Mass Aggie Seminars 2025

Saturday, February 15, 2025, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Saturday, February 22, 2025, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Saturday, March 1, 2025, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Saturday, March 22, 2025, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Saturday, March 29, 2025, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Online registration will close the Friday prior to each event.

The link for each Zoom session will be sent out via email, if you have not yet received the link, please check your spam folder. If you have not received the link by the Friday prior to the Aggie(s) you have registered for, please email egarofal@umass.edu.

Welcome to Mass Aggies, a series highlighting the agricultural expertise and innovation available through the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Extension Fruit team. Through this series of seminars and workshops, the Fruit Team provides a platform for small scale backyard growers and agricultural enthusiasts of all types to come together to learn the latest developments in fruit production. Delve into the cutting-edge information shared in our seminars, curated to empower individuals with the tools and knowledge needed to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of agriculture.

Important information for registrants:

Mail in sign ups: We are currently working a hybrid/remote schedule. As such, mail is not collected on a daily basis. Once the mail has been collected those of you who sent in your forms will receive an email including the link(s) to the Aggie videos you indicated in your purchase form. Please be sure to include your email, written legibly. Download the 2025 Mass Aggie Mail-in registration form. You can print this form, select the seminars that you wish to attend, and mail it with a check written out to UMass for the appropriate amount.
Video access: Seminars held via zoom will be recorded. A private link to the video will be shared with paid registrants only. This link will expire two months after you receive it.

Upcoming Webinars

February 15 (10am-Noon): Insects; Pests and Beneficials

Join Extension Faculty Dr. Jaime Piñero in this exciting Integrated Pest Management (IPM) workshop and learn how to make beneficial insects and insectary plants your garden’s best allies! Discover eco-friendly pest control tips that blend nature’s own predators with smart gardening strategies, including cultural controls like trap cropping. With these techniques, you can keep your plants thriving with little to no insecticides. Perfect for homeowners and orchard enthusiasts, this fun, hands-on session will show you how to create a healthy, vibrant garden and keep pests at bay—naturally! Some materials will be mailed to participants for them to implement IPM at home!

February 22 (10am-Noon): Ecological Weed Management in the Home Orchard

During this workshop, led by Dr. Maria Gannett, we will consider what weeds are and why you would want to manage them. Hopefully, you will be convinced that it is important to identify weed species and will understand the tendency of some of the species you see in your own orchard. Finally, we will talk about ecological weed management and highlight different strengths and weaknesses of several weed control methods.

March 1 (10am-Noon): Orchard Sustainability Through IPM

Join Extension Educator Elizabeth Garofalo to discuss what sustainability means within the context of orchard production. We will look to find the balance of orchard sustainability in the space where community, environment and economic health come together.

March 22 (10am-Noon): Orchard Pruning

The joy of growing apples in the home garden is enjoying a renaissance. One of the key steps in successful apple growing is the act of pruning the trees. This can seem daunting and complicated, but it’s not! Not once you understand the principles involved. Join Extension Educator Jon Clements online and learn how to properly prune your fruit trees. The focus of this session is primarily apples. The concepts discussed apply to pears, peaches and other tree fruit.

March 29 (10am-Noon): Home Orchard Establishment

Horticultural topics covered will be the basics of planting apple trees, including site selection, choice of variety and rootstock, planting best practices, tree training and pruning, fertilization, and ongoing fruit tree care (the focus of this session is primarily apples. The concepts discussed apply to pears, peaches and other tree fruit.

UMass Amherst officially opened its doors in 1863 as the Massachusetts Agricultural College, and was affectionately known as “Mass Aggie”.