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Tom Ernst
T. Ernst Forest Products Ltd.
As extension forester with the Department of Lands and Forests, Tom played a significant role in forming the Lunenburg County Christmas Tree Producers Association in 1967. He assisted in establishing new grower associations, the formation of the Nova Scotia Christmas Tree Council, the promotion of research and demonstration lots, the training of Department specialists, and the delivery of extension programs. Through Tom’s hard work, Nova Scotia became the first non-state member of the US National Christmas Tree Association, and he has been the province’s only representative. In 1995, Tom was the driving force to designate Lunenburg County as the “Balsam Fir Christmas Tree Capital of the World.” Tom served as president of the Nova Scotia Forest Products Association, he was western regional woodlot owner of the year (2006) and was inducted into the Christmas Tree Hall of Fame (2008).
Friday August 2, 2024
11:00 am
Bluenose A/B
Rick Dungey
Christmas Spirit Foundation
Rick has spent more than 25 years working in agriculture marketing and association management. He has implemented marketing efforts aimed at growers, buyers and the general public, as well as coordinating marketing programs among industry groups and individual producers. Rick was part of the Christmas Spirit Foundation staff for 11 years, starting when it was first formed in 2005 and helped create the Trees for Troops program. He rejoined the Foundation staff in 2020 and now works to coordinate the Trees for Troops program and all the Foundation programs.
Trees for Troops
Friday August 2, 2024
1:00 pm
Bluenose A/B
Trees for Troops, a program of the Christmas Spirit Foundation has provided, donated fresh Christmas trees to military members and families. In this session we’ll review the 2023 achievements and milestones. The program takes all year to plan, coordinate and implement and we’ll go through the entire process to provide a better understanding of how it works and how more tree farms and retailers can get involved. We’ll also look at some examples of how farms and retailers make their particip ation in Trees for Troops an effective marketing program for their own businesses.
Dr. Anthony R. Taylor
Associate Professor of Forest Management
University of New Brunswick
Dr. Taylor is an Associate Professor of Forest Management at the University of New Brunswick. Before joining UNB in 2021, Dr. Taylor worked as a Federal Research Scientist for Natural Resources Canada and as Woodlands Manager for Taylor Lumber Company Limited in Nova Scotia. Today, Dr. Taylor’s scientific research focuses on studying climate change adaptation and mitigation in the forestry sector of Atlantic Canada, with special emphasis on climate change impacts on wood supply, and the role of our forests in carbon sequestration and storage to mitigate climate change.
Climate Change Challenges and Adaptation
Friday August 2, 2024
3:30 pm
Bluenose A/B
Dr. Taylor will discuss the important impacts climate change is expected to have on balsam fir (abies balsamea), an important source of wood fiber and the primary Christmas tree produced in Atlantic Canada and northeastern US. The talk will begin by providing an overview of the magnitude of climate change expected in this region, then discuss how this change in climate is expected to affect the regeneration, growth and survival of our ‘beloved’ fir trees.
Bill Lindberg
Michigan State University
Bill Lindberg is an MSU Extension Christmas Tree Educator based in Ottawa, serving Christmas tree producers throughout Michigan. He graduated with a B.S. in biology and an M.S. in horticulture. He has a strong background in agricultural production, with specific knowledge in nutrient management and crop protection products. Bill was raised in a farming family and continues to farm in his free time.
Climate Change Challenges and Adaptation
Friday August 2, 2024
3:30 pm
Bluenose A/B
The changing climate has and will continue to produce a myriad of challenges for Christmas tree growers. One example of this is an increased transplant mortality. Increased temperatures and erratic rainfall patterns increase tree stress and result in greater transplant mortality. Management steps growers can use to offset these challenges include irrigation, addition of mulch, shade cloths, and selecting sites that have greater water holding capacity. Further research into selecting and breeding tree species with greater tolerance to heat and drought stress will also aid in this problem.
Lienna Hoeg
Perennia
Lienna Hoeg is the Christmas Tree Specialist with the Perennia Food & Agriculture. She works with members of the CTCNS Research Team to establish, maintain, and collect data on various research sites throughout the province. Lienna provides extension services for Christmas Tree growers, aids in resource development, specializes in vegetation management and takes a strong interest in Tree Improvement. In 2022, she obtained her Professional Agrologist designation and holds a Certificate in Nutrient Management Planning, as well as working on her Master’s in Agriculture from Dalhousie University. Lienna also holds a Pesticide Applicators License, a certificate in Good Agriculture Collection Practices and is a Forester in Training.
Friday August 2, 2024
11:00 am
Bluenose A/B
Dr. Andrew Schofield
Assistant Professor
Dalhousie University Biology Department
Dr. Schofield is a consultant with the Christmas Tree Council of Nova Scotia (CTCNS) and is an Assistant Professor (Part-Time Academic) at Dalhousie University where he teaches Genetics, Cell Biology, and Plant Biology. His research in agriculture has focused on plant molecular genetics, postharvest physiology, and tree improvement. His early work developed somatic embryogenesis techniques for Balsam fir and generated dozens of clonal varieties that are currently in field trials and commercial production. Currently, he is a part of the amazing team of academics, extension specialists, and growers who guide germplasm development for CTCNS.
The Race to the Super Tree
Friday August 2, 2024
1:30 pm
Bluenose A/B
Dr. Schofield will discuss the CTCNS tree improvement program. His talk will highlight the use of traditional seed orchards to select improved trees for traits like postharvest needle retention, flush time, and architecture. It will describe the use of som atic embryogenesis to generate clonal varieties of balsam fir trees, will outline the program’s progress, and will feature some varieties with enhanced characteristics.
Timothy L. O’Connor
Executive Director of the National Christmas Tree Association
Timothy L. O’Connor Tim is the Executive Director of the National Christmas Tree Association. His career spans more than 25 years of innovative leadership as the CEO of industry trade associations and marketing organizations. He has extensive experience working with leadership and board members to focus an organization on what matters most to its industry and constituents, deliver measurable results and return on investment. He was selected as the initial CEO of Avocados from Mexico. Before being recruited by AFM, he served as President and CEO of the United States Potato Board for 14 years. Prior to being recruited by the USPB, he was Executive Vice President/CEO of the Illinois Beef Association for 12 years where he was part of the teams that launched the BEEF. It’s What’s for Dinner® campaign and opened the Japanese market for US beef exports.
Friday August 2, 2024
10:30 am
Bluenose A/B
The session will be an overview of the National Christmas Tree Association and an update on its initiatives. John Wyckoff, NCTA’s grower President will also participate in the presentation.
Jim Rockis
Founder, Reliable source seeds and Transplant
Jim has been a part of the Christmas tree industry for over 35 years. Mr. Rockis is the owner of Reliable Source Seeds & Transplants, which supplies a variety of seed and transplant materials to the Christmas tree and nursery industry throughout the country. He owns and operates a farm in West Virginia where he grows Canaan and Fraser Fir. Throughout his career, by working partnerships with universities, producer cooperatives, and individual growers, Rockis has championed the genetic improvement of Christmas tree species, especially Canaan Fir from his home state of WV.
Jim’s state-of-the-art seed processing facility is in Smithfield, Pennsylvania, where he also owns and operates Quarter Pine Tree Farm, a choose-and-cut farm of Canaan fir, Douglas Fir, Concolor Fir, and other species. Rockis is an engineering graduate of the University of Missouri-Rolla. Jim and his wife Laura reside in Morgantown, WV.
Friday August 2, 2024
1:30 pm
Bluenose A/B
Marsha Gray
Executive Director, Real
Christmas Tree Board
Marsha Gray was selected as the Executive Director of the Real Christmas Tree Board in September of 2018 and has been a part of the management team since its inception in 2015. At the RCTB, Marsha works with the Christmas tree producers to oversee the annual promotional campaign, research initiatives, assessment collections and managing daily board operations. Gray previously served as the Executive Director of the Michigan Christmas Tree Association for 15 years where she managed the organization’s services to its members including educational programming, promotional and marketing opportunities and the publication of the Great Lakes Christmas Tree Journal. She also served as the Director of Communications for the National Christmas Tree Association.
Friday August 2, 2024
9:00 am
Bluenose A/B
The Real Christmas Tree Board’s Executive Director, Marsha Gray, will provide an overview of the promotion, research and education initiatives of the RCTB. A special focus on marketing tools for industry members and research efforts will be included as well as an update on the collection of assessments on imported Christmas trees.
Fraser Macnab
Climate Change Adaptation Coordinator
Fraser Macnab is the Climate Change Adaptation Coordinator for the Christmas Tree Council of Nova Scotia. He holds degrees from Mount Allison University and Acadia University, with a focus on climate change adaptation and mitigation strategy development during his time at Acadia. Since starting his position with CTCNS, Fraser has been actively engaged in the implementation of the climate change adaptation strategy within the Christmas tree sector. His work has seen the development and implementation of projects aimed to assist Christmas tree growers, producers, and stakeholders in adapting to and mitigating the challenges posed by climate change.
Climate Change Challenges and Adaptation
Friday August 2, 2024
3:30 pm
Bluenose A/B
Fraser will provide insights into the direction of climate change adaptation projects within the Christmas tree sector, highlighting the benefits for industry stakeholders. He will give updates on the progress of ongoing initiatives and outline the course of future projects. Furthermore, his discussion will illustrate how future climate initiatives will complement current efforts and how they support the sectors resilience to the pressures of climate change.
Dr. Justin G. A. Whitehill
Assistant professor in the Department of Forestry
and Environmental Resources
Dr. Justin G. A. Whitehill is an assistant professor in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources at North Carolina State University. He leads the Christmas Tree Genetics program at NCSU and co-Directs the Forest Biotechnology Group. He and his team are working to develop pest and pathogen resilient Fraser fir (Abies fraseri) Christmas trees through genetic and genomic approaches. He also holds an appointment in the Genetics Faculty at NCSU. Prior to joining the faculty at NC State Dr. Whitehill was the Coastal Forest Health Research Scientist for the B.C. Ministry of Forests for 1 year and spent nearly 10 years working on mechanisms of stone cell resistance in Sitka spruce against the white pine weevil. Ongoing research projects in the Whitehill lab focus on integrating traditional genetic improvement methods with advanced genomic sequencing technologies to accelerate tree breeding programs. The ultimate goal is to accelerate genetic improvement efforts of conifers to meet the cascading challenges caused by a changing climate.
The Race to the Super Tree
Friday August 2, 2024
1:30 pm
Bluenose A/B
Fir (i.e. Abies spp.) species are the premiere conifer for Christmas tree use around the
world. However, firs are extremely sensitive to the global impacts of climate change. When
grown as Christmas trees, firs are planted well below their natural climatic niche. This
stresses trees, decreases productivity, and increases sensitivity to pests and pathogens.
Traditional genetic improvement methods cannot keep pace with climate change and the
associated challenges of increased damage from pests. Instead, improved tree breeding
strategies that accelerate the domestication process are needed. To mitigate the future
impacts of climate change, the NC State Christmas Tree Genetics (CTG) program is
implementing a multi-pronged approach using several genomic strategies that include
both functional and quantitative approaches. Specifically, the Whitehill lab is focusing on
identifying key genomic associations in Fraser fir (A. fraseri) with important Christmas tree
traits such as needle retention and pest resilience. Christmas trees with natural resilience
to these threats are being developed through somatic embryogenesis and identified
through genomic selection approaches from existing breeding programs. Ultimately,
genetic resilience is the only viable long-term pest management solution that will ensure
the continued success of conifers around the world as climate change continues to
accelerate.