sites nationwide and will include Dr. Jana Lee (USDA ARS), Dr. Kent Daane (UC Berkeley), and Dr. Philip Fanning (University of Maine). The webinar is free, but you must register in advance to get the link for this presentation.

Sincerely,

Lily