Farm and Market Report Extras

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1 Farm and Market Report Extras Emerald Ash Borer Discovered in Worcester County Statewide Agricultural Fairs Judging Workshops/Meetings Annual Dairy Outlook Webinar CISA to Hold a Workshop Series Boston Public Market Names Cheryl Cronin as New CEO Winter Market in South Weymouth Seeks Vendors 2016 Massachusetts Agriculture Calendar Emerald Ash Borer Discovered in Worcester County As you may have read in the news last month, state officials from the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) recently confirmed the presence of Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) in the city of Worcester, MA. EAB is a small, metallic green beetle, native to Asia, which feeds on ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) and white fringe tree (Chionanthus virginicus). This pest can kill a tree quickly, within just 3 to 5 years, because it bores directly under the bark and disrupts the tree's conductive system. It has now spread throughout 25 states, killing millions of ash trees and causing billions of dollars in treatment, removal and replacement costs. In late November, four infested trees were found by crews in Worcester that were checking trees for another invasive pest, the Asian Longhorned Beetle. With EAB already in Berkshire and Essex Counties, the arrival of this pest in the central part of Massachusetts is not unexpected. But while the confirmation of EAB in Worcester is not cause for alarm, it is an invasive pest and it does require communities to alter the way they are managing forests and street trees in order to deal with the pending loss of ash. Although eradication of EAB is not feasible, slowing its spread allows communities to prepare in advance and make the best decisions about how to manage ash trees before they are impacted. To prevent the inadvertent spread of forest pests like EAB, avoid moving untreated firewood long distances. Instead, find local and trusted firewood suppliers, or purchase firewood that is certified as treated.

2 With this new find in Worcester, MA, it is important to recognize that although the statewide emerald ash borer quarantine allows ash and firewood to be moved throughout the state, ash remains a host for Asian Longhorned Beetle. Therefore no ash products or firewood can be moved from within the 110 square mile regulated area encompassing Worcester, Boylston, West Boylston, Shrewsbury, and parts of Holden and Auburn. Today, January 6 th, the Forest Pest Task Force will be holding an EAB Preparedness Forum for municipalities, land trusts, and tree wardens to learn more about what they should be doing to prepare for the arrival of EAB. To inquire about future meetings, please contact Felicia Bakaj at Felicia.Bakaj@state.ma.us. Helpful Resources: General EAB info: To report a possible EAB Sighting in Massachusetts: Statewide Agricultural Fairs Judging Workshops/Meetings The Department of Agricultural Resources is pleased to present three Agricultural Fair Judging Workshops this winter to be held in the western, eastern and northeastern area of the State. In order to be a Certified Judge for Fruits, Vegetables, Canning and Community/ Grange Exhibits, a judge candidate needs to attend instructional training as well as take a test based on the information presented at instructional training. Information covered is based on the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Agricultural Fairs Blue Book. To become a Class One Certified Judge, the judge candidate will be required to pass the test with a score of 80% or higher. To become a Class Two Certified Judge, the judge candidate will be required to pass the test with a score of 80% or higher as well as mentor a Massachusetts Certified Agricultural Fair Judge(s) to at least 3 agricultural fairs held in Massachusetts within the next 18 month from the date of passing the test. To Register: Contact Mary Jordan at MA Department of Agricultural Resources, fax or registration form to Mary Jordan, fax: or Mary.Jordan@state.ma.us. Deadline for registering is the Wednesday prior to the Saturday meeting location. In case of cancellation the workshop will be made up on the following Sunday. Meeting Locations: Saturday, January 30 Northeast MA: Topsfield Fairgrounds, Coolidge hall, Route 1 in Topsfield (Snow date February 7) Saturday, February 6 Southeastern MA: Barnstable Fair Grounds, Main building, 1220 Nathan Ellis Hwy, East Falmouth (Snow date: February 14)

3 Saturday, February 27 Western MA: Eastern States Exposition Fairgrounds, Young Building conference room, 1305 Memorial Avenue, West Springfield (No snow date) Registration and details here. Annual Dairy Outlook Webinar Northeast dairy producers are invited to participate in the annual dairy outlook webinar being hosted by Farm Credit East on Friday, January 15, at 12:00 noon. This webinar will look at the year ahead and what s coming in dairy economics, policies and regulations. Participation is free. and Events/News/ DairyOutlookWebinar.aspx To register to attend: CISA to Hold a Workshop Series Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) will hold a ten workshop series on Reducing Risk & Increasing Profitability with Sound Decision Making starting this month. These workshops will provide tools for and examples of building decision making into the cycles of farm life to improve long term profitability and sustainability. Participation in the whole series is encouraged, and to be eligible for free one on one consultative support, you must attend three workshops and be a cohort meeting participant. Dinner will be served at each session. Complete details here. Boston Public Market Names Cheryl Cronin as New CEO The Boston Public Market today announced that it has chosen Cheryl Cronin as the new CEO of the city s locally sourced market the only market of its kind in the country. A longtime Boston resident and prominent local leader with decades of experience as a manager of and advocate for numerous high profile complex civic issues, Cronin will join the Market as it continues to build on its highly successful opening. Cheryl Cronin has been a leader in numerous business and nonprofit organizations, with a particular interest in those efforts that bring vitality to Boston s civic life. She has served on the boards of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, the Greenway Conservancy, the University of Massachusetts Amherst Foundation, the Alliance for Business Leadership and the

4 Board of the National Center for Time & Learning/Mass She currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the Boston Public Library, and on the Board of Sail Boston, which is working with Mayor Walsh to bring the Tall Ships to Boston in Complete release here. Winter Market in South Weymouth Seeks Vendors Saturdays, 11:00 am 2:00 pm, at SouthField Retail Space, 210 Trotter Road, South Weymouth, February 6 to March 19. Contact Nicole Wooster for an application and more information, or nicole@lolagraceevents.com Massachusetts Agriculture Calendar Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom (MAC) has produced the 2016 Celebrating the Seasons of Massachusetts Agriculture Calendar in collaboration with MDAR. It features photographs from winners from the 2015 Photo Contest. Each month includes a selected winning photograph depicting the beauty and diversity of agriculture and horticulture in Massachusetts, along with monthly Fun Facts and Teaching Tips. Winning photos are also featured on MDAR s homepage. Thanks to sponsors featured throughout the calendar: MA Farm Bureau, Alpha Tau Gamma (new sponsor), MA Maple Producers Association, MA State Grange, MA Flower Growers Association, MA Dairy Promo Board, MA Fairs Association, MA Fruit Growers Association, Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association, and the MA Christmas Tree Association. Photograph winners include: January Ashleigh Plante, West Tisbury February Becky Prior, Watertown March Debra LeRay, Sweetwater Sugarhouse, Royalston April Mary Albis, West Harwich May Nicolas Hyacinthe, Randolph June David Cawston, West Roxbury July/Cover Robert Magina, Plainville July Peg Mallett, Wayland August Jeff Forte September Peg Mallett, Wayland October Brian Wick, Plympton November Elliot Gilfix, Acton December Sara Davagian, Worcester

5 Honorable Mentions (also featured in the calendar): Shelley Baker, Baker Farm, Swansea; Becky Prior, Watertown; Meghan Noonan, Hinsdale; Peg Mallett, Wayland; Jeff Pudlinski, Litchfield, CT; Terence Cripps, Fairhaven; Renee Finnegan, Rutland; Tiffany Howe, Misty River View Farm, New Braintree; Juan Sebastian Palafox, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, México; Sara Davagian, Worcester. Support MAC s mission with a purchase of this unique Massachusetts calendar here. They make great gifts for friends and teachers! More Events and Workshops January 14 Build Sound Financial Systems to Improve Business Decisions Union Station, 2nd Floor, Worcester January 16 NOFA Winter Conference Worcester State University January 21 MA Cheese Guild Annual Meeting Amherst January 30 Connecticut Valley AgCom Roundtable Smith Vocational School, Northampton February 2 Winter Flower Growers Program Cavicchio Greenhouses, Sudbury MA March 12 4th Annual Massachusetts Urban Farming Conference Northeastern University Curry Student Center, Boston April 5 Massachusetts Agriculture Day at the Statehouse Boston, MA MDAR s mission is to ensure the long term viability of agriculture in Massachusetts. Through its four divisions Agricultural Conservation & Technical Assistance, Agricultural Markets, Animal Health, and Crop and Pest Services MDAR strives to support, regulate and enhance the rich diversity of the Commonwealth s agricultural community to promote economically and environmentally sound food safety and animal health measures, and fulfill agriculture s role in energy conservation and production. For more information, visit MDAR s website at mass.gov/agr, and follow at twitter.com/mdarcommish.