Back for another year, come check out Perennia’s 2026 TunnelTalk Virtual Grower Meetings! This series aims to provide a recurring virtual space for producers of all shapes and sizes to come together and discuss all things protected agriculture. The main topic for discussion will vary month to month, with outside expertise on relevant topics, grower roundtables, shared experiences with techniques and technology, and group troubleshooting. This series of meetings is intended to be driven by grower feedback, and questions were organized and moderated by Perennia’s protected crop specialist, Talia Plaskett. Stay tuned for updates on upcoming dates and tunnel topics.

Every month from January to December 2026!

Tunnel Talk – Soil testing and fertilization for in-ground tunnel vegetable production 

January 12, 2026
11:00AM – 12:00PM (AST)

Soil testing for in-ground tunnel production has some mixed messaging surrounding it. While most are using the standard field soil test to understand the nutrient breakdown, others prefer to receive their mineral analysis through the ‘Saturated Media Extract’ (SME) test. Each test has its merits and provides useful information on the current nutritional state of the soil, but how do we know which one to use and when? 

Join Vern Grubinger from the University of Vermont and Perennia’s Protected Crops Specialist for a discussion on how we can use the two tools to maximize the information we have on the nutrient content of our soils and how each of them plays a role when it comes to our nitrogen planning for the coming crop.  

This webinar is funded in part by the On-Farm Climate Action Fund program. 

Guest Speaker: Vern Grubinger, Extension Professor at the University of Vermont  

Dr. Vern Grubinger is the Vegetable and Berry Specialist at the University of Vermont. He has been working with and learning from farmers in Vermont since 1990. He provides technical advice and conducts applied research, working with the UVM Extension Commercial Horticulture team. He spent significant time as the Director of USDA’s Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program (SARE) as well, during which the program made over 1,800 grants to farmers, graduate students, researchers and agricultural service providers for a total of more than $76 million.

Tunnel Talk – On-Farm Adoption of IPM Strategies 

February 23, 2026
12:00PM – 1:00PM (AST)

Integrated pest management (IPM) relies on a combination of strategies (i.e., cultural, scouting, biocontrol) to prevent pest populations from reaching damaging levels. There are many ways we can address/incorporate IPM on farm with the goal of reducing pest and disease pressure on-farm overall, as well as lessening our reliance on conventional pesticides throughout the season.  

February’s TunnelTalk session will focus on successful on-farm implementation of IPM strategies across Nova Scotia. A handful of growers have been selected to talk about some new-to-them strategies that contributed to their success over the last few years. 

Guest Speaker: TBD 

Registration

Registration is required. The deadline for registration is NOON two days before the session. For those who register, you will receive the link/passcode to join the details from session host Talia Plaskett one day before the session begins.

Questions?

Talia Plaskett 
Phone: 902.305.3419 
Email: tplaskett@perennia.ca