Life Sciences Commons^™

Short Season Corn Silage Report, Heather Darby, Rosalie Madden, Erica Cummings, Amanda Gervais, Philip Halteman

Northwest Crops & Soils Program

In 2010, the University of Vermont Extension Crops and Soils Team conducted an experiment to evaluate yield and quality of short season corn hybrids at the Seward Family Farm in East Wallingford, VT. Several seed companies submitted varieties for evaluation. Companies and contact names are listed in Table 1. Nine corn varieties ranging in relative maturity (RM) from 69 – 90 were evaluated at this site. Specific varieties, their traits, and RM are listed in Table 2. It is important to remember that the data presented is from a single test at only one location. Hybrid-performance data from additional tests …

Vermont Organic Grain Corn Performance Trial Results, Heather Darby, Erica Cummings, Rosalie Madden, Amanda Gervais, Philip Halteman

Northwest Crops & Soils Program

In 2010, the University of Vermont Extension conducted an organic grain corn performance trial in Alburgh, Vermont, in cooperation with Borderview Research Farm and Organic Valley Farmers Advocating for Organics Program (FAFO). The purpose of the program is to provide unbiased performance comparisons of commercially available organic corn varieties. It is important to remember, however, that the data presented is from one replicated research trial in Vermont. Crop performance data from additional tests in different locations and often over several years should be compared before you make conclusions.

Cover Crop Planting Date X Seeding Rate Trial Report, Heather Darby, Philip Halteman, Erica Cummings, Amanda Gervais, Rosalie Madden

Northwest Crops & Soils Program

When corn silage is harvested in the fall, the entire plant is removed, leaving the soil exposed through the winter. Many farmers have started to plant cover crops following corn harvest because of the multitude of benefits cover cropping brings to soil health and fertility. The cover crop protects the soil from erosion, adds organic matter, and also scavenges excess soil nitrogen (N), releasing it again after being terminated in the spring. This keeps the nitrogen from potentially being lost through leaching, which, in addition to the soil benefits, provides a financial benefit to farmers – less nitrogen loss means …

Winter Wheat Harvest Date Trial, Heather Darby, Susan Monahan, Erica Cummings, Rosalie Madden, Amanda Gervais, Philip Halteman

Northwest Crops & Soils Program

In New England, frequent rainfall, and prolonged high humidity are common during the period of wheat ripening. From the time of physiological maturity of the grain to acceptable storage moisture, the quality of the wheat can decline considerably due to these fluctuating temperatures and moisture conditions. Delays in harvesting may not only result in quality losses but reductions in yield due to lodging, shattering, or hail damage (Farrer, et al 2006). Baking quality of wheat suffers when high levels of the enzyme alpha amylase are present in the grain. This enzyme, which breaks starch down into sugars, is present when …

Spring Wheat Planting Date Trial, Heather Darby, Erica Cummings, Rosalie Madden, Amanda Gervais, Philip Halteman, Susan Monahan

Northwest Crops & Soils Program

Growing demand for local organic food has inspired new efforts to revive a staple element of the New England food system. Weed management is one of the foremost production related challenge for organic growers. The objective of this research was to determine the impact of spring wheat cultivar selection and planting date on weed biomass, Fusarium head blight incidence and grain yield and quality.

Cover Crop Termination & Reduced Tillage Study, Heather Darby, Rosalie Madden, Erica Cummings, Amanda Gervais, Philip Halteman

Northwest Crops & Soils Program

In 2010, the University of Vermont Extension conducted the second year of an experiment to evaluate the impact of cover crop termination and reduced tillage strategies on soil health, soil nitrogen dynamics, and corn silage yield and quality. The goal is to document the positive and negative aspects of each strategy so farmers can decide the best way to terminate cover crops and implement reduced tillage on their farm.

The Effects Of Topdressing Organic Nitrogen Hard Red Winter Wheat, Heather Darby, Erica Cummings, Rosalie Madden, Amanda Gervais, Phillip Halteman, Susan Monahan

Northwest Crops & Soils Program

The demand for local organic food is steadily increasing throughout Vermont and New England. Consumers are asking for bread baked with locally grown wheat; however bakers have been slow to incorporate local wheat flour because of the challenges associated with obtaining grains that consistently meet bread-baking standards. Addressing the quality issue is essential for expanding the bread flour market in the northeast. One of the major quality factors facing Vermont grain producers is protein content. Much of the winter wheat currently produced in Vermont has protein levels below what most commercial mills would consider suitable for flour production. Commercial mills …

Winter Canola Variety Trial, Heather Darby, Rosalie Madden, Amanda Gervais, Erica Cummings, Philip Halteman

Northwest Crops & Soils Program

In 2009, the University of Vermont Extension Northwest Crops and Soils Team initiated a winter canola variety trial in Alburgh, VT as a part of the 2009-2010 National Winter Canola Variety Trial. Growing winter canola holds many possible advantages for Vermont farms. Sown in early fall, winter canola can fit well into rotations following short-season grain crops, or short-season corn. Additionally, many farms are engaged in on-farm fuel production endeavors, and canola continues to be a high-yielding oilseed crop in areas where the growing season is relatively short. However, in order for on-farm fuel production to be feasible, farmers must …

Tineweeding Trials, Heather Darby, Rosalie Madden, Erica Cummings, Amanda Gervais, Philip Halteman

Northwest Crops & Soils Program

In 2010, the University of Vermont Extension Crops and Soils Team conducted an evaluation of tineweeding as a weed management strategy in corn and sunflowers in Alburgh, VT. Tineweeding is a type of mechanical cultivation that is implemented early on in the field season (Figure 1). A tineweeder is a low cost and simple piece of equipment designed to disturb the root zones of weed seedlings while they are in the very delicate “white thread root” stage (Figure 2). This disturbance often results in weed seedling desiccation and death. Success of this practice is highly dependent on weather conditions at …

Produits Du Terroir: Similarities And Differences Between France, Québec And Vermont, Amy Trubek, Jean-Pierre Lemasson, Helen Labun Jordan

Opportunities for Agriculture Working Paper Series

Terroir is a word that carries powerful cultural and sensory associations in France. Although roughly translated a “taste of place,” terroir is more difficult to translate as a cultural concept. Terroir in France represents sensory qualities of food that capture a dynamic engagement between people, place and taste. This engagement can be seen in the decisions made by individual food producers to craft a product characteristic of their region. In France this engagement also extends to a conversation between those producing food and the regulators and researchers charged with monitoring and promoting specific products understood to have an exceptional relationship …

Women Farmers And E-Commerce Opportunities For 21st Century Marketing, Mary Peabody, Beth Holtzman, Jessica Hyman, William Sawyer

Opportunities for Agriculture Working Paper Series

Adding the Internet to your Business Recipe: Opportunity for Marketing in the 21st Century.

In the fall of 2006, the Center for Rural Studies (CRS) and Women’s Agricultural Network (WAgN) piloted a curriculum for agricultural entrepreneurs interested in incorporating e-commerce features – e.g. email lists, Web sites, online marketing, online ordering – into their operations. This broad definition of e-commerce reflects the integration of information technology and the Internet into business and marketing planning.

The workshops were held from 2006 to 2009. Each of the cycles provided insight into how to make future sessions more beneficial to participants. Offering the …

Slides: Next Evolutionary Steps In State Instream Flow Programs, Lawrence J. Macdonnell

Western Water Law, Policy and Management: Ripples, Currents, and New Channels for Inquiry (Martz Summer Conference, June 3-5)

Presenter: Lawrence J. MacDonnell, attorney and consultant, Boulder, CO

27 slides

Barley And Oat Trials, Heather Darby, Erica Cummings, Rosalie Madden, Amanda Gervais

Northwest Crops & Soils Program

In 2009, the University of Vermont Extension established malting barley and oat variety trials at the Borderview Research Farm in Alburgh. Several local breweries and distilleries approached us about growing malting barley in the region. One of the interested distillers is located in Hardwick; therefore a second trial site for malting barley was established at High Mowing Seeds in Hardwick.

Wheat Trials, Heather Darby, Erica Cummings, Rosalie Madden, Amanda Gervais

Northwest Crops & Soils Program

In 2009, the University of Vermont Extension conducted winter and spring wheat variety trials at the Borderview Research Farm in Alburgh, Vermont. In addition, an heirloom spring wheat variety trial was planted in North Troy. This was the third year of the heirloom wheat project; its primary purpose is to increase the amount of heirloom wheat seed in the region, while at the same time assessing each cultivar’s growth and quality characteristics. Due to the increasing demand for locally grown cereal grains, many of the cereal trials focused on grains grown for a foodgrade market.

Vermont Food Grade Soybean Performance Trial Results, Heather Darby, Erica Cummings, Amanda Gervais

Northwest Crops & Soils Program

In 2009, the University of Vermont Extension continued their evaluation of organic food grade soybean varieties at two locations. The purpose of the program was to provide yield comparisons, growth characteristic observations, and bean quality evaluations of food grade soybeans in Vermont’s climate. Performance trials were established as replicated research trials in northern Vermont.

Community Forests: A Perspective, Robert Mccullough

Community-Owned Forests: Possibilities, Experiences, and Lessons Learned (June 16-19)

22 pages.

"Robert McCullough teaches in the University of Vermont Graduate Program in Historic Preservation. He wrote The Landscape of Community: Communal Forests in New England."

Some Aspects Of An Early Expression Of Dominance In White Pine (Pinus Strobus L.), J Lee Deen

Yale School of the Environment Bulletin Series

A series of temporary plots was made for the purpose of observing and noting (1) the factors affecting an expression of dominance of white pine (Pinus strobus Linnaeus) and (2) the relationship between dominance and the development of white pine stands. Twenty natural stands and thirteen plantation stands were studied.

Records Of The State Of Maine Department Of Sea And Shore Fisheries, Lobsters, 1880-1962, Maine Department Of Sea And Shore Fisheries

History of Maine Fisheries

List of Maine wholesale lobster dealers, 1952-1954; lobster fishery totals, including licenses issued and catch by number, pounds, dollar value, number of egg lobsters, number of pots set, and number of lobsters liberated, 1941-1946; totals of imports of fresh lobsters by pound and dollar value for Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Canada, 1934-1495; comparative statistics of the lobster fishery in New England by pounds and number of pots, 1880-1938; poll of licensed lobster fishermen and wholesale lobster dealers concerning adjustments to the minimum legal size of Lobsters, 1953; total Maine lobster landings by month, including pounds and dollar value, …