At Nova Scotia's 2011 organic conference and trade show, David Greenberg presented a workshop on season extension strategies that do not involve the infrastructure of a greenhouse.  (62 mins)

Farmers' Amy Lounder and Tarrah Young introduce the concepts of root cellaring at the 2011 ACORN organic conference and trade show in Halifax, Nova Scotia. (56 mins)

Includes articles on the following:

• To Till or Not To Till?
• Seasonal Food Fix
• @ Issue - Organic Livestock: Chicken or the Grain?
• Organic Profile: Bruce Family Farm
• Crop Storage Featuring UVM Extension Agricultural Engineer, Chris Callahan
• Organic: We Have Standards by Shannon Jones
• Seasonal Price Tracker
• Provincial Updates
• Conference Notes
• ACORN Project Updates

Gerard Thebeau (P.Ag) of the New Brunswick Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture & Fisheries presents at the 2014 ACORN Conference.

View Gerard Thebeau's slideshow presentation here.

Presented by Gail Kern of Summer Garden B & B at the 2015 ACORN Conference PEI

View slideshow here

The Newfoundland Organic Opportunities Conference took place January 13-14, 2016 in St. John's Newfoundland. The event was jointly hosted by ACORN and the Newfoundland Federation of Agriculture, and attended by over 50 people, including stakeholders in government, academia, and the non profit centre. Conference participant Dan Rubin, of Pouch Cove, kindly took notes and shared them with ACORN for distribution. 

During the 2016 growing season ACORN and NBDAAF partnered to plant grafted tomato plants and coloured pepper varieties at multiple farm sites throughout New Brunswick.  The results of the monitoring are outlined in this report written by Claude Berthélémé - NB Organic and Vegetable Specialist.

In this session from the 2013 ACORN Conference in Moncton, Paul and Sandy Arnold discuss their management practices of high tunnels for early and late season production as well as over the winter. They started with one high tunnel, but seeing the pay-off quickly increased the number. High tunnels can allow for excellent production throughout the year; however, they require more management and infrastructure, and call on the grower to be an excellent marketer and record-keeper.

In this session from the 2013 ACORN Conference in Moncton, Paul and Sandy Arnold discussed their approach to season extension including storage, cellaring, and the use of low tunnels. They grow a variety of crops to store and sell over the winter months and have tailored their on-farm infrastructure to support these endeavors. Included in the presentation slideshow is detailed information of curing and storage requirement for the crops they find store, and sell well, over the winter.

Presentation from the 2013 ACORN Conference in Moncton. Paul and Sandy Arnold own and operate Pleasant Valley Farm in Argyle, New York. The farm is a mixed fruit and vegetable operation that provides local farmers’ markets with fresh produce year round. Pleasant Valley Farm is 180 acres in total, with 7 acres in vegetable and fruit production. This session focuses on simple record keeping and marketing strategies that boost the profitability of small-scale farming operations.

In this session from the 2013 ACORN Conference in Moncton, Norm Hunter (Open Sky Cooperative, NB), Patrice Finnigan (M. Tomate, NB) and Jean-Pierre Privé (Plant Medic Inc., NB) discussed their personal approaches to season extension and the techniques they use. Included in this discussion are the use of movable (siding) greenhouses, large greenhouses using container growing systems and the complimentary use of row covers, rain shelters and field tunnels. Together they have a wealth of growing experience and all approach the question of season extension differently.

In this session from the 2013 ACORN Conference in Moncton, Jean-Pierre Prive discussed season extension techniques using various protected structures including high and low tunnels, row covers and rain covers, as well as cultural practices and cultivar selection for raspberries. He compared the Maritimes to BC, which traditionally produces an abundance of this crop. Through his talk he frequently reminded the audience to cultivate the scientific mindset and to always experiment, test, and adjust growing techniques and practices, as well as varieties selected.

Notes from consulations with organic greenhouse vegetable producers (Rainbow Harvest Acres, Walker Produce Farm, Ferme Pouce Vert, Jemseg River Farm, Codiac Organic Ltd., Strawberry Hill Farm, Nature’s Route, and Diddley Squash Farm) throughout New Brunswick in 2016, with detailed information on best practices for producing tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers in greenhouses. Special focus on heating, pollination, pruning. varietial choices and disease issues.

Having both grown up in the city, Bryan Dyck and Shannon Jones of BroadFork Farm came to realize that their vision of farming included a desire to homestead. Their favorite way to preserve their harvests is through lacto-fermentation. At the 2016 Homesteading Symposium in Dieppe, they presented 3 styles of lacto-fermented vegetables: kimchi, sauerkraut and pickle.

At the 2016 Homesteading Symposium in Moncton, NB, Robin and Rebecca LeBlanc share their many methods of preserving their harvest. Together they explain how they store summer’s bounty and give insight to where certain crops should be stored.

Robin and Rebecca LeBlanc met in Moncton and later moved to Bathurst, where they have been homesteading since now joined with their 3 children. At the 2016 Homesteading Symposium in Moncton, they offered insight of their experiences living off the land including the making of their cob oven, maintaining the green house and poultry, and mushroom logs. The LeBlanc’s strive to balance both their careers as teachers and musicians, and as a result prefer to do large batches of their preserves and dairy in order to have quick access to their bounty year long. Every July they leave their homestead in the hands of a neighbor and are full time musicians for the month.

At the 2016 Homesteading Symposium in Moncton, Alyson Chisholm of Windy Hill Farm explained what options there are for extending your garden’s season and maintaining a continuous harvest.

Martine Dorais presents at the 2016 ACORN Conference.

Martine Dorais presents at the 2016 ACORN Conference.

Philippe-Antoine Taillon presents at the 2016 ACORN Conference.

View the accompanying slideshow presentation here.

Philippe-Antoine Taillon presents at the 2016 ACORN Conference.

View the accompanying slideshow presentation here.

David Cohlmeyer 2012 workshop