Calendar of Events

This page chronicles our past efforts, continuing projects, and future projections

Highlights

• The Idea: Start a small commercial blueberry operation
  Spring/Summer 2008
  Following an excavation project that created a triangle plot between two lanes, I decided to use that plot to grow blueberries
• Writing a Sabbatical Proposal for EMU
  August 2008
  I was due for a sabbatical from teaching at EMU for the 2009-2010 academic year and created a three part proposal.  The third portion of that proposal included "Creating Conditions for an Organic Blueberry Operation" on our farm at Knoll Acres.
• Writing A USDA Specialty Grant Proposal
  September 2008
  The USDA Specialty Agriculture Grant Proposal was submitted to State of Virginia Department of Agriculture, Specialty Block Grant Program and requested $23,000  for "Creating Conditions for a Small Sustainable Commercial Organic Blueberry Operation."
• Initial Project Design
  September 2008
  Laid out the blueberry rows, cultivated the ground, took soil samples, picked up rocks, applied sulfur to lower pH, and sowed the rye cover crop on the rows.
• Sabbatical Project Approved
  October 2008
  EMU approved sabbatical proposal including the third related to "Creating Conditions for an Organic Blueberry Project"
• USDA Revised Grant Proposal Funded
  February/March 2009
  Followed through with request to modify grant proposal; received notiification that revised proposal was funded for a total of $18,666 over a two-year period.
• Spring Plot and Soil Work
  April 2009
  Mowed rows, initially cultivated rows, & took soil samples.  Wet weather prevented working with the soil very much.
• Early Summer Plot and Soil Work
  June 2009
  Added compost (Horse manure, sheep manure, pine needles, and "PLanter's Choice Compost") to selected rows; tilled in the compost,  and picked up rocks..
• Mid-Summer Plot and Soil Work
  July 2009
  Added organic soil amendments to the rows (Azomite, Blood Meal, Fish Meal, Rock Phosphate, Green Sand, Holly Tone, and Peat Moss) to enhance the soil vitality.  Tilled in the amendments with a chisel plow and picked up rocks.  With Jeremiah Vallotton constructed raised bed borders for a portion of the organic rows.
• Blueberry Soil Projects for Summer Bridge Students
  July/August 2009
  Seven Summer Bridge Students (a program funded by an NSF-STEM grant) compared organic blueberry soil plots.  The students did in field soil quality tests, took soil samples, and conducted elemental analysis on the soil samples in the laboratory.  Final reports due in September.
• Fall Plot and Soil Work
  August/September 2009
  Tilled and weeded the blueberry rows with the Mantis Tiller; pulled some large weeds; picked up rocks.  Added a second treatment of compost to selected blueberry rows (Horse manure/sawdust, Sheep manure/hay, pine straw, and "Planter's Choice").  Added another treatment of sulfur to lower pH
• Soil Sampling: In-Field Testing
  November 3, 2009
  Aly Zimmerman and Caitlyn Suttles (EMU work-study students) measured soil quality via in-field tests (respiration and infiltration) on each compost treatment plot.  They took three soil sample readings.
• Soil Sampling: Field Samples
  November 4, 2009
  Aly took two soil samples from each row for laboratory analysis of elemental components including humus.  I took one composite soil sample from each different compost treatment plot (Organic Horse Manure & Sawdust; Organic Sheep Manure & Hay; Organic Pine Needle, Organic Planter's Choice Mulch, and Traditional Horse Manure & Sawdust) and sent them to Virginia Cooperative Extension Soil Service at Virginia Tech for analysis.
• Soil Sampling: Laboratory Testing
  November 4-11, 2009
  Aly Zimmerman completed the initial USDA soil tests on the various treatment plots (three values per plot) using the USDA methodology.  Data from this testing series include: pH, Electroconductivity test, and Nitrate test.  These data will be posted on the Soil Science section of this website before December 1.
• Soil Sampling: Laboratory Testing
  November 16-December 11, 2009
  Aly Zimmerman and Caitlyn Suttles worked on the LaMotte testing series for six soil samples from each experimental plot (30 samples).  The LaMotte testing series quantifies the following 15 soil characteristics: nitrate nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, aluminum, sulfates, ammonia nitrogen, nitrate, nitrogen, chlorides, ferric iron, calcium, humus, and pH.
  Jeremiah Vallotton is using a different procedure to measure pH and organic content.  He will do an extraction procedure to analyze the levels of copper, zinc, iron, and magnesium using atomic absorption.
• Planting Cultivars
  Late November/Early December 2009
  Five different cultivars were planted in the various soil treatment plots.  These are bare rooted plants: Duke, Blue Crop and Jersey (ordered from Finch's Blueberries) and Chandler and Bluegold (ordered from Miller's Nurseries).  Miller's Nurseries arrived November 25th and were all planted by the following day. The cultivars from Finch's Nursery arrived on Dec 3 and were all planted by the end of the following day.
• Mulching Cultivars
  Early December 2009
  Mulched blueberry rows with a 3 inch layer of shredded pine bark mulch.  Row width was 3 feet.  The two pine needle rows were mulched with pine needles instead of shredded pine mark mulch.  The organic row sections (parts of rows A-H) that will be deep mulched (10-12 inches thick) will be completed in early spring.
• Foliar Assay
  October - December 2009
  Allison Glick worked on developing a method to analyze macro- and micronutrients in leaves using atomic absorption.
• Mouse Blueberry Consumption Pilot Project
  January-April 2010
  With the assistance of David Jantzi we initiated a pilot project to assess mouse consumption of blueberries, dietary responses, and uptake of anthocyanins from blueberry diets.  See the Project Design Section for further details and early results.
• Spring Soil Analysis
  April 2010
  Jeremiah Vallotton took soil samples for analysis to determine and compare the effects of the soil amendment treatments.  Portions of selected samples (one from each plot) were sent to Virginia Tech Soil Testing Lab.  David Jantzi is completing some in field soil tests -- mainly respiration, temperature, and pH
• Initiate Installation of Drip Irrigation System
  April 2010
  Install drain connection from water storage tank; install two feeder hose lines.
• Student Presentations at Virginia Academy of Sciences
  May 21, 2010
      Allison Glick: "Foliar analysis for micronutrients using atomic absorption"
      Jeremiah Vallotton "Blueberry soil analysis of different soil amendmentt treatment plots"

• Spring/Summer Cultivar Growth and VIgor Analysis
  May/June 2010
  Analyze plant growth by directly measuring each plant: 

(a) plant growth characteristics such as height & width (calculate volume of cylinder),
(b) number of primary stalks, number of secondary stalks on selected primary stalk,
(c) diameters of selected primary stalk.
(d) leaf density

Analyze plant vigor by measuring selected plants (Jersey and Blue Crop)

(a) photosynthesis rate
(b) transpiration rate

Data gathering and synthesis by Braydon Hoover and Denay Fuglie

• Complete Installation of Drip Irrigation System
  May/June 2010
  Completed row lines with drip emiters in the organic plots; then installed the entire system in the conventional plot.
• Installed Perimeter Posts for Bird Netting System
  July 2010
  Used 10' squared black locust posts acquired from Dayton Lumber Mill; hired person to dig post holes; placed a post at each end of the Organic rows (A-M) and each end of Conventional rows (B-D).  Used 1.5 bags of QuickCrete for each hole and then covered with tamped dirt.  (Organic row N and Conventional Row A will be covered with plastic conduit frames.)  Netting system will be installed in May 2011.
• Fall Cultivar Growth parameters
  September/October 2010
  Re-measured direct plant growth parameters and calculate growth rates
• Sampling for Subsequent Foliar Analysis
  October 2010
  Harvested several top canopy leaves from each plant for subseqent foliar analysis.  Freeze leaves.
• Sampling for Subsequent Soil Analysis
  October 2010
  Took multiple soil samples from each treatment plot for analysis of macro- and micronutrient content.  Completed field soil quality measures--soil respiration.
• Completed Analysis of Pathology in Selected Blueberry Plants
  November 2010
  Based in consultation information from Virginia Tech and Michigan State University concluded that the yellowing and defoliation in selected blueberry plants was not due to root rot but rather a consequence of ultra-high nutrient in the manure compost.
• Student Research Presentations at EMU
  December 2010
  Denay Fuglie and Braydon Hoover, EMU undergraduate research students, presented a seminar presentation on "Optimal Growth Conditions across Organic Blueberry Cultivars and Soil Treatments." This presentation focused on the plant vigor data these students obtain during 2010.
  
• Experimental Approaches to Sustainable Blueberry Production
  January 15, 2011
  Invited presentation by Roman Miller at Future Harvest CASA 12 Annual Conference, Reisterstown, Maryland.
• Research Project Initiation - Foliar Analysis
  January/May 2011
  Travis Reisen and Jonathan Fretz begin research experience on blueberries at EMU.  Focus on various aspects of foliar analysis to monitor major macro- and micro-nutrients.
• Publication in Process
  March/July2011
  Working with Denay and Braydon to prepare a manuscript which reports on plant growth & vigor data combined with selected soil parameter data.  Paper focus is on sustainable agriculture techniques that enhance organic blueberry production.  Report on effects of soil treatments and cultivar selection.  Goal is to submit this for publication by the end of July.
• Bird Netting Framework
  April/May 2011
  Completed the erection of ten foot locust posts at the ends of each row.
• Bird Netting Support Wires
  June 2011
  Eelected to install Dura-Line from Dubois Agrinovation between end of row posts.  Worked with Elva and Zoya to put up the wire, stretch it (3-4%) with a come-along and then tie off each row.  Now I have overhead wires (7 feet high) above the center of each row. Decided to purchase the Smart-Net systems insect netting.  However the netting did not arrive until early July and so decided to save the netting and put it up next year when the crop would be bigger.
• Blueberry Harvest
  June/July 2011
  First blueberry harvest:  measured and recorded production and analyze soil treatment and cultivar effectiveness on influencing productivity.

Upcoming/In Progress Events

• Manuscript Preparation
  January 2012
  Prepare and submit a non-technical article on soils, cultivars, and organic techniques for a trade magazine.
  
• Research Project Initiation
  August/September 2011
  I need to solicit another student to continue the plant vigor research initiated by Fuglie and Hoover in 2010.
• Plant Vigor Measures
  August 2011
  Work with Steve Cessna to measure photosynthesis, transpiration, and leaf densities for each plant.
  
• Plant Growth Measures
  August/September 2011
  Complete direct plant growth measures on each plant.

Related resources

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Significant Meetings/Conferences

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• Virginia Academy of Sciences Annual Meeting, May 20-22, 2010 at James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA

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• 2010 Virginia Biological Conference, February 19-20, 2010 @ Institute for Advanced Learning, Danville, VA Virginia Association for Biological Farming

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• SE Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference 2010 with a Blueberry Conference included. Conference Website
  January 7-10, 2010 at Savannah, Georgia
  

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• Future Harvest, 12th Annual Conference, January 14-15, 2011. Conference Website
  at Pearlstone Center and Kayam Farm,  Reisterstown, Maryland
  

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