WAUKESHA, Wis. — Taking place at Gwenyn Hills Farm in Waukesha, WI on September 18, 2019, from 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., the Midwest Mechanical Weed Control Field Day is the Midwest’s largest field day devoted to mechanical weed control for growers.
Last year’s field day took place at PrairiErth Farm in Atlanta, IL and was a resounding success. The Midwest Mechanical Weed Control Field Day is an ideal opportunity for farmers to learn about weeding tools, equipment, and techniques, including precision guidance. This year’s event will continue the strong focus on vegetable and specialty-crop machines, but new this year is a row-crop section – with its own weeding tool companies, round-table topics, and field demonstrations using 6-row machines.
The morning Expo period provides opportunities to see weeding tools from more than 10 companies and to mingle with everyone in attendance. University weed scientists from surrounding states will be there to share their research and experienced farmers will be moderating round-table discussions on various topics. Walk-Behind Alley will feature demonstrations of walk-behind tractors and implements both new and tried and true. You can also visit exhibit booths for other companies in allied trades such as farm-service and soil amendments.
At noon, the field day will break for lunch, which is an opportunity for farmers to break bread together or to continue looking at equipment and speaking with exhibitors. In the afternoon, attendees will follow the tractors out to the demonstration field, where corn, beets, and broccoli have been planted especially for the demonstrations. Myriad cultivators and cultivating tractors will be demonstrated in the field and explained by manufacturers. These demonstrations will show how the machines should be mounted and properly adjusted, and will help farmers visualize how the implements can work on their own farms to increase efficiency and productivity.
Row-crop tools in the demonstration include the Treffler Harrow, Einbock Harrow, KULT-Kress 6-row cultivator with finger weeders and camera guidance, Einbock Chop-Star cultivator with camera guidance, Buffalo Cultivator with slide-hitch, among others. Demonstrations will be held in 5’’ corn.
Vegetable tools include the Tilmor Tractor and their basket weeder, parallel-unit cultivator and other tools, Steketee parallel units of side-knives and finger weeders mounted on the Franken-G, Treffler harrow, a variety of KULT-Kress belly-mounted and rear-mounted steerable tools, Mechanical Transplanter with their planting machine and plastic layer, as well as a variety of weeding machines brought to the field day from all over the Midwest by farmers in attendance.* And, for the first time in the US, you can see Japanese cultivators!
Registration for this day of learning and networking on mechanical weed control is $40 through August 25, and $50 after August 25. Registration includes breakfast, lunch, and all the demos you can handle. It is recommended that everyone register early as each year space runs out.
Here is the general information for the event:
When: Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Where: Gwenyn Hill Farm, W294 N130 Bryn Drive, Waukesha, WI 53188
How Much: $40 (includes lunch)
Register online at https://thelandconnection.org/event/mechanicalweedcontrol2019/
For more info on the event and registration, contact The Land Connection at info@thelandconnection.org or (312) 840-2128.
*If you would like to bring a cultivator to the field day, that would be wonderful. Please call or text Sam Hitchcock Tilton at 414-213-5337 or email at sam.hitchcocktilton@gotoltc.edu.
To register by mail, please send a check made out to The Land Connection along with your name, mailing address, phone number, and event name to:
The Land Connection
Attn: Nicole Philyaw
206 N. Randolph St, Suite 400
Champaign, IL 61821
–The Land Connection