The Cornell Organic Production and Marketing Program Work Team and New York Soil Health Initiative, in conjunction with NOFA-NY, have announced a free Organic @Cornell Summer Field Day Series. To register for any or all of the events, visit the NOFA NY website at nofany.org/our-events/2019-on-farm-field-days or call 315.988.4000.
The series’ programs are as follow:
Tuesday, July 16, 2019: From No-Till to New Cultivars: Improving Organic Corn and Soybean Production, 10 am to 2 pm, Musgrave Research Farm, 1256 Poplar Ridge Road, Aurora, NY 13026. This field day will connect farmers and Cornell University researchers with an opportunity to see the farm’s new no-till planter, learn about the farm’s organic cropping systems experiment and crop breeding for organic production, and get the latest information about rolled cover crop, organic no-till soybean production. Lunch will be provided; please pre-register.
Wednesday, July 31, 2019: Innovations in Organic Vegetable Production, 3 pm to 7 pm, Homer C. Thompson Vegetable Research Farm, 133 Fall Creek Road, Freeville, NY 13068. Cornell University researchers and Cornell Cooperative Extension educators will lead field tours of ongoing organic research. Hear about soil health, perennial cover crops, hemp production, tarps for weed suppression, variety trials, and organic vegetable breeding. Vegetable tasting and reception follow program.
Thursday, Aug. 1, 2019: Management Options and Rootstock Varieties for Organic Apple Production, 3 pm to 7 pm, Cornell Orchards, 709 Dryden Road, Ithaca, NY 14850. This field day provides the opportunity to focus on organic apple production and to see how mulch compares to tillage and allowed herbicides in a block of ‘Honeycrisp,’ and how ‘Modi’ performs on different rootstocks under organic management conditions in a high-density tall spindle orchard. Advances in organic management of insect pests and diseases will also be discussed. Dinner will be provided; please pre-register.
Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2019: Building Resilience into Organic Forage Production, 10 am to 2 pm, Twin Oaks Dairy, 3185 NY-13, Truxton, NY 13158. Join farm owners Kirk and Kathie Arnold to learn about mixed intercropping, interseeding into corn, and double cropping with triticale and sorghum sudangrass. Cornell University researchers will discuss improving soil health and other ways farmers can increase resilience to extreme weather events. Lunch will be provided; please pre-register.