The talk will be held virtually via Zoom and in-person at 107 Norman Smith Hall, UMaine, Orono.
- Virtual attendance: Complete the registration form for Zoom connection information
Speakers:
- Brogan Tooley, Senior Manager, Agroecology Department, Wyman’s
- Rachel Schattman, Assistant Professor of Sustainable Agriculture, UMaine
Wild blueberry production in Maine and maritime Canada is an ecologically, economically, and culturally important industry and land use. Agroecology is a scientific discipline that examines agriculture within both ecological and social contexts, and can be used to better understand the past, present, and potential future of wild blueberry agriculture in our region. In this talk, we present two recent agroecological investigations of wild blueberries: First, Brogan Tooley, senior manager of agroecology at Wyman’s, will share on-farm challenges and ongoing research efforts to identify management techniques that bolster crop resilience and mitigate crop stress in today’s climate. Next, Dr. Rachel Schattman of the University of Maine Agroecology Lab will present on an ongoing study to investigate the effects of climate change, specifically changing temperature and precipitation regimes, on wild blueberries. We invite audience participation in the second half of the presentation as we probe the most pressing questions related to Northeast wild blueberry production in a changing climate.
Brogan Tooley is the senior manager of the agroecology department at Wyman’s, serving Maine and the Canadian maritimes. With a background in plant, soil and environmental science, she leads cutting-edge research focused on innovation, risk mitigation and sustainable resource management in wild blueberries. Supporting one of the larger stakeholders in the industry, Brogan aims to operationalize research findings and adaptive management strategies in a rapidly changing climate.
Dr. Rachel E. Schattman is an assistant professor of sustainable agriculture at the University of Maine. She is trained as both a field-based and social science agroecologist. In her research, Dr. Schattman addresses some of the most pressing problems faced by the agricultural community today, among them climate change, food insecurity, and chemical contamination. You can read more about her work at https://agroecolab.com/
