VegNet Vol. 13, No. 1. January 5, 2006
Ohio State University Extension Vegetable Crops
On the WEB at:  http://vegnet.osu.edu
If experiencing problems receiving this fax, Call 614-292-3857

 

In This Issue
1.
Calendar

2. 2006 Grorwers Congress Highlights

3. Human Resource Issues. The MAAHS conference is being held in conjunction with the Growers Congress

4. Some 2005 Research Reports Now Available

5. Human Resource Managers' Forum

 

Calendar (adapted from the ICM News)

January 5-6 Muck Crops School, Moose Lodg, U.S. Route 224, Willard, OH. Jan. 5 9 AM – 3:30 PM, Friday 8:30 AM -2:30 PM. Contact Huron County extension: 419-668-8219


January 16-18, 2006: Ohio Fruit and Vegetable Congress and Ohio Direct Marketing Conference, Columbus, OH. Go to <http://www.ohiofruit.org/>

January 16, 2006 Mid American Ag and Hort Human Resource Conference along with its 5th Annual Meeting at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Ohio (see more information below)


January 23-25,
Indiana Horticultural Congress, Adams Mark Hotel Airport, Indianapolis IN Contact: Peter Hirst, 765-494-1323; <hirst@hort.purdue.edu>
 
January 31-February 2, Mid-Atlantic Fruit & Vegetable Convention, Hershey Lodge & Convention Center, Hershey PA Contact: Maureen Irvin, 717-677-4184; More information is available at <http://www.pvga.org/conv.htm>
                                                                                

February 7, 2006. Human Resource Managers' Forum at the Franklin County Farm Bureau office in Hilliard, Ohio from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Contact MAAHS at 614-246-8286, maahs@ofbf.org or www.midamservices.org (click on "Events") for more information.


February 15-16, Ontario Fruit & Vegetable Convention at
Brock University campus in St. Catharines, Ontario. For more information, call 1-800-387-3276
 
February 22-25, Mid Atlantic Direct Marketing Conference. This year's 4 day event is being hosted near
Reading, PA.  For those interested - additional info can be found at <www.madmc.com>

 

 

 

2006 Growers Congress Highlights!

 

WORKSHOPS:

Season Extension Workshop

Industry leaders from our region and recognized academic experts will provide key information on crop season extension forged by first-hand experience.

Using a grower panel and targeted presentations, this informal, information packed workshop will help all participants lengthen vegetable production and marketing windows while minimizing pest and disease problems.

Panel: Bill Fulton, Steve, Groff, Bill, Lamont, Lisa Schacht, James Schlabach

Cover Crops Workshop

Benefits and Challenges of Cover Cropping: Recent Research Experience in Ohio

The use of cover crops and reduced tillage systems are difficult but increasingly popular on vegetable farms. The Cover Crops Workshop will integrate decades-long, first-hand experience of farmers and research and extension professionals. Rafiq Islam will present an overview of new cover cropping techniques and will present OSU research on how to use cover crops in vegetables to improve fertility, reduce disease pressure, increase weed control, and overall soil health.

Rafiq Islam

 

No-Till Cover Crops Panel with Emphasis on Pumpkins

The grower panel will shed light on cover crops, techniques, and machinery and equipment that can help reduce weed, disease and crop quality problems and maintain soil quality.

John Branstrator, Steve Groff, Frank Louws, Ed Perkins

 

Organic/Sustainable Farming Workshop

 

Vegetable Educational Sessions

Sweet Corn: varieties, no-till production, cover crops, and Insecticide resistance.

Potatoes: deep tillage, fungicide trials, fertility management and marketing.

Peppers: CMV, corn borer preference.

Pumpkins: varieties, efficacy and cost of fungicide programs, seed treatments or injectors for cuke beetle control.

Veggie-Agronomic: Soybean rust and veggies, Interpreting soil tests, managing weed resistance.

Tomatoes: Plastic vs drip vs bare ground, varieties, season extension, bacterial and fungus disease control.

Cucumbers: specialists as cucumber growers

Vegetable Roundtable

In the Trade Show: OSU Diagnostics and Research Center

For detailed program information go to:

http://www.ohiofruit.org/ofgs/ofgswebengine.nsf/$lookuppageid/KLUZ-6BWK8A/?OpenDocument

or contact Tom Sachs at 614-246-8292 or email:tsachs@ofbf.org

 

Conference to Address Human Resource Issues in Ag and Hort Industry
COLUMBUS -- Agricultural and horticultural employers will have an opportunity to hear from human resource experts during a new conference sponsored by Mid American Ag and Hort Services (MAAHS).  
The organization is holding its first ever Mid American Ag and Hort Human Resource Conference along with its 5th Annual Meeting.  The conference, presented in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Risk Management Agency, will be held
Jan. 16, 2006 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Ohio. It will cover topics such as worker safety, labor compliance and worker productivity.
"People are the most important resource of agricultural and horticultural businesses," said John Wargowsky, MAAHS executive director.  "Whether you are a top manager, human resource manager, middle manager or working leader/supervisor, this conference will help you more effectively work with the people in your business."
Wargowsky said the program features speakers that know human resource issues and understand agricultural and horticultural businesses.  A bonus session for fruit and vegetable growers, packers and shippers will be held in the evening.

 

Presentations include the following.
9:00-11:00 AM - Using Orientation and Training of Employees to Improve Ag and Hort Worker Safety - Bernie Erven of Erven HR Services, LLC
11:10-11:45 AM - What’s New with Labor Compliance? – John Wargowsky, Executive Director, Mid American Ag and Hort Services, Inc.
9:00-11:30 AM – Understanding the Dimensions of Culture: Learning to Relate to Hispanic Employees - Thomas Maloney, Senior Extension Associate, Cornell University
12:00-1:30 PM – Mid American Ag and Hort Services, Inc. Fifth Annual Meeting and Luncheon – Mike Adolph, President and John Wargowsky, Executive Director
1:45-4:30 PM - New Supervisor Workshop – Bernie Erven of Erven HR Services, LLC
1:45-3:15 PM – Aligning Your Human Resource Strategies – Cheryl R. Basinger, Competitive Edge HR
3:30-4:30 PM – Factors Affecting Employee Productivity – Thomas Maloney, Senior Extension Associate, Cornell University
6:00-9:00 PM – Water Quality and Produce Food Safety –
Trevor Suslow, Extension Postharvest Specialist and Affiliate Scientist, Western Institute for Food Safety and Security, University of California and Shari Plimpton, Program Manager of Industry Outreach, Center for Innovative Food Technology

The MAAHS conference is being held in conjunction with the Ohio Fruit and Vegetable Growers Congress and Ohio Direct Agricultural Marketing Conference, which runs January 16 to 18. Members of MAAHS, Ohio Fruit Growers Society, Ohio Vegetable and Potato Growers Society and Ohio Direct Agricultural Marketing Association are entitled to member pricing for the combined conference.  Fees start as low as $45 for members who register by Jan. 4.
Those wanting to attend the human resource conference and/or the water quality and produce safety workshop only should register with MAAHS at www.midamservices.org, maahs@ofbf.org or 614-246-8286. To register for multiple days of the combined conference visit www.ohiofruit.org or call 614-246-8292.
Contact: John Wargowsky, email: jwargows@ofbf.org  ===  http://www.midamservices.org
PO Box 182383, Columbus, OH 43218-2383, (614) 246-8286 - voice, (614) 246-8686 - fax

 

Some 2005 Research Reports Now Available

More to Come

The following reports are available on line:

2005 Sweet Corn Disease Resistance Ratings

The following are latest reports from Dr. Jerald Pataky's work at the Univ. of IL on reactions of sweet corn to common diseases. The 2005 disease nursery report presents ONLY the results from the trials this year. The hybrid summary report which lists hybrid reactions based on trials from 1984 to 2005 will be posted on the web site within the next 4 weeks as up-dated lists of available hybrids are returned from the respective seed companies and data from 2005 trials are merged with previous data.

·  2005 Disease Nursery Report (PDF File)

·  Click Here to go to the IL website to get The hybrid summary report which lists hybrid reactions based on trials from 1984 to 2005


Copies can be emailed to you or you can receive a hard copy. E-mail: Bob Precheur

 

 

 

Human Resource Managers' Forum Will Feature New Supervisor Training Programs and Background Checking Essentials

Do you have ag or hort human resource (HR) responsibilities? Would you like to interact with ag and hort HR people from across the state? Would you benefit from knowing how other HR people tackle some of the same problems you face? Do you face some tough HR problems that occur over and over?
Mid American Ag and Hort Services (MAAHS) is pleased to announce the fourth Ohio Ag and Hort Human Resource Managers' Forum for people who answered yes to one or more of these questions. This forum is presented in partnership with the
United State's Department of Agriculture's Risk Management Agency.
The Forum will be held Tuesday, February 7 at the
Franklin County Farm Bureau office in Hilliard, Ohio from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. This opportunity will provide a forum for fostering professional development and advancing effective human resource practices for human resource managers in agricultural and horticultural businesses.

The featured topic at the Forum will be "Implementing New Supervisor Training," presented by Bernie Erven of Erven HR Services LLC. Erven has 35 years of experience in teaching, extension and research focusing on employee management and family business relations.
In the afternoon, Cheryl Basinger with Competitive Edge HR will address "Background Checking and Reference Checking Essentials." Basinger has a 25-year track record of success in diverse assignments in human resources, sales and marketing.
John Wargowsky will address building future human resource management capacity in ag and hort businesses through future MAAHS program. Wargowsky serves as executive director of MAAHS, a membership organization dedicated to creating widespread human resource management strengths in Mid American agricultural and horticultural businesses.
The program will include opportunities for open discussion and networking opportunities for those with human resource responsibilities in ag and hort businesses.

The registration fee of $50 for MAAHS members and $70 for non-MAAHS members includes lunch and materials. Participation in the Forum is limited to the first 40 registrants and reservations are requested by January 31. Contact MAAHS at 614-246-8286, maahs@ofbf.org or www.midamservices.org (click on "Events") for more information.