Click HERE for more Crop Insurance deadlines and dates.

Farmers, Landowners, and conservation professionals.  Look at serious erosion/inundation issues with alluvial soils and explore options to lessen sediment loads and protect floodplain soils.  The afternoon will be spent on farm.  FREE workshop.  Contact Nancy McGuire (Rutland NRCD) at (802) 775-8034 ext. 17 or nanci.mcguire@vt.nacdnet.net

AerWay EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE
UVM Extension, in partnership with the Farmers Watershed Alliance, has three AerWay aerators available to rent at $3 per acre.  The units are moving from farm to farm around Addison and Chittenden counties, but are currently located in Bristol, Cornwall and Richmond.  Use of this equipment in conjunction with manure spreading is eligible for cost-share funding from the Vermont Agency of Agriculture's FAP program at between $12 and $25 per acre.  Call Nate Sands (802) 828-0459 if you are interested in financial assistance.

Call NOW to schedule use of the equipment:
Rico Balzano | (802) 388-4969 x338 | rico.balzano@uvm.edu

View a video of the AerWay in action at a recent workshop here.

Aerway Agressive.MP4

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If you are looking for assistance with proper sampling protocol, would like to borrow a soil probe, or need a manure, compost or soil sampling materials, please feel free to contact Kirsten Workman for assistance: kirsten.workman@uvm.edu | (802) 388-4969 x347

UVM Extension has a simple tool called a Soil Penetrometer you can use to determine the depth and extent of compaction in your soils.  Why is this important?  Excessive compaction can cause adverse impacts in crop yields by:

•  impeding root growth,  
• decreasing water and nutrient uptake,  
• causing stunted and drought-stressed plants in dry years,  
• reducing yields, increasing disease risk, and  
• increasing erosion and runoff issues. 

Compaction is caused by many things, but most commonly by tillage, raindrop impact, wheel traffic, livestock and insufficient crop rotation.  If you think compaction may be an issue in any of your fields, you can borrow the penetrometer and we'll show you how to take some simple readings and help you figure out ways to mitigate compaction like

• using the AerWay,  
• implementing no-till systems,  
• staying off wet fields or  
• using cover crops and alternative crop rotations.  

Call or email a member of the team for more information.

Join us to learn from nationally known entomologists who will share their reserach and experience on fly control management strategies for your organic dairy farm. A panel discussion will follow the speakers' presenations.
Contact Deb Heleba at (802) 656-4046 or dheleba@uvm.edu for more information

The UVM Extesnion New Farmer Project offers on online webinar by Colin Kennard    of Wellscroft Fencing Systems in Chesham, NH.  Participate in the webinar here.

MEET OUR NEWEST TEAM MEMBER
The UVM Extension Champlain Valley Crop, Soil and Pasture Team is pleased to welcome Cheryl Cesario to our team.  Cheryl joins the team as our new Grazing Outreach Specialist and arrives just in time for the grazing season to assist producers with grazing plans and general grazing management. Cheryl has spent the last eight years with the Vermont Organic Farmers (VOF) certification program, and graduated with a degree in Animal Science from the University of New Hampshire and a Master's degree from the University of Vermont in Plant and Soil Science. Her agricultural experiences include vegetable farm and greenhouse management, seasonal orchard work, and relief milking on dairy farms. She and her husband Marc graze their animals at their farm, Meeting Place Pastures, in Cornwall.  You'll be hearing more from Cheryl very soon, but feel free to give her a call at (802) 388-4969 ext. 346 if you have any grazing questions.