Monday, August 13, 2012

Late Blight Alert and Workshop Announcement

Eastern Connecticut has seen a few occurrences of late blight so far this year, so we want to provide you with some resources to stay on top of this seasonally emerging problem.  It's important to remember that late blight is not like other crop pathogens that affect leaves and stems but not necessarily fruit.  Late blight can affect all parts of the plant, including fruit, and can spread rapidly, rendering an entire crop unmarketable and inedible relatively quickly.

Cornell University has some great resources on late blight, including images you can use to identify the pathogen, and ways to prevent its spread through your garden or farm.  Additionally, the UConn Extension offers organic management options when dealing with the disease.  Late blight is a serious problem, but it is possible in many cases to prevent or mitigate crop losses from the disease.

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On a more delicious note, it is now getting closer to September, which means our cheese making workshop is coming up!  Beltane Farm in Lebanon, where the workshop will be held, was featured today on the Colin McEnroe show on WNPR.  To learn more about our workshop and register, go to http://ctnofa.org/events/OnFarmWorkshops/2012CheeseMakingWorkshop.html  Sign up today and get ready to make your own cheese on September 10!

Here's to an excellent harvest this season!
-Melissa

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