February 19, 2010

The next meeting of the Winchester Area Fruit Production School will be held on Friday, February 19, 2010, at the Best Western, Lee-Jackson Inn Banquet Convention Center, Winchester. This building is located at 711 Millwood Avenue. The program will begin at 8:00 a.m.

This session will re-certify you (VA growers) for two years on your private pesticide license (category 90).  In order to receive re-certification credit, you will need to sign in by 8:30 a.m. and sign out at the end.  This sign-in will be strictly enforced at the School. (WV growers will be able to sign their recertification form at this event).

There will be a $9.00 registration fee, payable at the door (checks made payable to VCE-Frederick County).  Please call the Frederick Office at 540-665-5699 and let them know if you will be attending, so we can have an accurate account to provide for lunch. (WV growers who are WVSHS members will have their registrations paid for by the WVSHS as a benefit of membership. Julie will be there to register you).

If you have any questions, I can be reached by emailing cmarston@vt.edu.  Should you wish to reach me by telephone; the number is 540-432-6029.

The Program:
Winchester Area Commercial Fruit Production School
Friday, February 19, 2010
Lee Jackson Conference Center, Winchester, VA
Sponsored by Virginia Cooperative Extension and Frederick County Fruit Growers Association
8:00 a.m. - Registration, Coffee and Doughnuts, View Exhibits
8:15 a.m. - Conservation Programs, Mike Liskey, USDA
8:45 a.m. - Fruit Thinning, Preventing Pre-Harvest Apple Fruit Drop and Apple Return Bloom Update, Dr. Rongcai Yuan, Horticulturist, VT-Smith AREC
9:15 a.m. - Spray Bulletin Updates, Doug, Keith, Rongcai, and Alan
9:30 a.m. - Biology and Management of Stink Bugs, Dr. Doug Pfeiffer, Entomologist, VT
10:00 a.m. - WEST VIRGINIA BREAKOUT TO ADJACENT ROOM
Legal & Safety Update, Jeff Rogers, Pesticide Inspector, VDACS
Pesticide Regulatory Programs Update, Chad Carpenter, Compliance Manager, WV  Pesticide Regulatory Programs
10:30 a.m. - In Search of the Sandy Hosey: The Life & Times of W.B. Alwood – Savior of the Virginia Fruit Industry, Dr. Mike Weaver, Director, VT Pesticide Programs
11:30 a.m. - Management of Apple Powdery Mildew; Is it Becoming Resistant to SI Fungicides?, Dr. Keith Yoder, Pathologist, VT-Smith AREC
Noon – Lunch, (Speakers and organizers lunches furnished by Frederick County Fruit Growers’ Association)
1:00 p.m. - Fruit Production in the MidAtlantic: Past, Present, and Future, Dr. Steve Miller, Agriculture Research Service, USDA, Kearneysville, WV
1:45 p.m. - Maryblyt 7 (fireblight predictor) for Windows, Dr. Alan Biggs, Pathologist, WVU-KTFREC
2:15 p.m. - Orchard Decisions in Jeopardy, Dr. Doug Pfeiffer, Entomologist, VT
3:00 p.m. - Recertification Paperwork and Adjournment

               2) Western Maryland Regional Fruit School at WMREC in Keedysville, MD. February 25, 2010.
The program for this event is online here:
http://www.grapesandfruit.umd.edu/Pages/2010BrochureRFMFinal.pdf
Pesticide applicator license recertification credits (6) for WV growers will be available for this event.