Bud Break is Here! Event and Lab Services Information

 Hello Dear Growers, and Happy Long Weekend! 

This week has been focused on planning several upcoming summer events, and I am pleased to share that the week of June 15–19 will feature a series of vineyard visits and learning opportunities across Nova Scotia.

As mentioned during the GGANS AGM, we will be welcoming Stephane Badet, an Agriculture Economist from Bordeaux, for a week of industry discussions and site visits focused on cool climate viticulture, sustainability, and regional development. Throughout the week, we will explore topics including:

• Canopy Management
• Disease Management
• Cover Cropping
• Sustainability
• Diversification

Tuesday, June 16, 2026 | 11:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

JOST Field Day

• Vineyard and cellar visit at Jost Vineyards
• Visit to Fox Harb'r Resort Vineyards

Discussion themes will include cover cropping, canopy management, and pest and disease management.

Participants are welcome to remain on-site for lunch at the Jost Café following the field day.

Thursday, June 18, 2026 | 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Ellslea Vineyard Field Day

10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Discussion led by Stephane Badet on viticultural diversification, co-operation, and resilience within the wine sector.

12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Lunch

1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Steve Ells will host a vineyard tour and discuss vineyard management practices at Ellslea Vineyard.

2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Nova Scotia: “The Cool” in Cool Climate Terroir presentation and discussion.

Registration pages for both events will be available shortly. I wanted to share these opportunities in advance and hope you will be able to join us for one or both events.

Warmer weather is officially here!

This weekend, we are expecting temperatures in the low 20s. I visited several sites last week and captured Osceola at budbreak. 

Lab Services:

Perennia Now Offering Analytical Testing

Effective May 1, 2026, Perennia is fully operating the former Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture (NSDA) Analytical Lab at the Harlow Institute Building, 176 College Road in Truro.

 

In addition to mineral and bacteria water testing, we are conducting the same tests as previously offered:

Soil analysis for lawn, garden and field samples

Soil amendment analysis

Greenhouse soil, nutrients and water + field, milk house water, etc.

Feed analysis

Digest samples

Plant tissue analysis

We are also continuing to offer the 50 per cent discount on the same tests as when the lab was operated by NSDA for farmers with a current farm registration number. Our service fees also haven’t been changed and the overview PDF is available at https://www.perennia.ca/analytical-lab

 

For drinking water samples, Perennia is referring and transporting these daily Monday to Thursday to an accredited lab in the HRM. NSDA’s ISO accreditation for this testing was not transferrable to Perennia. Thus, we are doing all the extensive paperwork required for a new ISO accreditation for Perennia and anticipate taking drinking water samples after a successful audit this summer. We will keep everyone updated. For now, water samples for these tests can only be accepted at the Harlow Building in Truro.

 

All other samples can continue to be dropped off at:

NSDA Digby, Antigonish and Kentville offices (Kentville will be phased out as a drop off location in the coming weeks)

Nova Scotia Department for Natural Resources and Renewables Strathlorne Nursery in Inverness

Harlow Building in Truro

Perennia office in Kentville (28 Aberdeen Street – drop off will be at the entrance at the back of the building facing the side of the Independent grocery store. Parking is available – feel free to park in the space directly in front of the door for quick drop off.)

Soil collection supplies can also be obtained at these locations along with submission forms and resources.

 

All drop-off dates and times, locations, submission forms, how-to resource forms and interpretation guides, payment methods and fee listing are all available at  www.perennia.ca/labservices where you can also order tests from our Plant Health Lab.

 

For more information or questions please contact labs@perennia.ca

Thank you all for your time this week. I hope you have a lovely long weekend, and enjoy the sunshine!

Cheers!

Katarina

Upcoming Events and Refreshers

 Hello Dear Growers!

I hope you have had a good start to the week.

There are several points to emphasize this week, but first, I would like to thank Bruce and Steve for sharing their knowledge at our webinar titled: Shared Pressures, Different Approaches: Vineyard Pest and Disease Management Round-Table Discussion.

The permanent link will be available as soon as I receive it from our Marketing team. For now, I would appreciate it if the viewers to attended last week's session would use this QR code and answer the short survey on the quality of the information presented.

As spring quickly approaches, I would also like to link here a little refresher on Early Season Pest Management: Early Season Vineyard Pest Management - YouTube

This is the webinar Kevin Ker presented a short while ago on the products to use and their efficacy on various pests and diseases. In his presentation, Kevin also comments on the timing on those sprays. This is a great review prior to our first application this spring. 

As I mentioned at the GGANS AGM, we will be hosting a guest this June- agriculture economist- Stephane Badet. I am currently finalizing his agenda, and will post here several public learning sessions I would encourage you to attend. He will be visiting us from the 15th to 22 June.

Lastly, our team has been hard at work organizing the Atlantic Agronomy and Extension Conference scheduled for 15-16 July 2026. Please see the graphic here and register on the link below.

Atlantic Agronomy & Extension Conference – Perennia

If you have any questions, please contact our team.

Lastly, in preparation for the season ahead, I have been finalizing the pesticide efficacy table for our Pest Management Guide. It will be posted shortly to assist in your product selections and control of various pests.

Thank you all for your time this week, and I look forward to seeing you in the field soon.

Cheers!

Katarina.

Katarina Vucic P.Ag; MSc; DipWSET

Viticulture Specialist
Perennia Food and Agriculture
Email kvucic@perennia.ca
Office 902-678-7722

Cell 902-599-1390

 

www.perennia.ca

 

Last Call to Register for Webinar: Shared Pressures, Different Approaches: Vineyard Pest and Disease Management Round-Table Discussion

 Hello Dear Growers!

A quick reminder this week for the upcoming webinar:

Wednesday, 22 April 2026 @ 12pm-1pm

Shared Pressures, Different Approaches: Vineyard Pest and Disease Management Round-Table Discussion

Please register here: https://www.perennia.ca/eventer/shared-pressures-different-approaches-vineyard-pest-and-disease-management-round-table-discussion/edate/2026-04-22/

Once the session is completed, we would appreciate it if you would scan the QR code and complete a short survey. 

I would like to thank our panelists- Bruce Ewert (L'Acadie Vineyards and Winery) and Steve Ells (Ellslea Vineyards) for participating in the webinar and sharing their knowledge and expertise. I anticipate this to be an excellent discussion and I hope you will join us.

Thank you all, and I look forward to seeing you this Wednesday at 12 noon.

Cheers! and Happy Monday!

-Katarina

Katarina Vucic P.Ag; MSc; DipWSET

Viticulture Specialist
Perennia Food and Agriculture
Email kvucic@perennia.ca
Office 902-678-7722

Cell 902-599-1390

 

www.perennia.ca

 

Away Notice 1st to 12th April

 Hello Dear Growers!

I hope you enjoyed the Cost of Production webinars and found them useful. If you need the live viticulture excel sheets, please email me. They are also posted in PDF on the Grapes section of the Perennia website.

If you would like to view the webinars again, please see the 2026 Webinar section of the Grapes page of the Perennia website.

Upcoming Events:

April 22, 2026

12:00PM – 1:00PM

Shared Pressures, Different Approaches: Vineyard Pest and Disease Management Round-Table Discussion

Session Description

Join Steve Ells and Bruce Ewert for a facilitated grower roundtable discussion. We bring together vineyard operators using different management systems to discuss how they manage pest and disease pressure in their own vineyards. We’ll focus on practical decision-making, operational constraints and trade-offs, highlighting shared challenges rather than comparing or debating production systems.

Please register here: https://www.perennia.ca/eventer/shared-pressures-different-approaches-vineyard-pest-and-disease-management-round-table-discussion/edate/2026-04-22/

Notice of absence: 

Please note that I will be away from the 1st to 12th April. If a matter is urgent please contact the Perennia office and one of our specialists will reach out to you. I hope you all have a lovely long weekend and enjoy your Easter weekend. 

Thank you for your time this week, and I look forward to seeing you upon my return. 

Cheers!

-Katarina

Katarina Vucic P.Ag; MSc; DipWSET

Viticulture Specialist
Perennia Food and Agriculture
Email kvucic@perennia.ca
Office 902-678-7722

Cell 902-599-1390

 

www.perennia.ca

 

Hello Dear growers,

Happy Tuesday! 

I hope you attended and enjoyed the webinar by Andrew Moon. I have already received several comments that it was very useful and practical- which is exactly what we intended.

If you would like a copy of his excel spread sheets please email me. They will also be saved as PDFs and posted on the "Grapes" section of the Perennia website. The webinar itself will be available after editing- within the week.

There are two other webinars this week related to cost of production tracking: 

Horticulture Grower Cost of Production Panel

March 18, 2026

12:00PM – 1:00PM

Here, Yvonne Schoening of Jost Vineyards and Winery will be presenting her tracking methodology with other horticulture growers. The session is an hour long in total, with three other speakers from other commodities joining the panel. Please catch this webinar to learn about how other commodities track their expenses as it may give you ideas for the future.

Please look for Session 6 and Sign up Here: https://www.perennia.ca/eventer/gettingintotheweeds2026/

Winery Economics 101: From Production Costs to a Winery Budget 

March 19, 2026

1:00PM – 2:00PM  

Building on the Vineyard Economics 101 webinar, guest speaker Geoff McIntyre will present practical approaches to tracking winery production costs and translating them into an effective, working budget. This session will explore key cellar expenses, along with cost management strategies and tools to support planning, informed decision-making, and overall profitability.

Sign up here: https://www.perennia.ca/eventer/winery-economics-101-from-production-costs-to-a-winery-budget/

Shared Pressures, Different Approaches: Vineyard Pest and Disease Management Round-Table Discussion 

April 22, 2026

12:00PM – 1:00PM  

Join guest speakers Steve Ells and Bruce Ewert for a facilitated roundtable discussion as they share how they manage pest and disease pressure within their own vineyard operations. The session will focus on practical decision-making, operational constraints, real-world trade-offs, and the challenges they encounter—along with the approaches and strategies they use to address them, offering valuable insights growers can apply in their own vineyards.

Sign up here: https://www.perennia.ca/eventer/shared-pressures-different-approaches-vineyard-pest-and-disease-management-round-table-discussion/edate/2026-04-22/

Summer Visits and Learning Opportunities: 

Stephane Badet Visit 13-22 June

Further expanding learning opportunities around cost of production, Stéphane—an agricultural economist from Bordeaux—will be visiting as part of a knowledge exchange, delivering a masterclass on cooperatives, growth opportunities, diversification, and building a long-term, sustainable strategy for success.

I will keep you informed as to our visits and discussion topics as we get closer to his arrival. 

Markus Keller Visit- Early August

Markus Keller is a leading viticulture researcher and professor at Washington State University, will be visiting Nova Scotia in early August for a three-day program of masterclasses and vineyard visits. Renowned for his work on grapevine physiology and sustainable vineyard management, he will share his expertise on how environmental factors like climate, water, and nutrients influence vine growth, yield, and fruit quality, providing valuable insights for growers and industry professionals.

Do keep an eye on other learning opportunities throughout the season. I will be posting reminders and registration links as well. 

If you have any questions or would like a vineyard visit, please email or call me to set up an appointment.

Thank you all for your time and I look forward to working with you.

Cheers!

Katarina

Katarina Vucic P.Ag; MSc; DipWSET

Viticulture Specialist
Perennia Food and Agriculture
Email kvucic@perennia.ca
Office 902-678-7722

Cell 902-599-1390

 

www.perennia.ca

 

Upcoming Events

Hello Dear Growers!

I hope you have all had a good week so far. 

We are inching toward spring (finally), so I would like to draw your attention to a few events coming up that would be useful to attend.

1. Getting Into the Weeds- 

Each of these hour-long sessions focuses on Cost of Production in different operational settings. 

I would like to draw your attention to the upcoming session on March 18. 

Yvonne Schoening of Jost Vineyards and Winery will be part of a panel discussing her experiences implementing systems to track activities and expenses, as well as the processes and tools she uses in her vineyard operations.

Horticulture Grower Cost of Production Panel

March 18, 2026
12:00PM – 1:00PM

Link to Register: https://www.perennia.ca/eventer/gettingintotheweeds2026/

*If you have missed any of the previous sessions and are still interested in auditing them, they are available on the Perennia YouTube channel. 

Event #2: 

Vineyard Economics 101: Budgeting and Financial Planning for Atlantic Canadian Vineyards 

Date: March 11, 2026

Time: 1:00PM – 2:00PM  

Join me and our guest speaker Andrew Moon and learn how to interpret cost of production data, allocate expenses across the growing season and use budgeting to support planning, decision-making and long-term financial sustainability.

Link for Details and Registration: https://www.perennia.ca/eventer/vineyard-economics-101-budgeting-and-financial-planning-for-atlantic-canadian-vineyards/

Event #3: 
Winery Economics 101: From Production Costs to a Winery Budget 
Date: March 19, 2026
Time: 1:00PM – 2:00PM  

Guest speaker Geoff McIntyre will cover key cellar expenses, cost management strategies and tools for planning, decision-making and profitability. 

Link for Details and Registration: https://www.perennia.ca/eventer/winery-economics-101-from-production-costs-to-a-winery-budget/edate/2026-03-19/

If you have any questions about any of the events, or would like a 1 on 1 visit, please contact me. My details are below.

Thank you all for your time this week, and I look forward to seeing you all at the GGANS AGM on March 7th.

Cheers!

Katarina

Katarina Vucic P.Ag; MSc; DipWSET

Viticulture Specialist
Perennia Food and Agriculture
Email kvucic@perennia.ca
Office 902-678-7722

Cell 902-599-1390

 

www.perennia.ca

 

PRUNING WORKSHOP- 7 FEBRUARY; 10AM @ LUCKETT VINEYARD AND WINERY

 Good Morning Dear Growers!

This is my first blog post of 2026, and we already have a full schedule of events to look forward to in the next couple of months. 

We are hitting the ground running!

Here are the events coming up in February and March: 

As the headline suggests, GGANS has organized an upcoming Best Practice pruning session.

LOCATION: Luckett Winery

DATE: 7 February; TIME: 10am.

As you may/may not know, the Winter Wine festival is happening after our pruning session as well. It may be nice to stick around and have a glass of wine as well. I do believe you need tickets for the winter wine fest, so please, check out the Luckett website for more info.

GGANS will be sending out more info on the pruning session itself, but I will ask you to see this video as well:

"Snip Happens:" Pruning Mistakes and Fixes.  Snip Happens: Pruning Mistakes and Fixes | Virtual Viticulture Academy

You do need to register to watch the video- it is free and available to view from the 28th January. 

Understanding what to do—and how to do it correctly—is essential, but mistakes are a natural part of pruning. The aim is to reduce common pitfalls and to know how to address them when they occur. This video serves as a useful resource to support learning and to help make pruning cuts with greater confidence.

GGANS AGM: 7 March 2026.

Upcoming Perennia Viticulture Webinars:

11 March @ 1pm: Vineyard Economics 101.

19 March @1pm: Cellar Economics 101.

I will post the registration dates for both these events in due course- keep an eye out for details in the blog.

We have guest speakers for both webinars:  Andrew Moon of Bartier Brothers in BC and Geoff McIntyre CCA from MNP Accounting Services. 

Both of these sessions are designed to help growers plan the year ahead and give ideas as to how to track and include expenses that growers encounter in our business. 

If you have any questions, get in touch with me.

Thank you for your time and I look forward to seeing you at the pruning session on the 7th Feb.

Cheers!

Katarina

Katarina Vucic P.Ag; MSc; DipWSET

Viticulture Specialist
Perennia Food and Agriculture
Email kvucic@perennia.ca
Office 902-678-7722

Cell 902-599-1390

 

www.perennia.ca