Green Works/VNLA Winter Meeting and Trade Show – 2015

By kristinamackulin | December 8, 2014 |

Join us at the UVM-Davis Center

January 27, 2015

Pre-register and Save

Deadline is January 14, 2015!

$15 additional for walk-in registration.

SCHEDULE

8:00 – 9:00 am – Trade Show Registration

8:00 -10:30 am – VCH Exam

9:00 – 10:00 am – Keynote Address w/ Jerry Fritz, is president of Jerry Fritz Garden Design, Inc. and Linden Hill Gardens, located in Ottsville, Pennsylvania.

“Good Design/Better Business”.

Jerry will offer his professional advice on how to successfully run and operate an efficient, profitable design build landscape company. Eye opening ideas that will guarantee to make your company a leader and stand out from your competition.

10:00 – 10:30 am – Visit with Vendors/Trade Show

10:30 – 11:30 am – Green Works Business Meeting – (includes presentation of awards).

11:45am – 12:45 pm – Lunch

CONCURRENT SESSIONS

1:00 – 2:00 pm – “Trade Secrets for Retail Success”

Join Jerry Fritz as he speaks about innovative ways to change your retail operation without breaking the bank. Marketing, communication and yes, display gardens are key. You will leave with many ideas to empower yourself and your staff for the upcoming season.

OR

1:00 – 2:00 pm – “Mini Energy Extravaganza! Keep the Home Fires Burning”

This presentation is in three segments/back-to-back sessions.

Energy Conservation from the Grower’s Perspective w/ Chris Conant; Grower,Claussen’s Florist and Greenhouses: Chris Conant is the largest greenhouse grower in Vermont, with over 40 greenhouses as well as considerable space for outdoor production. He will talk about the energy conservation improvements that he has made and the kind of differences it made in his bottom line. This will include a discussion of the process he took, starting with applying to NRCS to receive an energy audit, considering the costs and benefits, and finally taking action to make the improvements.

Soap Bubble Greenhouse Technology: It isn’t just a Pipe Dream – w/Bruce L. Parker and Donald Tobi, UVM Entomology Research Laboratory: For the past 4 years Bruce Parker and Don Tobi have been conducting research to evaluate energy conservation in plastic hoop/gable greenhouses. Two innovative energy-saving devices–a bubble insulation system and an energy curtain–were retrofitted into greenhouses at the largest greenhouse ornamentals operation in Vermont. They found that around 25% less fuel was used in the greenhouse with a thermal curtain and 30-40% less fuel was used in the house with the bubble insulation system than in the unimproved greenhouse. They will describe the system and show a short video describing the system. They will also share their handout of simple steps growers can take to cut energy use.

What Can USDA do for YOU to Reduce Energy Use! – w/Bob Kort, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service: Lead engineer for USDA NRCS, Bob Kort will describe energy conservation programs that are available to growers to help them reduce energy use in greenhouses and how to apply for these funding opportunities.

OR

1:00 – 2:00 pm – “A Future for Leaf and Yard Waste”

Join Josh Kelly, Environmental Analyst from VT Waste Management and Prevention Division who will provide an overview of Vermont’s Universal Recycling law (Act 148). Universal recycling bans disposal of leaf, yard, and clean wood debris as of July 1, 2016. The law also bans disposal of “baseline” recyclables (metal, glass, plastics #1 & #2, and paper/cardboard) by July 1, 2015 and food scraps in phases starting July 1, 2014 with a full ban in 2020. Josh will be joined by Pat Sagui, Executive Director of the Compost Association of Vermont and two representatives from Chittenden Solid Waste District/Green Mountain Compost. Come for a discussion, Q&A, and to learn about:

how the law will be implemented
the existing composting industry, anaerobic digestion, and what hauling currently looks like for organic materials such as food scraps and leaf and yard debris
what potential business opportunities might be

2:00 – 2:30 pm. – Visit with Vendors/Trade Show

2:30 – 3:30 pm – “Mini Energy Extravaganza! Keep the Home Fires Burning” – – CONTINUED.

OR

2:30 – 3:30 pm – “A Discussion on Pests and Diseases”

Join Tim Schmalz, VT State Pathologist to discuss the pests and diseases that are affecting our industry this upcoming season and what potentially is on the horizon. Learn about the best way to identify problems, best practices to use to avoid problems, and solutions to combat pests and diseases. Earns one (1) pesticide credit.

3:30 – 4:30 pm – Green Works Industry Award Winners Presentation of Projects.

The winners of the 2014 Industry Awards Program will present their winning entries complete with a description of their project and photos.

Brush up on your latin for the annual ID contest and win $100

Parking:

A parking permit and information will be emailed to you one week before the meeting. Parking will be @ Gutterson Garage.

Scroll down to register on-line

Download 2015 Attendee Register Form Here

Speaker Profiles

Jerry Fritz is president of Jerry Fritz Garden Design, Inc. and Linden Hill Gardens, located in Ottsville, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Since founding his garden design company 25 years ago, Jerry has focused on satisfying his clients’ craving for original and innovative concepts and plant material.

Jerry holds a BS in Ornamental Horticulture from Delaware Valley College in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. He is a member of numerous professional organizations, including the Perennial Plant Association, the Hardy Plant Society, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, The New York Botanical Garden, the Royal Horticultural Society, and the American Nursery and Landscape Association. Jerry has provided garden features on the radio and has been a featured guest on Martha Stewart Living.

Today, Jerry and his team of garden professionals are based at Linden Hill, a farmstead that encompasses more than 20 acres. The site is home to greenhouses, barns, a pond and lovely display gardens. Currently, plant events are held on selected weekends throughout the season. Within the next few years, Jerry is planning to expand Linden Hill Gardens into a full service gardeners’ destination point. The bank barn, which is being meticulously renovated, will function as the retail hub, housing a garden gift store, flower shop, café and lecture room.
Chris Conant of Claussen’s Florist and Greenhouses, is the largest greenhouse grower in Vermont, with over 40 greenhouses as well as considerable space for outdoor production. He grew up on a family dairy farm in Richmond, and graduated from Vermont Technical College. He has worked in the horticulture industry for 36 years, and has been the co-owner of Claussen’s Florist and Greenhouses for 31 years, where he has been the recipient of many industry awards. Green Works awarded Chris their Horticultural Achievement award in 2010 and their Environmental Awareness award in 2012. He believes strongly in the value of research to enhance the productivity of the greenhouse industry, and his business has served as a site for many university research projects on pest management and energy conservation. He will talk about the energy conservation improvements that he has made and the kind of differences it made in his bottom line. This will include a discussion of the process he took, starting with applying to NRCS to receive an energy audit, and considering the costs and benefits, and finally taking action to make the improvements.

Bruce L. Parker and Donald Tobi have worked at the University of Vermont for many years. One of their primary areas of interest is forest entomology. They have researched several forest pest issues at UVM, including hemlock woolly adelgid, maple stand biodiversity and root aphids attacking Christmas trees. They have been involved with public awareness of Asian longhorned beetle, hemlock woolly adelgid and elongated hemlock scale. More recently they have conducted research on greenhouse energy efficiency. They specifically tested two conservation systems in double-poly gable greenhouses: one is an experimental system that uses soap bubbles blown between the two layers of poly for insulation, the other is a thermal curtain, which is drawn over the plants at night to hold the heat around the plants. Both systems were compared with an unimproved greenhouse insulating agent.

Bob Kort has been with Vermont Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) for over two decades. He currently serves in a variety of roles, including that of energy coordinator and manager of the Conservation Innovation Grant program. Past responsibilities included watershed planning and urban stormwater management. The NRCS Energy Initiative broadens the opportunities available from the agency for agricultural producers to increase profitability while being good land stewards. Bob will talk about financial support available for agricultural energy management plans (energy audits) and implementation of recommendations in the audits. Although he spends much of his time on a computer these days, Bob enjoys making presentations and looks forward to meeting the audience at the Green Works annual meeting.

Josh Kelly joined the Agency of Natural Resources, Solid Waste Program in July, 2013. Previously, while at the Institute for Sustainable Communities, Josh developed sustainability training workshops for local government officials from across the country. He was also formerly the “Close the Loop” Project Manager at the Highfields Center for Composting, where he worked with solid waste districts, state agencies, haulers, composters, schools and businesses to develop community composting programs around Vermont. For the prior 7 years Josh worked for the Trust for Public Land on a variety of land conservation projects throughout Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Josh has a BS in Environmental Studies and Biology from St. Lawrence University.

Tim Schmaltz has been the VT State Plant Pathologist since October, 2005. Prior to becoming plant pathologist, Tim worked in environmental and groundwater protection as a private consultant in VT, VA, NJ and PA. His education background includes a BA in Geology from Colgate University, an MS (in- progress) in Forest Pathology and a GIS from UVM. His Master’s research focuses on statistical and spatial patterns of butternut canker
disease in VT.

Costs For Full Day Registration – Member/Non-Member Professionals:

To register for this event and make payment online, please use the add to cart buttons below. Please enter the attendee’s name. If you need to register more than 1 person, please add each to the cart individually.

Member Registration $60

Non-Member Registration $70

Additional Attendee Registrations from your company (each) $45

Students Free

Refreshments and Lunch $25 – SOLD OUT

VCH Exam-Member $10

VCH Exam Non-Member $25

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