Authors

Fruit specialists from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) contribute to the blog and can answer technical questions you may have.

Erika DeBrouwer
Tree Fruit Specialist (apples)
E-mail: erika.debrouwer@ontario.ca
Areas of Focus
• Production, management and marketing of apples
• Evaluating new cultivars and production systems
• Strategic alignment of the industry to increase competitiveness in a world market
• Establishment and cost of production

Kathryn Carter
Fruit Crop Specialist (tender fruit and grape)
E-mail: kathryn.carter@ontario.ca
Areas of Focus
• Production, management and marketing of pears, tender fruit and grapes
• Evaluating new cultivars and production systems
• Orchard and vineyard cover crop and water management systems
• Establishment and cost of production

Erica Pate
Fruit Crop Specialist (berries)
E-mail: erica.pate@ontario.ca
Areas of Focus
• Production, pest management and marketing of berry crops
• Evaluating new cultivar and production systems
• Spotted wing drosophila monitoring and management

Wendy McFadden-Smith
Horticulture IPM Specialist (tender fruit and grape)
E-mail: wendy.mcfadden-smith@ontario.ca
Areas of Focus
• Integrated pest management of tender fruit and grapes
• Pesticide resistance management
• Efficacy of new strategies including conventional, organic, biological and cultural control

Kristy Grigg-McGuffin
Horticulture IPM Specialist (apples)
E-mail: kristy.grigg-mcguffin@ontario.ca
Areas of Focus
• Integrated pest management of pome fruit
• Develop and adopt new pest management techniques and monitoring systems
• Identification and management of new and emerging pest issues

Kristen Obeid
Weed Management Specialist – Horticulture
E-mail: kristen.obeid@ontario.ca
Areas of Focus
• Collaborate on applied research and demonstration projects to validate/determine practical integrated weed management solutions for horticulture production systems
• Address and monitor weed management issues in horticulture production systems
• Prioritize and aid in identifying minor use weed management solutions in horticulture crops

Jennifer DeEll
Fresh Market Quality Specialist
E-mail: jennifer.deell@ontario.ca
Areas of Focus
• Collaborate on research that will enhance the quality of fresh market produce
• Investigate new postharvest storage technologies for fresh fruits and vegetables
• Improved postharvest handling, storage and packaging systems for fresh fruits and vegetables