Transition to Organic Partnership Program Workshop Series
Are you looking to increase or improve your organic growing methods? Join UMass Extension and NOFA/Mass as we review and elaborate on growing organically and up to certification standards!
A mixture of in-person and online technical assistance events will be hosted throughout 2024 on the behalf of the Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP). To learn more about the UMass & NOFA/Mass programming, check out the NOFA/Mass TOPP web page. To learn more about the national TOPP program, visit www.organictransition.org.
These workshops are intended for commercial vegetable and small fruit growers.
Organic Management of Vegetable Pests
Since the organic pesticide toolbox is limited is size and efficacy, cultural controls are very important tools. Learn how to use cultural practices like crop rotation and variety selection to minimize pest pressure, use mechanical controls to avoid pests, how to harness the power of beneficial organisms for biocontrol, and safely and effectively use OMRI-approved pesticides when necessary. How do you determine when it is necessary to spray? How do you go about doing that? What are the options if you are certified organic? We will also share resources you can use to identify pests on your farm, scouting protocols, the decision-making process growers use to make pest management decisions, and tools you can use to improve your success each year.
About the Presenter
Sue grew up in Worcester, MA and had no idea there were farms in MA until she went to college in Amherst, at Hampshire College. After working on a farm in the valley, Sue discovered Extension and a passion for using her science training to help growers find solutions to their pest problems. She has an MS in Plant Pathology from Cornell University, and has been working as a vegetable IPM specialist at UMass for the past 10 years. In addition to grower education and assistance, Sue runs an applied research program and enjoys trying new ideas, testing new varieties, and counting bugs :)
