2026 UConn Extension Vegetable and Small Fruit Growers’ Conference
Thursday, January 8, 2026
Student Union Ballroom (Room 330)
2110 Hillside Road, Storrs, CT
Agenda Overview
| 8:00 – 8:50 a.m. | Registration and Coffee; Trade Show Opens |
| 8:55 – 9:00 a.m. | Welcome and Introductions |
| 9:00 – 9:45 a.m. | Managing Weed Resistance: Bryan Brown, Integrated Weed Management Specialist, Cornell Integrated Pest Management |
| 9:50 - 10:20 a.m. | Cover Crops: Amelia Magistrali, Associate Extension Educator - Soil Health, UConn Extension |
| 10:20 - 10:50 a.m. | Announcements; Break for Trade Show and Research Posters |
| 10:50 - 11:20 a.m. | Improving the Nutrient Content of Crops: Steve McMenamin, Owner and Manager of Versailles Farm in Greenwich, CT |
| 11:20 - 11:35 a.m. | Understanding Crop Insurance: Jim Fitzpatrick, Arthur Carroll Insurance Agency |
| 11:40 a.m. - 12:55 p.m. | Lunch; Trade Show; Research Posters; Farmer to Farmer Focus Groups - Topics to include Cut Flowers, Farming Strong: Caring for Our Bodies While We Care for the land, High Tunnels and Season Extension, Managing Pests and Diseases for Vegetable Crops, Non-traditional Wholesale Markets: Food Hubs and Farm-to-School, and On-Farm Composting |
| 1:00 - 1:30 p.m. | Breakout Session I |
| 1:30 - 2:00 p.m. | Afternoon Break for Trade Show and Research Posters |
| 2:05 - 3:10 p.m. | Breakout Sessions II & III |
| 3:15 p.m. | Pesticide Recertification (credit amount pending) and Adjournment. Safe travels! |
*Schedule subject to change.
Breakout Session Topics:
- Automation on the Farm: Keith Bishop, Fifth-generation Owner and CEO of Bishop's Orchards in Guilford, CT
- Management Improvements for High Tunnel Growing: Becky Maden, Vegetable Nutrient Management Specialist and Extension Research Assistant Professor, University of Vermont Extension
- Marketing Strategies for Organic Certified Products: Dave Tschiegg, Organic Outreach Specialist, UConn Extension
- Growing Alliums : Crystal Stewart Courtens, Regional Vegetable Specialist, Cornell Cooperative Extension
- Cut Flower Pest Management: Speaker(s) to be announced
- On Farm Composting: Baylee Drown of Long Table Farm in Lyme, CT and Project Coordinator for UConn Extension's Solid Ground Climate Smart Adaptation Strategies Course for Beginning Farmers
Poster Presentations:
- Plant Parasitic Nematodes of Connecticut - Michelle Salvas
- Management of Major Strawberry Diseases in the Northeastern United States - Becca Syme
- Glyphosate-resistance confirmed in two amaranth species in Connecticut - Ritu Mohanpuria, Ethan Paine, Wei Ren, and Jatinder Aulakh
- Soil-Biodegradable Plastic Mulches: Linking Sustainable Crop Production, Soil Health, and Environmental Resilience - Shuresh Ghimire, Nicole Davidow, Carol Miles, Lisa DeVetter
.... and more!