The days are shorter, the air colder and we’ve had our first snowfall.

Winter has arrived and with it comes a number of educational meetings and programs that are sure to be of interest to agricultural producers.

Following is information on two of those opportunities.

W. Pa. blueberry schoolThe blueberry is a unique plant with its own unique growing requirements. In the right environment, blueberries have the potential to produce for 50 years or longer.With that in mind, it is worth taking the time to plan ahead and invest the time in learning the proper growing practices for blueberries.A one day school will be offered on Dec. 17 at the Westmoreland County Extension Office beginning at 8:30 a.m.Pending PA Department of Agriculture approval, the program will provide three Category 02 or 18 pesticide credits for private pesticide applicator license update training.Topics include “Site Selection and Plant Establishment,” “Blueberry Varieties,” “Blueberry Nutrition,” “Water Quality Concerns,” “Marketing and Pricing,” “Insect and Mite Pests,” “Diseases of Blueberries” and “Weed Management.”Registration is requested by Tuesday. Registration fee is $65 per person and includes program materials, lunch and snacks.The fee for registrations made after Tuesday is $75.To register with a credit card, go to extension.psu.edu/blueberry-school.Participants may also register by calling 724-837-1402.

Winter Wednesday lunch seriesPenn State and Cornell University are partnering to present a series of one hour webinars to provide updates of topics of importance to vegetable and small fruit producers.The series of five webinars will each be held from 1 to 2 p.m. Dates and topics are as follows:• Dec. 18 — Sweet Onions — Cultural Practices and Brand Marketing• Jan. 15 — Spotted Winged Drosophila and Brown Marmorated Sting Bug• Feb. 12 — Dealing with Late Blight• March 19 — Conventional and Organic Weed Control in Sweet Corn, Pumpkins, and Winter Squash• April 2 — Fertigation: Scheduling and Water Quality Considerations.Registration is required for participation and can be made by going to extension.psu.edu/vegetable-fruit/winter-webinars or by calling 724-627-3745.The cost per session is $10 or $35 for the series of five sessions and includes access to handouts and webinar recordings.This material is submitted by Donna Zang, extension director, and the staff of the Penn State Extension office at the Sunnyview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center complex.