Past Webinar Recordings

Upcoming virtual twilight meetings will be posted on our Upcoming Events page.

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Past Meetings

To view recordings of past calls, click the linked titles below.

Fundamentals of Organic Production Webinar Series

• Fundamentals of Fertility - February 14, 2024

  Good soil management is at the core of any agricultural operation. The soil provides the essential nutrients for plant performance. In this workshop, Sam Corcoran, UMass Extension Soil and Plant Nutrient Laboratory discusses the differences between organic and conventional fertility management, ranging from fertilizer rate of release to crediting nutrient contributions from soil organic matter, and just how much you can rely on a microbial community to help meet fertility needs. We will also discuss how and when to collect a soil sample for soil nutrient testing, how to interpret soil test results, and the differences between a soil fertility test and a soil health test. While the topics are geared towards the needs and interests of organic growers, the information presented will provide familiar reference points for conventional growers exploring a transition to organic. 

2024 FSA & RMA Crop Insurance Webinars

• Crop Insurance 101 - January 16, 2024
  An overview of insurance programs relevant to vegetable and small fruit producers in New England. This workshop is intended for those with little to no prior experience with insurance and wondering what the options are and if they are right for your farm. We will hear about Farm Service Agency’s Non-Insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) and  Risk Management Agency’s Whole-Farm Revenue Protection and Micro-Farm Revenue Protection Programs.

• Crop Insurance 301 - January 18, 2024
  A deeper dive into each individual program, one at a time. Regional experts from FSA and RMA will provide tips and tricks on how to be successful applying for coverage and getting a claim, including what records you need to keep and why. We will do our best to answer questions during a facilitated Q&A.

An Introduction to FSA and NRCS Assistance Programs - March 30, 2023

An overview of Farm Service Agency and Natural Resource Conservation Service technical and financial assistance programs, including how to connect to your local service centers to receive tailored support, important things to know about the process and realistic timelines, and assistance available from certain Buy Local groups. Presented by Bailey Albert, FSA Outreach Coordinator, and Jack Loomis, NRCS Outreach Coordinator. Co-sponsored by UMass Extension, Community Involved in Supporting Agriculture (CISA), Southeastern MA Agricultural Partnership (SEMAP), Sustainable Nantucket, and Sustanable Business Network.

Southern New England Vegetable Growers' Webinar Series

Hosted by UConn, UMass, and URI Extensions

• February 26, 2021 - High Tunnel Fertility Research Update
  A presentation of high tunnel fertility topics, including several ongoing research trials. Judson Reid of Cornell Cooperative Extension presents on calcium and pH in high tunnel soils, Becky Maden of UVM Extension presents on developing a customized nutrient management for a high tunnel, and Andy Radin of URI Extension presents on the fate of excess nutrients in high tunnel soils.
• February 11, 2021 - Greenhouse Seedling Production
  Rosa Raudales of UConn and Andy Radin of URI discuss greenhouse seedling production, including factors to consider when applying nutrients, irrigation water chlorination, plug cell sizes, and compost-based potting media. Part 3 of the 2021 Southern New England Vegetable Growers' Webinar Series, hosted by the Universities of CT, MA, and RI Extensions. Moderated by Shuresh Ghimire, UConn Extension.
• January 28, 2021 - Virtual Winter Greens Field Day
  This webinar focused mainly on spinach downy mildew, with presentations by Jim Correll and Kelley Clark of the Univeristy of Arkansas on US spinach production and the epidemiology of spinach downy mildew, and by Genevieve Higgins of the UMass Extension Vegetable Program on winter high tunnel spinach variety trials. Slides from Sue Scheufele, UMass Extension Vegetable Program, on other diseases and insect pests of winter greens, are available below.
• January 14, 2021 - Pests of the Year
  A presentation of several of the prevalent and emerging pests of vegetable crops in the 2020 growing season. Ann Hazelrigg (UVM Extension) presents on tomato diseases, Andre Alyokhin (UMaine) presents on Colorado potato beetle, and Ethan Grundberg (Cornell Cooperative Extension) presents on allium leafminer.

Agricultural Water Series

• September 30, 2020 - Part 3: Post-Harvest Water Quality & Sanitizer Use
  • Presentations by:
    • Amanda Deering, Purdue Extension - Sanitizer background information
    • Phil Tocco - MSU Extension - Sanitizer use demonstration
• September 23, 2020 - Part 2: Water System Mapping & Water Testing for FSMA
  • Presentations by:
    • Vandana Rao, Executive Office of Energy & Environmental Affairs - MA Drought Task Force
    • Scott Monroe, Purdue Extension - Water sampling, understanding risks to source water, and understanding water test results
    • Phil Tocco, MSU Extension - Water distribution system mapping and inspections
• September 16, 2020 - Part 1: Water Use Regulations, Water Monitoring Tools, and Efficient Irrigation
  • Presentations by:
    • Rachel Schattman, UMaine Agroecology Lab - Water use regulations in New England
    • Joshua Faulkner, UVM Extension – Moisture monitoring technologies and irrigation efficiency
    • Tim Wilcox & Max Traunstein, Kitchen Garden Farm, Sunderland, MA – Tile drainage, wells, and irrigation equipment

Getting the Most Out of Beneficial Nematodes in Organic Vegetable Production - December 14, 2020

Carol Glenister of IPM Labs and Elson Shields, Cornell University, present on commercially available and persistent native entomopathogenic nematodes. Presented by NOFA-MA and the UMass Vegetable Program.

Vegetable Weed Management Using IPM, with Bryan Brown, NY State IPM Program - June 24, 2020

Bryan Brown of the New York State Integrated Pest Management Program, discusses weed biology and management in vegetable crops.

Greenhouse Fertigation with Judson Reid of Cornell Cooperative Extension - June 10, 2020

Judson Reid, Vegetable Specialist with Cornell Cooperative Extension discusses fertigation in greenhouses and high tunnels.

Cleaning, Sanitizing, & Disinfecting on the Farm: COVID-19 and Beyond - May 27, 2020

Lisa McKeag, UMass Extension Vegetable Program, discusses the difference between cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting and how to apply all 3 on the farm, in light of food safety pathogens and COVID-19.

COVID-19 Marketing Adaptations - May 20, 2020

Co-hosted by the UMass Extension Vegetable & Fruit Programs. Sue Scheufele, UMass Extension Vegetable Program, moderates a panel discussion about marketing adaptations undertaken by farms amidst COVID-19.

Organic Insect Pest Management - May 6, 2020

Sue Scheufele, UMass Extension Vegetable Program, presents a simple season-long primer on the few OMRI-approved insecticides that are available and their use in managing perennial vegetable pests.

COVID-19 Business Relief Programs & Assistance - April 29, 2020

Tom Smiarowski, UMass Extension Risk Management/Crop Insurance Program, leads a discussion of business relief programs currently available to MA farms, including the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program, the USDA Food Box Distribution Program, the Paycheck Protection Program, and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program. Michael Botelho, MDAR Produce Safety and Market Access & Certification Program, and Brad Mitchell, MA Farm Bureau Federation Deputy Executive Director, also present relevant business assistance information.

Early-Season Pest Scouting - April 22, 2020

Sue Scheufele, UMass Extension Vegetable Program, presents concepts of vegetable pest scouting, some scouting resources and tools, and details about a few early-season vegetable pests.