New Hampshire-Vermont Christmas Tree Association January 2018 Special points of interest: Winter Meeting at Vermont Farm Show The Winter meeting of the Trading Post NHVTCTA will be held on WANTED: Tree baler wanted. Tuesday, Jan. 30, at the Cham- Need a 14-inch round metal plain Valley Fairgrounds in Es- baler. An Internet search does sex Jct., Vermont, in conjunc- not show any currently manu- tion with the Vermont Farm factured. Do not want a hex- Show. Also, don’t forget to agonal fiberglas unit. My welder bring a tree and/or wreath works fine, so one in need of to enter in the Vermont repair is OK. Contact Russell Farm Show competition. It Reay, [email protected] is good exposure for the indus- or call 802-492-3323. try as a whole and a good mar- keting opportunity for individ- ual farms! Upcoming Meetings The agenda includes the The Summer 2018 meeting will be annual group discussion of the at the NH State Nursery in past sales season for choose- Boscawen on Saturday, June 23. and-cut, retail and wholesale. afternoon session will include a The Vermont Secretary of talk about the ins and outs of Agriculture had hoped to join farm insurance from Kevin us but a scheduling conflict Bourdon with Co-operative In- Inside this issue: means he won’t be there. So we surance. will begin with a presentation We will conclude by cover- Winter Meeting Preview 1 by Ann Hazelrigg, director of ing another important business UVM Extension’s Plant Diag- topic: payroll issues, including Trading Post 1 nostic Clinic, on “Diseases and seasonal employees, contractors President’s Message 2 Pests of Christmas Trees.” vs. employees, and how a pay- We will then hear from a repre- roll company can reduce your Association Contact Information 2 sentative at the Christmas liability and simplify things for Tree Promotion Board about you. This presentation will be NHVTCTA News Roundup 3 activities that took place during given by Paul Trahan of Work- Listing Your Business 3 the 2017 season to promote real force Solutions. Christmas trees, as well as Registration for the Phytophthora 4 other topics related to the Pro- meeting is available on-site motion Board. if you have not already sent Christmas Trees in the News 8 After a lunch (stuffed in your registration form. Fair Report 9 chicken breast, tossed salad, Contact Jim Horst at (802) veggies, bread, red pota- 447-0660 with questions or for CTPB in the News 10 toes...and pie for dessert), the more information. PAGE 2 JANUARY 2018 President’s Message As I begin my term as president of the NH- tree farming, I tell them the first thing they VT Christmas Tree Association, I’d like to thank should do is to join this association. a few people. It’s been nearly 40 years since I planted my First, thanks to Dan Beloin for his service to first Christmas tree with my father on the small the association through not one but two terms as farm where I grew up. Through middle and high president. He put in much work, and I’m sure school I worked on a number of larger Christmas will continue to do so, especially with his orga- tree farms in southern Vermont. They say that nizing efforts at the Big E. when you don’t know what do to, you should do And thanks also to Tom Lang, who was what you know. So when my wife and I pur- elected to serve as president but put the needs of chased a house with an open field 15 years ago, I the association first and reluctantly stepped talked her into planting Christmas trees. And aside for health reasons. We’re fortunate that the first thing I did was to join this association. Tom has continued serving the association as a Just as the species of Christmas trees has director, and as his friend and neighbor it’s great changed over the years (I remember shearing to see that he’s doing well and still working hard scotch pine and Douglas fir), the marketplace out in his trees. has also changed. Facing down competition from Thanks also to Jim Horst, who really is the artificial trees and harnessing the power of social one who keeps the NHVTCTA organized and media are just some of the issues that I’ll do my rolling along. best to help the association address as we move Finally, thanks to the many members of the forward. association who have willingly shared their ex- I hope to see you at the Winter meeting. pertise and experiences over the years. When Patrick White, someone asks me about getting into Christmas President New Hampshire-Vermont Christmas Tree Association Contact Information 2018 Officers Jim Horst, Executive Secretary 569 Pleasant Valley Road President Patrick White [email protected] Bennington, VT 05201-9637 Past-President Dan Beloin [email protected] Phone: (802) 447-0660 Vice President Jeff Taylor [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Recording Secretary Russell Reay [email protected] Association Web site: www.nh-vtchristmastree.org Exec. Sec./Treas. Jim Horst [email protected] For matters related to Tree Line only: 2018 Directors Patrick White, Editor NHVTCTA Tree Line 18 Merritt Road Andy Aldrich [email protected] Middlesex, VT 05602 Dan Beloin [email protected] Phone: (802) 223-3880 Ben Hoyt [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Tom Lang [email protected] Bill Lefebvre [email protected] Copies of the Association bylaws and policies are available to Paul Lemire [email protected] members at any time by contacting the Executive Secretary. Nigel Manley [email protected] Carl Szych [email protected] 2018 Tree Line Publication Schedule Jeff Taylor [email protected] Issue Ad/Submission Deadline Bill Tester [email protected] January — Bob White [email protected] June June 1 Patrick White [email protected] September Sept. 7 JANUARY 2018 PAGE 3 206 NCTA Membership Structure NHVTCTA News Roundup List Your Business Meeting Help Needed In Remembrance According to VerticalResponse.com, If you’d be interested in helping Phyllis (Carle) Ahrens, 87, of these are the 7 listings that every plan NHVTCTA meetings, please Simsbury, Conn., passed away on business should claim: email Patrick White pwhitevt@ October 9, 2017, while enjoying a aol.com. We’re looking for some- visit with family in California. Google My Business: Follow in- one to help pick topics, find Phyl was a wonderfully suppor- structions at Google.com/business speakers, coordinate with host tive wife to the late Dr. John F. Facebook for Business: Start at farms, etc. You’d have plenty of Ahrens for nearly 60 years, a de- https://www.facebook.com/business/ help, but we need someone to voted mother, mother-in-law, overview help lead the effort. grandmother, and great- We’re also open to new topics to grandmother, and a kindhearted, Yelp for Business: Start at https:// cover at meetings. If there’s witty, and faithful friend. biz.yelp.com/signup_business something about growing Christ- She and her late husband Yellow Pages: Go to My- mas trees that you’d like to learn John stayed busy traveling back FreeYP.com more about, chances are others and forth between their Christ- would like to learn more too, so mas tree farms in Connecticut Yahoo Local: Begin at https:// let us know what subjects you’d and in Northern Vermont. She smallbusiness.yahoo.com/local-listings like to see at meetings. If you’re loved knitting and creating hand- willing to host a Summer or Fall crafts for others. Donations may Bing Places for Business: Visit meeting, or you have a topic idea, be made to Old Saint Andrew’s https://www.bingplaces.com/ contact Patrick White, Episcopal Church in Simsbury, Forsquare for Business: https:// [email protected] Conn., in her memory. foursquare.com/venue/claim Now taking tentative orders for the 2019 crop; No money required at time of order. Want to Get a Jump on Spring Planting? Plant In the Fall! 2019 transplants available for Fall Digging after Labor Day 2018. Transplant Type Season Tree Age Price per Transplant Balsam Fir: Mountain Strain Vermont Seed Source Spring 2018 2-2 $1.05SOLD OUT Balsam Fir: Cooks Strain Vermont Seed Source Spring 2018 2-2 SOLD$1.05 OUT Balsam-Fraser Hybrids: Vermont Seed Source Spring 2018 2-2 $1.05SOLD OUT Fraser Fir: N.C. (Rogers Mtn.) Seed Source Spring 2018 2-2 SOLD OUT Fraser Fir: N.C. (Ayers) Seed Source Spring 2018 2-2 SOLD OUT Mystery Tree: Late-Breaking Fraser Fir Spring 2018 2-2 $1.20SOLD OUT Canaan Fir: West Virginia Seed Source SpringSOLD OUT2018 2-2 $1.15 VEICHIIQuestions?? X Balsam Contact Hybrids: Bill Asack Asack&Son evenings Seed 6-8 Source p.m. 1-802-754-6934 Spring 2018 2-2 SOLD 100 MAX OUT PAGE 4 JANUARY 2018 Phytophthora and Christmas Tree Planting Trends The following is excerpted gion, originating from Southeast well-drained, nutritive soils, un- from an article by Martin Pet- Asia, where it was first described der optimal temperature), and tersson, John Frampton and Jill from cinnamon plants in Suma- therefore may be less prone to Sidebottom that appeared in the tra (Zentmyer 1988). It is be- display disease symptoms, espe- Spring 2017 issue of Tree Plant- lieved to have been brought into cially when dormant. Further- ers’ Notes, published by the U.S. the United States through south- more, fungicides do not always Forest Service. The article can be ern ports during the 1800s or kill Phytophthora species, so read in its entirety online.