Vegetable IPM Working Group: Overview

Launched in 2002, the Vegetable IPM Working Group has comprised 15 stakeholders from 7 states, including growers, Extension professionals, researchers, food industry representatives, and agricultural consultants who foster the development and use of IPM as a means to achieve ecological and economic sustainability of vegetable farms in the Northeast. The working group has

• set research and extension priorities for vegetables in the region;
• produced and distributed nearly 10,000 copies of the Northeast Vegetable and Strawberry Pest Identification Guide, a collaborative effort of eight co-editors from six states. The publication has since been incorporated into the New England Vegetable Management Guide;
• awarded 22 grants through the IPM Travel Grants program, disbursing about $13,000 to help educators to attend out-of-region conferences, workshops, and one-on-one mentoring opportunities. At least 5,000 stakeholders were reached through this program;
• in 2008-9, organized and held a meeting of key NRCS personnel, growers, private consultants, and Extension educators to discuss ways to build bridges between IPM and NRCS, with the goal of improving IPM implementation within NRCS programs;
• developed the NRCS/IPM website, which offers tools and checklists to help growers and NRCS to adopt more IPM practices.