Contact a Member of the TEAM!!
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SWAT Program
(802) 388-4969 ext. 346
Agronomy Outreach Professional
ACAP Program
(802) 558-6470  | | CV Crop, Soil & Pasture Team |
UVM Extension helps individuals and communities put research-based knowledge to work. * Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture. University of Vermont Extension, Burlington, Vermont. * University of Vermont Extension, and U.S. Department of Agriculture, cooperating, offer education and employment to everyone without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or familial status.
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 Ask ELSIE
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| Q: ELSIE...What is the difference between long-season and short-season corn?
A: When corn hybrids are described as 'short season' or 'long season' they are describing the length of time it takes for that particular variety to reach maturity.
There are several ways to measure this, all of which are relative. The two most common ways to measure this is days Relative Maturity (RM) or Growing Degree Days (GDD) which measures the cumulative amount of thermal heating over the season.
When you are perusing the seed catalog, you will most likely see Days to Relative Maturity in the 85 to 120 range. If they list Growing Degree Days, they will range from 2000 GDD to 2800 GDD.
Again...all of these measurements are relative. If you plant a 110 day corn hybrid, that doesn't mean it will reach maturity on your farm in 110 days. It only means that it will take longer to mature than 85 RM corn and will mature earlier than 120 RM corn. If you are going by GDD, you will need to first know the typical GDD for the season in your area to select the right varieties, and then calculate actual GDDs as your season progresses to forecast maturity. There is a great GDD calculator in the links below.
There are many variables which will determine when your corn actually matures. Harvest method/desired moisture content (ie. grain vs. silage), weather at different points in the season (planting,emergence, tassel, dry down), weather over the season, your chopper's schedule, and many other factors. By spreading out the relative maturity of the corn you plant, you can take advantage of the beneficial aspects of both short and long season corn, as well as manage your risk for both.
Here are a few resources for short & long season corn in Vermont:
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If you would like to Ask ELSIE? a question, please email her by clicking HERE.
Funding for the Champlain Valley Crop, Soil & Pasture Team and the programs and resources we offer is provided by the following organizations:
- UVM Extension
- Lake Champlain Basin Program
- Great Lakes Fishery Commission
- USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service
- VT Agency of Natural Resources
- VT Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets
If you would no longer like to receive this newsletter, feel free to Unsubscribe by clicking the SafeUnsubscribe™ button at the bottom of this newsletter. Although, we hope you won't!
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UVM Extension
Champlain Valley Crop, Soil & Pasture Newsletter
Dear (Contact First Name),
This winter is like every year. EVERYONE has meetings and it seems they stack up at the same time. Many of the MEETINGS that I went to included discussions about water quality.
The Vermont Agriculture Workgroup started a series of meetings to address how the state is going to move forward with a plan to reduce the amount of Phosphorus that goes into Lake Champlain. Planning meetings will be held over the next two months to address the TMDL issue that affects all of us. You probably know someone who is on that work group, there are many farmers. "The New Plan" is not set in stone, so talk with us as "we" move through this process. Information is found at the website http://www.emcenter.org/lake-champlain-phosphorous-pollution-initiative/
The Champlain Valley Farmer Coalition is off to a strong start and the members of the group want to address agriculture water quality issues straight on. The Directors of the organization will certainly weigh-in on some current ideas floating around the state house that may be not be in sync with the State and EPA water quality objectives. We don't have a fancy web page yet, but you can get involved right away by joining the farmer group (yes there are dues). We will have a signup at the Vermont Dairy Producers Conference on the 26th and talk with you how this group and the Farmers Watershed Alliance are both working on your behalf. Kirsten Workman and I are both signed on with the Board of Directors to facilitate what the farmers want to accomplish. Call if you want to know more about how you can get involved.
There are other groups that meet and you can get involved:
Green Mountain Dairy Discussion Group - monthly farmer discussions, feeding, tile drainage
Natural Resources Conservation Council - supporting Conservation District activities
South Lake Work Group - watershed based plans for conservation and water quality
Of Course there are many more - Let us know YOUR favorites
The Vermont Farm Show was a good place for our Extension Crops Team in Middlebury to show displays of projects we have been working on. I hope you were able to see the Farm Show, right there in Essex Junction, it sure is handy.
We had a great year in 2012 working with the many farmers we know, so we'd like to share that with you. Copies of our CV Crop Team Reports can be found at our website: http://blog.uvm.edu/cvcrops/
Jeff Carter
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| News and Events
For Vermont Farmers in the Lake Champlain Watershed
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FARM NEWS
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WINTER CONFERENCES ON TAP
Winter is prime time to fit in some opportunities to learn a few new things, sharpen your existing farming knowledge, have some stimulating conversations, and have a tasty lunch!! Check out these awesome opportunities. There's something for everyone, so sign up today.
2013 Winter Hops Conference
February 22nd * Essex Resort * Essex
2013 Dairy Producers Conference
February 26th * Sheraton * Burlington
2013 Organic Dairy Conference
March 1st * VTC * Randolph 
2013 NW Crops & Soils Dairy Workshop
March 12th * American Legion * St. Albans
2013 Vermont Grains Conference
March 14th * Essex Resort * Essex
2013 Champlain Valley Grazing Symposium...link coming soon
Early April * American Legion * Vergennes
CROP INSURANCE ENROLLMENT DEADLINE APPROACHES
by Pamela Smith, UVM Extension
As  you make plans for the upcoming growing season, now is the time to evaluate the adequacy of your risk management plan for each segment of your farm business. Options include a whole farm business insurance policy or insurance on the crops segment of your farm. March 15 is the final enrollment date for both whole farm insurance protection through AGR-Lite and crop insurance protection for silage and grain corn, soybeans, and most other spring seeded crops in Vermont. In addition, March 15 is also the final date to enroll in FSA's NAP insurance.
There was a time when government programs almost automatically provided a pretty good safety-net. About all producers had to do was to enroll, and perhaps, idle a few acres. But times have changed. Today, the major safety-net is determined by individual proactive producer decisions. For example, if all crops are not insured or covered by FSA's NAP, producers may be ineligible other USDA programs. Furthermore, if an adequate amount of crop insurance protection is not selected, the programs will not perform up to expectations or necessary payment levels when disasters occur. Therefore, risk management planning is as important as production and marketing planning.
Annual expectations are that risk exposures will increase in the form of high crop values, increased price volatility, higher input costs, tighter credit requirements, the need to recover from prior year losses, higher family living costs and aging farm operators.
Does it make sense to manage risk by self-insuring? Just how much protection is needed for this year? A crop insurance agent can help you make these decisions. Why not take some time prior to the March 15 enrollment deadline evaluate your current coverage, explore increases in insurance levels or consider whole farm insurance through AGR-Lite? A list of agents can be found at http://www3.rma.usda.gov/tools/agents/.
UVM Extension can also provide assistance; contact Pam Smith at 802-349-2966 or pamela.smith@uvm.edu.
VERMONT FARM SHOW SUCCESS  | | Best of Class!! |
by Kirsten Workman, SWAT Agronomy Outreach Professional The CV Crops Team had a great time at the Vermont Farm Show this year, and we hope you did too. We want to thank the Farm Show staff (especially Jackie Folsom & Teresa Doyle) for letting us take over the Crops Exhibit. We had a great time telling the story of Vermont's Field & Forage Crops. Plus...I am pretty sure we had the best smelling booth in the Expo. We also want to thank all the farmers who entered their crops into the Product Contest. The judges had a great time doling out blue ribbons and having lively discussions about what makes great silage, grains & hay. Below is a link to the list of all the winners!! We hope to see you (and your crops) there next year!! Click Here to see the Vermont Farm Show Product Contest Winners!  | | The Crops Exhibit at the 2013 Vermont Farm Show |
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STRATEGIC WATERSHED ACTION TEAM
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MARK YOUR CALENDARS: GRAZING SYMPOSIUM in ADDISON CO Coming Soon...this April in Vergennes
by Cheryl Cesario, SWAT Grazing Outreach Professional
The Champlain Valley Crop, Soil & Pasture Team is pleased to announce that we we will host the Champlain Valley Grazing Symposium in early April. Invit ed speakers include grazing consultant Sarah Flack and farmers Guy Choiniere and Brent Beidler. Come learn and discuss
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photo from boston.com
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sharpening your grazing skills for the upcoming season. Topics will include maximizing pasture productivity, producing top quality forages to reduce grain costs, and incorporating annual forages into your grazing system.
Stay tuned for more details......or give Cheryl a call or email at (802) 388-4969 x346 or cheryl.cesario@uvm.edu
FARMERS STAND UP FOR WATER QUALITY
by Kirsten Workman, SWAT Agronomy Outreach Professional
Can water quality and agriculture co-exist in Vermont? A group of farmers from Addison, Chittenden and Rutland counties weren't willing to sit around and find out. They wanted to make sure that both water quality and farming could not only co-exist in Vermont, but help each other thrive..
With the help of UVM Extension Agronomist, Jeff Carter and funding from a Vermont NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant, the Champlain Valley Farmers Coalition Inc. was born! On February 6, 2013 the group, who has been meeting since last spring, became a formal non-profit corporation. This non-profit, farmer-based corporation is organized for the purpose of assisting farmers in adopting and implementing good agricultural practices to improve local farm economic resiliency and environmental stewardship with the goal of improving and maintaining the ecological integrity of Lake Champlain and its tributaries.
The CVFC will accomplish this through:
- Targeted education & outreach
- Assistance with project funding
- Facilitating communication between farmers, agencies & non-governmental organizations
- Working in collaboration to achieve common goals
If you are interested in becoming a member of CVFC, give Jeff or Kirsten a call. The group is currently accepting applications in the categories of farmer (voting), individual (non-voting), business (non-voting), and other organizations (non-voting).
You can reach us at:
(802) 388-4969
Jeff Carter jeff.carter@uvm.edu
Kirsten Workman kirsten.workman@uvm.edu
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The founding members of the Champlain Valley Farmers Coalition, Inc.
(Kirsten is taking the picture)
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BY-LAWS
Champlain Valley Farmers Coalition, Inc.
Article II. Purposes
The corporation is organized for the purpose of assisting farmers in adopting and implementing good agricultural practices to improve local farm economic resiliency and environmental stewardship with the goal of improving and maintaining the ecological integrity of Lake Champlain and its tributaries. The corporation will accomplish this through targeted education and outreach, assistance with potential project funding, and facilitating communication between farmers, agencies and non-governmental organizations working in collaboration to achieve common goals.
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Agronomy & Conservation Assistance Program
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Get out of the Mud with Short Season Corn
By Rico Balzano, ACAP Agronomy Outreach Professional
The 2012 corn season turned out better than the 2011 season (which is not saying much), but still proved challenging at planting and harvest time. After an early planting window in April, the rains kept many farms from planting for almost a month. Many of these later plantings, especially longer season hybrids, became difficult to harvest in the mud when the rains came in October.
Longer season, or longer in relative maturity (RM) hybrids tend to yield more. Studies at Cornell show that for every 5-day increase in RM, average yield increases of 0.75 ton/acre can be expected. However, each 5-day increase in RM can delay harvest by about 3 days in early September or 5 days in late September.
However, studies at UVM also show that with careful hybrid selection, shorter season corn (95 day RM or less) can have comparable yield and quality to longer season hybrids. Besides getting an earlier harvest, growing short season corn provides other benefits such as allowing more time in the fall for planting cover crops and spreading manure. If cover crops, such as triticale, are to be harvested for forage in the spring, short season hybrids fit into the later planting, early harvest schedule necessary to make the double crop system work. Also, the additional yield from the forage harvest will help make up for any yield drag from growing shorter season corn.
See the Ask ELSIE column on the left sidebar for more information on days to relative maturity (RM) and how that is calculated!
Aerator Rental in Rutland County and Beyond
by Jennifer Alexander, ACAP Agronomy Outreach Professional
In 2009, the Poultney Mettowee Conservation District received funding from the Vermont Agency of Agriculture to purchase two Gen-Till II Aerators: a 8ft 9" unit and a 15ft folding unit. Aerators create vertical slits in the soil that open up the soil for better water and nutrient infiltration and decreases soil compaction at least on a temporary basis. Each unit has 5 different settings to choose from depending on how much soil disturbance you want: 0, 2.5, 5, 7.5 o r10 degrees. 0 is limited soil disturbance where as 10 degrees is much soil disturbance.
Aerators can be used for incorporating liquid manure into hayfields, incorporation of manure into cornfields, incorporating manure and winter rye seed for a winter cover crop, and reducing surface compaction in pastures and hayfields.
A good guide to see what the tractor requirements are to use any aerator is roughly 10hp per foot of unit. This of course can be affected by 2WD versus 4WD, soil conditions and topography of the fields. You do need hydraulic hoses to raise and lower the units.
To to  w the units, the truck used will need to be a good 1/2ton preferably with a tow/haul package for the 8-ft 9" unit and a good 3/4 ton truck preferably with a tow/haul package for the 15-ft unit. These units have quite a bit of tongue weight and no electric brakes. Depending on location transportation may be available. There is a small $5/acre rental fee associated with using the Gen-Till II units and depending upon your situation there may be cost share available.
If you would like to use a Gen Till II unit, please contact Jennifer Alexander, Agronomy Outreach Professional at 802-558-6470 or jad0403@yahoo.com
by K
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If you know someone else who might be interested in receiving this  newsletter, please share it and encourage them to join our mailing list.
Sincerely, 
Jeff Carter,
Extension Agronomist
UVM Extension- Champlain Valley Crop, Soil & Pasture Team
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