Meet the speakers for the Canadian Fruit & Vegetable Summit

A message from Fruit and Vegetable

From invasive insects to tricky diseases and resilient weeds, there are a lot of pests fruit and vegetable growers must contend with throughout the growing season. On Nov. 27, the Canadian Fruit & Vegetable Summit will bring together researchers, extension specialists and growers for an educational summit on key topics in pest and disease management.

The Summit’s speakers include:

Kristy Grigg-McGuffin

Kristy has been the horticulture IPM specialist for apples with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Agribusiness (OMAFA) since 2011. She is responsible for knowledge mobilization and applied research for the Ontario apple industry. Her area of focus is evaluating new technologies and strategies for managing key orchard pests as well as emerging pest issues, including both native and invasive species

Jason Deveau

Based in Ontario’s Simcoe Resource Centre since 2008, Jason researches and develops practical methods to optimize productivity, spray effectiveness and reduce waste. Founder and co-author of “Airblast101 – Your Guide to Effective and Efficient Spraying,” he also founded and co-administers www.sprayers101.com

Mary Ruth McDonald

Between her work as an OMAFRA pest management specialist and as a professor in the department of plant agriculture at the University of Guelph, Mary Ruth has spent most of her career focusing on vegetable cropping in the unique agricultural production conditions of the Holland Marsh. She emphasizes the importance of extension work and putting research into action in the field.