Date & Time:
Friday, February 28, 2025 / 9:00am to 3:10pm
Location:
19 Sewall St. Brunswick, ME
Academic Building, Hannaford Lecture Hall
Credits Available:
4 MELNA Recertification Credits for the Day (MCN, MCSL)
1 Pesticide Credit
Cost:
$50.00 per person for the first MELNA member from company; $35 for each additional employee of MELNA company
$75.00 for non-members
$30.00 for full-time students
Cost includes light refreshments at registration, plus lunch. Submit all attendees’ names.
Information & Online Registration:
MELNA Events (www.melna.org/events/)
Schedule for the Day
9:00 – 9:20am: Sign in, Coffee, Tea, Refreshments
9:20 – 10:00am: Ray Defeo, Prides Corner Farms
What is missing from your nursery or landscape?!
Join Ray to discuss different specialty Evergreens, Roses and Fruits to have your customer’s landscape stand out
from the rest!
10:10 – 10:50am: Roanne Robbins, Van Berkum Nursery
Did you say Native?!
Learn about straight- species U.S. natives thriving in New England native and ornamental gardens.
11:00am – 11:40pm: Jeff O’Donal, McSherry’s Nursery
Container Growing versus Field Growing
To grow in a container or out in the fi that is the question. Jeff will help guide growers down a successful
path.
LUNCH: 11:50 – 12:30pm: Included
12:30 – 1:10pm: Ryan Liberty, Crooked Brook Farm
Christmas Tree Farm Start up
Learn about the challenges and rewards of starting an unconventional Christmas Tree Farm.
1:20 – 2:00pm: John Wagner, Evergreen Farms Nursery
Pruning, Maintenance and Longevity for tree farms
Join John to learn his pruning techniques and how he cares for his farm. Christmas Tree farms require a special knack and we will discuss it!
2:10 – 3:10pm: Michael Parisio, Maine Forest Service + 1 Pesticide Credit
Forest Insect & Disease Update
To wrap up the day, we will summarize the learnings for 2024’s insects and pathogens and how we can continue moving forward.