BRADFORD, Vt. — “There are a lot of farmers and researchers testing a lot of interesting approaches. We hope folks will join us to learn and to share!”
That’s the message that UVM Extension Agronomy Outreach Professional Laura Johnson is hoping to share with Vermont’s agricultural community this year as she and a team of farmers, UVM Extension staff and faculty, and folks from state agencies prepare for the 2019 Winter Farmer Meetings.
She says, “It’s part of our annual effort to offer dairy and custom crop growers an opportunity to stay up to date on the latest cropping practices. There’s a focus on no-till practices and equipment, cover cropping, water management and nutrient management, and a chance to hear from other farmers about how they’re working with all of those. We’re also especially excited to offer several of these in locations convenient for folks in the Connecticut River watershed on the eastern side of the state.”
“Plus farmers can get water quality credits that they’ll need to comply with nutrient management regulations, and pesticide applicator credits so that folks who are already certified can get credits to keep their certification. And folks who are seeking manure applicator certification can take the exam at the end of the workshop in Newport on 3/21.”
“We want to make it easy for folks to get the latest results and findings, and be able to start the season off right. Everyone’s working so hard to balance productivity and environmental stewardship on their farms, and we are all here to help them figure out their best ways to do that.”
The “Fine-Tuning Your Crops & Soils Program 2019” meetings will be offered:
- March 19, 2019 Bradford Fire Hall, Bradford, VT 9:30 – 3:05
- March 21, 2019 East Side Restaurant, Newport, VT, 9:30 – 4:00 pm (includes custom manure applicator exam)
- March 26, 2019 Hartness House, Springfield, VT 9:30 – 3:05
- March 27, 2019 Castleton Fire Hall, Castleton, VT 9:30 – 3:05
Registration for each session is $25, with an additional $30 certification fee for those seeking to take the manure applicator exam on March 21. (It’s okay to take the exam and submit payment after.) Registration for all events is here: https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/?eventid=2557200
Contact Laura Johnson with any questions about the workshops at laura.o.johnson@uvm.edu. To request a disability-related accommodation to participate in this program, please contact Cheryl Herrick at 802-656-5459 or cheryl.herrick@uvm.edu<mailto:cheryl.herrick@uvm.edu> by February 26 so we may assist you.
Established in 1994, the Center for Sustainable Agriculture provides timely information to Vermont communities and the UVM campus. Part of the University of Vermont College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Extension, the Center cultivates partnerships, supports innovative research and practices, and informs policy to advance sustainable food and farming systems. Learn more at http://www.uvm.edu/~susagctr/.
–UVM Extension Center for Sustainable Agriculture
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