2026 TunnelTalk Virtual Grower Meetings
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
Tunnel Talk – Irrigation in High Tunnels Part 1
March 3, 2026
10:00AM – 12:00PM (AST)
Irrigation is a necessity to produce high tunnel and greenhouse crops. Irrigating soil-based crops in these protected spaces is difficult though when it comes to knowing how much water to put on, when and how often. This two-part series aims to create some clarity on irrigation in these spaces and make sure that the resources we are putting into our space are being used to their full potential.
Some of the topics we will explore in the series are:
- The general basis of fruit bearing crop production in protected cultivation
- The role of water management in crop protected climate
- Water availability and water needs of the crop
- Build a schedule of watering based on crop physiology, root environment and climate demand
- Specification of the watering system installation
Guest Speaker: Jacques Theriault, Agr. M.Sc.
Jacques has 36 years of experience in greenhouse vegetables, including 26 years as a crop adviser. His organization, Climax Conseils, now serves over 185 businesses in Quebec, the Maritimes and the northeastern United States, with five senior consultants. His organization has made a predominantly organic transition over the past 18 years, with 85% of its greenhouse operations now being organic, mostly small-scale farms.
Tunnel Talk – Irrigation in High Tunnels Part 2
April 7, 2026
10:00AM – 12:00PM
This session is a continuation from our March webinar, looking at the basics for planning and managing irrigation in high tunnel production.
Irrigation is a necessity to produce high tunnel and greenhouse crops. Irrigating soil-based crops in these protected spaces is difficult though when it comes to knowing how much water to put on, when and how often. This two-part series aims to create some clarity on irrigation in these spaces and make sure that the resources we are putting into our space are being used to their full potential.
Some of the topics we will explore in the series are:
- The general basis of fruit bearing crop production in protected cultivation
- The role of water management in crop protected climate
- Water availability and water needs of the crop
- Build a schedule of watering based on crop physiology, root environment and climate demand
- Specification of the watering system installation
Guest Speaker: Jacques Theriault, Agr. M.Sc.
Jacques has 36 years of experience in greenhouse vegetables, including 26 years as a crop adviser. His organization, Climax Conseils, now serves over 185 businesses in Quebec, the Maritimes and the northeastern United States, with five senior consultants. His organization has made a predominantly organic transition over the past 18 years, with 85% of its greenhouse operations now being organic, mostly small-scale farms.
Tunnel Talk – Enterprise Budget for High Tunnel Tomatoes
May 4, 2026
12:00PM – 1:00PM
Following Perennia’s cost of production focus in the 2026 ‘Getting into the Weeds’ series, this session will approach cost of production specifically for high tunnel tomato production. Vern Grubinger from the University of Vermont has been working on compiling an enterprise budget for this crop group and will discuss the numbers with us for the May session of TunnelTalk.
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 the 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.
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.