Agriculture Commons^™

Spring Cereal Grain Forage Trials, Heather Darby, Rosalie Madden, Erica Cummings, Amanda Gervais, Philip Halteman

Northwest Crops & Soils Program

In 2010, the University of Vermont Extension continued their research evaluating several organic annual forage models. Spring cereal grains such as oats, barley, triticale, wheat, and spelt could have the potential to provide high yield and quality feed for livestock. Spring grains are planted in mid to late April and can be harvested at various stages of development. The objective of this project was to evaluate yield and quality of spring grains harvested in the boot, milk, or soft dough stage. The overall goal of this project is to help organic dairy producers reduce their reliance on expensive concentrates through …

Forage Brassica Performance Trials, Heather Darby, Rosalie Madden, Erica Cummings, Amanda Gervais, Philip Halteman

Northwest Crops & Soils Program

In 2010, the University of Vermont Extension continued their research evaluating annual forage models that would best compliment cool season grass pasture. The overall goal of this project is to help organic dairy producers reduce their reliance on expensive concentrates through the production of a variety of high quality annul forages. Brassicas, such as forage turnips and rape, are a cool season crop. Hence these crops can thrive in the late fall months and potentially provide late season grazing. Brassica crops are known for their ability to provide a near concentrate type diet late in the season. UVM Extension conducted …

Bmr Corn 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 Brown Mid-Rib (BMR) corn varieties at Borderview Farm in Alburgh, VT. Two seed companies submitted varieties for evaluation.

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 …

Spring Wheat Variety Trial, Heather Darby, Erica Cummings, Rosalie Madden, Amanda Gervais, Phillip Halteman, Susan Monahan

Northwest Crops & Soils Program

In 2010, the University of Vermont Extension in collaboration with the University of Maine began an extensive evaluation of hard red spring wheat varieties grown under organic production in order to determine which varieties thrive in our northern climate. The trials were established at Borderview Research Farm in Alburgh, Vermont and at the Cornell Willsboro Research Farm in Willsboro, New York. This trial is one of several in a USDA Organic Research Education Initiative grant focused on the production of high quality organic bread wheat in New England.

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 …

Farm-To-School: Implications For Child Nutrition, Linda Berlin, Kim Norris, Jane Kolodinsky, Abbie Nelson

Opportunities for Agriculture Working Paper Series

Farm-to-School (F2S) programs are gaining attention for many reasons, one of which is the recognition that they could positively influence the trend of increasing prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity. Of the F2S programs that have been evaluated, most have demonstrated increased selection or intake of fruits and vegetables by students following the incorporation of farm produce into school salad bars, meal selections, or class-based education. With that said, the wide range of activities that are part of typical F2S programs makes it difficult to pinpoint which components have the greatest potential to improve student’s health behaviors. Within the field …

Do Raw Milk Sales Help Or Harm Local Dairy Economies: The Case Of Vermont H.125, Catherine W. Donnelly, Todd J. Pritchard

Opportunities for Agriculture Working Paper Series

This paper concludes that the main impact of H125 will be increased raw milk sales which will result in increased consumer exposure to raw milk, and an increased risk for food borne illness.

Vermont's Dairy Sector: Is There A Sustainable Future For The 800 Lb. Gorilla?, Bob Parsons

Opportunities for Agriculture Working Paper Series

Key Questions

• Will the organic sector resume its previous prolific growth or will it stagnate?
• The growth in artisan cheese presents an opportunity for a few farmers, but will it continue?
• How does the interest in local foods affect Vermont’s dairy sector?
• Will the interest in raw milk present a future option for dairy farmers?

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 …

Proposal For A Food Systems Spire Of Excellence At The University Of Vermont, Vernon P. Grubinger, Et Al.

UVM Extension Faculty Publications

The field of food systems focuses on connections among food production, promotion of human health and well-being, and maintenance of the environment. Modern food systems provide unparalleled productivity but are accompanied by unacceptable levels of diet-related health problems, food-borne disease, hunger and agricultural pollution. Meanwhile solutions are critical within the next 40 years to discern how to provide more food without intensifying environmental damage and concurrently coping with climate change. The University of Vermont is uniquely positioned to address these concerns by generating knowledge through transdisciplinary teaching, research and outreach. Already, more than 100 faculty and 400 community partners are …

Transplanting Sweet Corn, A Case Study, Vernon P. Grubinger

UVM Extension Faculty Publications

Sweet corn is an important crop for many diversified vegetable farms. Transplanting sweet corn has the advantage of avoiding cold soil germination problems at the beginning of the growing season, enhancing stand establishment, allowing for earlier mechanical cultivation, and promoting earlier harvests that can help attract customers. This case study describes the details of transplanting techniques used by Jon Satz, of Wood's Market Garden in Brandon, Vermont. Jon helped pioneer the use of transplanting for sweet corn. Some of his early knowledge about this technique was acquired through work funded by a Northeast SARE Farmer Grant in 2003.

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.

Sustainable Soils: Reducing, Mitigating And Adapting To Climate Change With Organic Agriculture, Meredith T. Niles

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Sorghum-Sudangrass, A Vigorous Cover Crop, Vernon P. Grubinger

UVM Extension Faculty Publications

This fact sheet for farmers summarizes the benefits of sorghum-Sudangrass as a cover crop, and provides guidance for optimizing its growth in the Northeast.

Renewable Energy Systems For Greenhouse Heating: Six Case Studies, Vernon P. Grubinger

UVM Extension Faculty Publications

This set of six case studies is based on interviews with greenhouse growers in Vermont and Massachusetts who installed renewable energy heating systems. They describe the equipment and installation of these systems, their pros and cons, lessons learned, and economic considerations. The systems include biodiesel production from waste vegetable oil for greenhouse heat, waste vegetable oil for heating greenhouses, waste wood chips for greenhouse heat, outdoor wood boiler for greenhouse and farmstead heat, wood gasification and hydronic heat for greenhouses and farmstead, and wood pellet furnace for small scale greenhouse heat.

On-Farm Oilseed Production And Processing, Vernon P. Grubinger

UVM Extension Faculty Publications

The goal of this one-year project was to assess the potential production and processing of oil seed and sugar-containing crops for use as a renewable energy source on a scale that would support small groups of local farmers working together. This report summarizes what was learned in a short time about the agronomic, economic, and regulatory aspects of these crops and processes, and while there appears to be a lot of promise, many unresolved issues were identified, and much work remains to be done.

With An Ear To The Ground: Essays On Sustainable Agriculture, Vernon P. Grubinger

UVM Extension Faculty Publications

Celebrating life's complexity, and with a dose of grace and humor, Vern Grubinger uses Vermont's agriculture and human culture as a setting for 79 essays that gently challenge us to think a little harder about where our food comes from, how it is grown, and the many ways sustainability issues and ideas resonate in our daily lives. The essays originally aired as commentaries on Vermont Public Radio from 1997-2003.

Sustainable Vegetable Production From Start-Up To Market, Vernon P. Grubinger

UVM Extension Faculty Publications

This 265-page book introduces the processes for moderate-scale vegetable production using ecological practices. Thirty-two grower profiles detail their experiences and provide enterprise budgets for a number of crops. Ninety illustrations show machinery, composting systems, greenhouses, irrigation equipment, insect monitoring traps, fencing and more. Chapters cover planning and managing a vegetable production business, soil fertility, crop rotation, cover crops, field preparation, seeds and transplants, harvest and postharvest handling, and season extension. Includes management strategies for insects, diseases, weeds, and nuisance wildlife. It contains 91 illustrations, 36 sidebars, 20 tables, and a glossary. Originally published by the Natural Resource, Agriculture, and Engineering …

Strategic Plan For Sustainable Agriculture In Vermont, Vernon P. Grubinger

UVM Extension Faculty Publications

The USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Program has coordinators in every state, as described in the program’s authorizing legislation. In 1995, the Northeast SARE region asked each state coordinator to gather information from a variety of agricultural stakeholders in order to draft individual state plans for sustainable agriculture. The Vermont plan describes specific problems and opportunities facing the state’s agriculture, and lists specific strategic actions to address them.