Got a question this week regarding some “bugs” feeding on asparagus. They turned out to be asparagus beetles which are often a problem in asparagus, but I thought I’d take this opportunity to share some resources regarding asparagus and its pests. Hope you find it helpful!
Getting Started in Asparagus Productions
Asparagus Beetles on Asparagus
Looking for an overview of all that is going on??
Check out the May 2014 newsletter!
For the second year in a row, the Amelia Extension Office will be holding a summer workshop series at the 3,000 square foot vegetable demonstration garden at the Raleigh Parish Glebe. Garden sessions are free and will last approximately one hour. Interested participants should preregister to (804) 561-2481 so that they can be notified of weather-related changes. Children are welcome to attend with adults and are especially invited on June 25 and July 2, as there will be a breakout gardening activity for children during the concurrent adult session. Each garden session will include time to ask questions or discuss any topics of interest.
May 28-Garden Tour; Discussion on Bed Prep, Soil Health, & Planting; Garden Q&A-11 AM
June 11-Garden Tour; Early Season Management, Pests and Diseases; Garden Q&A-6 PM
June 25-Garden Tour; Veggie One-day Pickling and Children’s Garden Session, 11 AM
July 2-Garden Tour; Using and Drying Herbs and Children’s Garden Session, 11 AM
July 30-Garden Tour; Saving Seeds from your Garden; Garden Q&A-11 AM
August 13-Garden Tour; Fall Planting and Cover Crop Options; Garden Q&A-11 AM
Tours will take place outdoors, and participants may bring a bagged lunch. Contact Laura Siegle, Amelia Agriculture Extension Agent, at laurab08@vt.edu or (804) 561-2481 for directions, more information, or to RSVP. Individuals or community groups who wish to schedule a special workshop or visit the garden outside of these public tour dates are encouraged to call the Extension office to schedule an appointment.
For more information, please contact Amelia Cooperative Extension at (804)-561-2481.
For Details and Eligibility Requirements, please click on this document in blue: Guidelines for Central VA Produce, Livestock, and Feed Storage Systems Program
*For a larger image, view the .pdf version below.
Full List / Additional items:
In case you were wondering what we’ve been up to regarding the kudzu bug invasion…here’s the latest.
Monitoring Kudzu Bug Emergence and Overwintering
In mid-March 2014, over 50 Virginia Cooperative Extension Agents and Virginia Tech Faculty and Staff began monitoring a 51-county network of sticky traps to determine overwintering emergence of kudzu bug in Virginia. Trap operators were instructed to position the traps in any open area (e.g., open fields or lawns in urban or rural settings). The trap consisted of 4-inch diameter PVC pipe, 18-inch long, with an end cap on top, suspended approximately 6 inches above the ground using a support stake (Fig. 1). A 12-inch band of sticky paper (Stable Fly Sticky Sleeve, Great Lakes IPM) was fitted all the way around the PVC pipe. Trap operators were instructed to check the trap two or three times per week for presence of kudzu bugs and to change sticky paper weekly. Data, including zeros, are being recorded until the date of first capture of kudzu bugs for each county. Visual reports of kudzu bugs by the trap operators are also accepted for first capture data. To date, 14 trap operators in 13 counties have detected kudzu bugs (Fig. 2). Most reports have come from southeast Virginia. Some traps have caught one or two insects, while others have trapped many (Fig. 1). Although it is premature to make any comments about ‘trends’, traps that are located adjacent to areas (kudzu patches, last year’s soybean fields) where kudzu bug numbesr were high last year are the traps that have caught insects. Also, generally, traps are catching insects on the warmest days.
For more information on Kudzu Bugs and their impact on Virginia Agriculture, check out the links below:
Opportunity for food hub operators (locally-sourced meats, fruits, and vegetables): retail and wholesale distributors; value-added processors and producers; and food business incubators.
Below you will find a summary of the Virginia Fresh Food Loan Fund (VFFLF) which aims to address food deserts and strengthen Virginia’s food system by sharing relevant experience and institutional knowledge in fresh food financing.
http://www.vacommunitycapital.org/uploads/VFFLFproduct.pdf
For more on Virginia Community Capital, check out their site.
TOMORROW:
**First produce auction of the year in Cullen, VA: Vegetable starts, potted plants, and YOUNG FRUIT TREES (apple, peach, plum, and cherry!). Starts at 10am, get there before to browse and get an apple fry pie.
**Grain Sorghum Meeting in Blackstone, VA: Management, varieties, disease, marketing, and rotations. This was rescheduled from the snow day earlier in the year. 9:30am at the research station. Please let us know if you have not already RSVPed.
Unique Opportunity for a Young/Beginning/Aspiring Farmer: Omega Lane Farm
We are a small organic farm outside RuralRetreat. We’re looking for a responsible and hard-working apprentice. In exchange for 25-29 hours of work we’re offering a furnished farmhouse, farm produce, and hands-on experience in our passive-solar greenhouse and gardens.
Some of the things you will learn are:
Germination
Companion Planting
Straw Bale Gardening
Gutter Gardening
Natural Pest Control
Food Processing Techniques
Marketing at a Farmers Market
Position May 1st-October 1st (flexible)
If Interested, please contact us at:
Suzanne Capone: 276-686-5843
Did you miss the Virginia Association of Biological Farming Conference this year?
Looking for information on alternative, biological, or organic farming?
Check out the presentations from this year’s Biological Farming Conference in Midlothian via the VABF website: Click on the blue link on this page!
