Fauquier

Rappahannock/Madison/Fauquier County Tree Fruit Meetings:

The Rappahannock Extension Office invites each of you to attend a series of in-orchard meetings scheduled from April through July. These meetings will be held in orchards located in Rappahannock, Fauquier, and Madison Counties.

We will meet at the host orchard at 11:00 a.m. for a tour of the orchard, followed by a discussion of current orchard management recommendations. Virginia Tech fruit specialists from the Alson H. Smith Jr. Agricultural Research and Extension Center will be present to address specific topics. We encourage you to bring samples of insects, diseased foliage or scaffolds for treatment recommendations. After the orchard tour we will have a bagged lunch (bring your own); drinks will be furnished by the host orchardist. We will adjourn around 2:00 p.m.

March 11^th Grafting Workshop – 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, Madison Extension Office

April 20^th In Orchard Meeting Williams Orchard, Tommy and Eddie Williams, Flint Hill Rt. 211 east to Ben Venue. At the crossroads, turn north on to Rt. 729 and go approximately 2½ miles. Orchard is on the left

May 25^th In Orchard Meeting James Jenkins, Jenkins Orchard, Woodville, From Rt. 231, turn right on to Rt. 621, go about 2 miles. The orchard is on the left by the packing shed.

June 15^th In Orchard MeetingFrom Flint Hill: Rt. 522 N, turn right on Rt. 635, turn N/left on Rt. 688, both orchards are located near the intersection of Rt. 688 and Rt. 55 in Markham. Stribling and Hartland Orchards, Robert Stribling and Bill Green, Markham

July 20^thGraves Mountain Farm Graves’ Mountain Farm, Jimmy Graves, Syria Rt. 231 to Rt. 670, meet at the picnic shelter on left just past Syria.

Please call the Extension Office at 540-675-3619 for additional information about these programs.

Sincerely,

Kenner Love

Extension Agent, Agriculture and Natural Resources

Crop and Soil Sciences

2016 Spring Tree Fruit Meetings – Winchester, Virginia

Winchester Area Spring Tree Fruit Meetings:

Below are the dates for the upcoming commercial tree fruit meetings. Drs. Keith Yoder and Chris Bergh will be providing updated information and will be available for discussions and concerns regarding the upcoming season. Please find more information and seasonal updates at the Virginia Cooperative Extension – Tree Fruit Website: http://www.anr.ext.vt.edu/tree-fruit/ To receive email notifications of updates and blog posts, simply go to the website and enter your email address on the right hand side at the “Subscribe” tool.

Thursday, March 31. In-Depth Meeting 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Seasonal Updates

Program: Dr. Keith Yoder (Pathologist – Virginia Tech AHS Jr. AREC)

Thursday, April 21. Breakfast Meeting 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.

Seasonal Updates and Breakfast Provided

Thursday, May 5. In-Depth Meeting 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Seasonal Updates

Program: invited guest and/or grower panel on thinning

Thursday, May 19. Breakfast Meeting 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.

Seasonal Updates and Breakfast Provided

Thursday, June 2. In-Depth Meeting 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Seasonal Updates

Program: Dr. Chris Bergh (Entomologist – Virginia Tech AHS Jr. AREC)

All meetings will be held at the Alson H. Smith Jr. AREC (Winchester Fruit Lab) at 595 Laurel Grove Road, Winchester, Virginia. Directions from I-81: take Stephens City exit (Exit 307). Go west into Stephens City on Fairfax Street and proceed straight through the traffic light onto Rt. 631 (Fairfax Street becomes Marlboro Rd.) and continue west approximately 3.5 miles. Turn right (north) onto Middle Road (Rt. 628) at the “T”. Go 1.5 miles north on Middle Road and turn left (west) onto Laurel Grove Road (Rt.629). Go 0.8 miles to the AREC on the left.

Thank You, 2016 Sponsors!

Adams County Nursery, Inc.

Andros Foods North America

Bank of Clarke County

BASF Technical Service

Certis USA, LLC

Crop Production Services

DuPont Crop Protection

First Bank & Trust Company

Frederick County Fruit Growers Association

Gowan Company, LLC

Helena Chemical Company

Knouse Foods Co-Op., Inc.

MidAtlantic Farm Credit, FLCA

Southern States

The Valley Fertilizer & Chemical Company, Inc.

True North Foliar

Valent U.S.A. Corporation

Virginia Farm Bureau

Winchester Equipment Company

Mark Sutphin

Associate Extension Agent | Agriculture and Natural Resources, Horticulture | Unit Coordinator (Frederick)

Serving the counties of Frederick, Clarke, Page, Shenandoah, & Warren

Virginia Cooperative Extension – Frederick County Office | 107 North Kent Street | Winchester, VA 22601

Phone – 540.665.5699 | Fax – 540.722.8380 | Cell – 540.398.8148 | Email – mark.sutphin@vt.edu

2016 Spring Tree Fruit Meetings – Central Virginia

Central Virginia Tree Fruit Meetings:

Our first technical production meeting of the 2016 Central Virginia Orchard Meeting series begins on Tuesday, April 5^th. It will be hosted by Henry Chiles and everyone at Crown Orchard. We will be meeting at the Johnson Purvis orchard block which is located just south of the village of Covesville. DIRECTIONS: From Charlottesville: Travel on Route 29 south for 15 miles (about 20 minutes). Approximately one mile south of Covesville turn left on Route 632 (Faber Road). From Lynchburg: Travel on Route 29 north. Approximately 1 mile north of the Nelson County line, at the top of the hill, turn right on Route 632 (Faber Road).

The orchard entrance is less than a quarter mile down the road. Turn left and cross the wooded railway trestle. The orchard is on the other side.

After the in-orchard portion of the program we will be provided lunch by the Chiles family. Since this is a catered lunch please let us know how many people are planning to attend by calling the Extension office at (434) 263-4035 or replying directly to this email. We owe many thanks to Mr. Chiles and his family for once again providing their hospitality to kick off another season of apple production.

This and all subsequent meetings will begin at 11:00 a.m. Please come to discuss fruit production issues and concerns with other fruit growers and Extension fruit specialists. Once again, please bring a bag lunch to our other meetings. Cold drinks will be provided by the host orchard.

2016 Orchard Meeting Schedule

Date Orchard

April 5^th Crown Orchard

April 19^th Silver Creek Orchard

May 3^rd Saunders Brothers Orchard

May 17^th Dickie Bros. Orchard

May 31^st Fitzgerald Orchard

Sincerely,

Michael W. Lachance

Extension Agent

Lucinda A MacRae

Unit Administrative Assistant

Virginia Cooperative Extension

Nelson County Office

P.O. Box 298

8445 Thomas Nelson Hwy.

Lovingston, VA 22949

Tel 434-263-4035

Fax 434-263-4367

Email lmacrae@vt.edu

The Young Grower Alliance (YGA) of Virginia wants your feedback to plan 2016 activities!

The Young Grower Alliance of Virginia (YGA) would like your opinions and feedback to help plan 2016 programs and to better serve the young, beginning, and next generation of fruit and vegetable growers. We welcome all to respond, even those who may not consider yourself to be a “young” grower. Please know, we value the wise opinion and input from the more experienced generations as well. Click on the link below to begin the survey.
https://vce.az1.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_bBJ9YfYTt2HhM8d

Also, like us on Facebook to keep up with YGA events: https://www.facebook.com/virginiayga/

Thanks so much for taking the time to offer your valuable feedback!

The Young Grower Alliance of Virginia is a support group for up-and-coming fruit and vegetable growers. Drawing upon Virginia’s rich history and promising future in produce, the YGA consolidates industry information to present it in a manner that encourages and prepares young, beginning, or next generation growers for a career in horticulture. Updates and reminders can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/virginiayga or https://twitter.com/younggrowerva

Mark Sutphin
mark.sutphin@vt.edu

2016 Winter Fruit Schools – Save the Dates

The Patrick-Carroll school (Mt. Airy) will be held on Monday, Feb 8. The Botetourt-Roanoke school will be held on the morning of Wednesday, Feb 9, starting at 8:00 AM. A Blackstone school will be held this year, morning of Feb 10. The Nelson-Albemarle (Central Virginia) school will be held in the late afternoon-evening of that Wednesday, Feb 10, starting at 3:00 PM. The Madison-Rappahannock school will beheld on Thursday, Feb 11, and the Winchester school will be held on Friday, Feb 12. Details on the agendas will be posted when available.

http://www.virginiafruit.ento.vt.edu/HotApple.html

Commercial Organic Apple Production Field Day – August 25, 2015

We are holding a Commercial Organic Apple Production Field Day at the Alson H. Smith, Jr., Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Winchester, VA on Tuesday, August 25th. Further details and registration instructions can be found on the Organic Apple Production Field Day 8-25-15 flyer.

Contact mark.sutphin@vt.edu for additional information and to register.

August 20th Twilight Meeting – Hollin Farms

TO: Commercial Fruit Producers

FROM: Mark Sutphin, Associate Extension Agent, Horticulture

SUBJECT: August 20, 2015 Orchard Twilight Meeting: tour of Hollin Farms, in Delaplane, Virginia (a pick your own vegetable, small fruit, and tree fruit operation) followed by a catered meal & seasonal updates from Virginia Cooperative Extension Specialists.

Registration is required. –To ensure that you are provided with a meal, you must email Marsha Wright at mawrigh4@vt.edu or call: (540.665.5699) before noon on Wednesday, August 12th.

Matt and Shannon Davenport have graciously agreed to host the meeting at Hollin Farms on Thursday, August 20, 2015.

5:30pm – 6:30pm Tour

6:30pm – 7:30pm Catered Supper and Seasonal Updates

Directions: The orchard is located at, 1436 Snowden Road, Delaplane, Virginia 20144.

From Winchester: take US-50 East approximately 16 miles east of I-81. Turn right onto US-17 South (Winchester Road). In 1.9 miles, make a right onto VA-688 (Leeds Manor Road). In 0.7 miles, take the first right onto VA-711 (Snowden Road). In 0.7 miles, the farm will be on the left.

From I-66: take exit 23 for US-17 North towards Delaplane/Paris. Once off of I-66, travel approximately 6 miles on US-17 North (Winchester Road). Make a left onto VA-688 (Leeds Manor Road). In 0.7 miles, take the first right onto VA-711 (Snowden Road). In 0.7 miles, the farm will be on the left.

Drs. Keith Yoder, Chris Bergh, and Greg Peck will be providing seasonal updates at dinner and will be available for discussions and concerns regarding the growing season.

Winchester-Area Fruit Tour, July 16

Final call for registration. If you’re interested in attending, please contact Mark Sutphin as soon as possible!

From Mark Sutphin:

We have a fantastic day tour of several Winchester area fruit operations scheduled for Thursday, July 16, 2015. The tour will include orchards, vineyards, high tunnel fruit and vegetable production, a retail market, a packing operation, a cidery, a catered lunch, and an evening meal at Marker-Miller Farm Market. We plan to arrange a coach for participants (coach to begin and end at National Fruit: 550 Fairmont Ave., Winchester, VA 22601). There will also be other transportation and carpooling options planned as the need dictates. If you are interested in this day tour, please complete the registration on the attached brochure and send in the registration fee of $30.00/each by July 8, 2015.

We continue to thank our Tree Fruit Program Sponsors for making this educational tour possible. Please see the attached flyer listing our many faithful industry partners.

REGISTRATION FLYER: <Winchester VA Day Tour>

Mark Sutphin

Associate Extension Agent | Agriculture and Natural Resources, Horticulture | Unit Coordinator (Frederick)

Serving the counties of Frederick, Clarke, Page, Shenandoah, & Warren

Virginia Cooperative Extension – Frederick County Office | 107 North Kent Street | Winchester, VA 22601

Phone – 540.665.5699 | Fax – 540.722.8380 | Cell – 540.398.8148 | Email – mark.sutphin@vt.edu

http://offices.ext.vt.edu/frederick/ | http://vacoopext.blogspot.com/

9:30 am Stop 1: White House Foods (National Fruit Product Company)

David & Paige Gum

Glaize Packing House

12:00 pm Stop 2: Winchester Cider Works (catered lunch)

Diane Kearns & Stephen Schuurman

2:00 pm Stop 3: Glaize Raspberry High Tunnels

Philip Glaize, Jr. & Philip Glaize

3:30 pm Stop 4: Marker-Miller Orchards, Farm Market & Bakery

(includes: Benevino Vineyard) John Marker & Family

Joe Snapp & Family

Woodbine Farms

Harman Brumback & Family

6:00 pm Marker-Miller Orchards, Farm Market & Bakery (catered supper)

MaluSim models for 11 May 2015

For both Winchester and Central Virginia, the Malusim model is predicting a mild to no carbohydrate stress over the next week. Although temperatures at the time of application, are less important then the carbohydrate running average (2+4 Running Average), expect chemical thinners applied Sunday (10 May) or Monday (11 May) to cause more thinning than applications made late last week or for the rest of this week. Expect a “typical” response from chemical thinners applied Tuesday (12 May) through the rest of this coming week.

The National Weather Service is predicting sunny weather later this week, as well as daytime temperatures in the 70s. This should result in ideal conditions for plant growth, and thus less carbohydrate stress in the apple trees.

One of the weaknesses of weather-based models, is the need to use forecast data to make decisions about future events. When I ran the MaluSim models for both Winchester and Central Virginia last Thursday, the forecast was for hot, cloudy weather. Although it was in the mid-80s in most of Virginia over the weekend, there was also a lot more sunlight than predicted. Temperatures are generally a lot more reliable than cloud cover predictions, but both seemed to be less severe than originally forecasted.

Cloudy weather predicted for later in the week is causing wild swings in the MaluSim model output. My expectation is that actual carbohydrate levels will be more moderate and that running average values will remain in the 20 to -20 g CHO/day range.

Full model output:

Peck Winchester MaluSim 5_11_15.pptx

Peck Central VA MaluSim 5_11_15.pptx

MaluSim Model Data for 7 May 2015

Due to warm days (>80F) and intermittent cloud cover, the MaluSim carbohydrate model is showing a strong carbohydrate deficit for both Winchester and Central Virginia over the next four to five days. Expect an aggressive to very aggressive response to chemical thinners applied today through early next week. Reduce rates, and/or do not include oil or other surfactants if overthinning is a concern. Peck Winchester MaluSim 5_7_15

Pay close attention to the weather forecasts. If actual temperatures are closer to 90F and/or there are prolonged periods of cloud cover, then overthinning will likely occur.

The greatest amount of thinning occurs when fruitlets are on average between 8-12 mm in diameter. Thinning when fruitlets are slightly smaller or larger will result in less thinning, which may be desirable if there is a severe carbohydrate deficit.

Cooler temperatures forecasted for the middle to end of next week should result in less carbohydrate stress and reduced chances of overthinning. However, fruitlets that are greater than 15 mm in diameter are more difficult to thin with NAA or 6-BA.

During these warm days, expect the average fruitlet size to increase by at least 0.5 mm per day.

Full MaluSim model output:

Peck Winchester MaluSim 5_7_15.pptx

Peck Central VA MaluSim 5_7_15.pptx