Cana Orchard Field Day

Monday, June 15 we held a field day in Cana, VA for fruit tree growers. The day began with orchard tours at three orchards. We were pleased to have special guest speakers from the entomology department at Virginia Tech in attendance who discussed insect control, including dealing with the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug and Spotted Wing Drosophila. Growers were able to ask questions and get new information while also enjoying fellowship with one another. Representatives from BASF Chemical company were also with us, and they were able to talk with the growers about new products available.

There were approximately twenty people in attendance. We would have liked for there to have been more, but we were a bit late on getting the event advertised. I am learning a lot about how to plan events.

Lunch was to be provided for everyone at the conclusion of the tours. One problem was that we forgot to specify who was in charge of getting the lunch. Thankfully we were able to get one of the grower's sisters to run out and pick up the lunch for everyone. There is so much that goes into planning an event, it is sometimes easy to forget things! We ended up enjoying a great lunch of fried chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes, rolls, and peach cobbler thanks to the Hungry Farmer Restaurant in Cana, VA and to W.O. Hill and Son who sponsored it.

The only downside to the event was the temperature on Monday. It was almost unbearably hot! The high for the afternoon was in the 90's, along with full sun and practically no wind. Needless to say, everyone took plenty of water breaks and we tried to minimize the amount of time in the sun as much as we could. Despite the heat, we were all at least glad that it was not raining that day. Everyone seemed to have a good time and gain some good information from the tours and the entomologists. I'd say the event was a success!

I am learning so much through this internship. Each day I try to soak up everything that I can. I especially appreciate events like this one that introduce me to the sectors of agriculture that I have no previous exposure to. Growing up on a vegetable farm, fruit trees are not something I know much about. Suzanne did her masters on fruit tree diseases, particularly fire blight. She is very knowledgeable and is always there to answer any questions I have. She also asks me questions and picks my brain. I like that, because it forces me to go back and think about things I have learned in school. It allows me to use that information in real world situations.