ALBANY, N.Y. — Have you registered for a NOFA-NY field day yet? Covering topics from organic apples to onions to seed breeding, there’s something for everyone.
Visit www.nofany.org/fielddays to get complete event details and register online. Pre-registration for all field days will close two days before the date of the event, but walk-ins are welcome.
Here’s a preview of a few of our upcoming events:
Water, Soil, Tools at Deep Root Farm
Date & Time: Monday, July 29, from 3 to 6 p.m.
Location: Deep Root Farm, 2870 W. Walworth Road, Macedon, NY 14502
Join NOFA-NY and Eric Houppert, owner of Deep Root Farm, for an interactive field day where you’ll learn strategies for managing soil and handling produce from field to market. Not all tools are created equal, and some work well with certain soils but not others. Bring a tool you love, and maybe one that doesn’t work so well. We’ll try out tools from hand weeders to walk-behind tractors, taking a look at how Eric manages the soil in his context and what you can do on your farm. Following the hands-on demos, we’ll have an on-farm happy hour where you can share your own tips, lessons learned, and questions about field management and wash and pack strategies. $13.50 at the door for NOFA-NY members, $15 for non-members.
Innovations in Organic Vegetable Production (Organic@Cornell Summer Field Day Series)
Date & Time: Wednesday, July 31, from 3 to 7 p.m.
Location: Homer C. Thompson Vegetable Research Farm, 133 Fall Creek Road, Freeville, NY 13068
Join Cornell researchers and Cornell Cooperative Extension for field tours of ongoing organic research. Learn about soil health, perennial cover crops, hemp production, tarps for weed suppression, variety trials, and vegetable breeding for organic production. The New York Soil Health Trailer will also be on-site with demonstrations to show participants how healthy soil compares to degraded soil. Free to attend, vegetable tastings and light meal included.
Management Options and Rootstock Varieties for Organic Apple Production (Organic@Cornell Summer Field Day Series)
Date & Time: Thursday, Aug. 1 from 3 to 7 p.m.
Location: Cornell Orchards, 709 Dryden Road, Ithaca, NY 14850
Join us for an afternoon at the Cornell Orchards. Learn how mulch compares to tillage and allowed herbicides in terms of weed suppression and soil health in a block of ‘Honeycrisp’, and how ‘Modi’ performs on different rootstocks in a high-density tall spindle orchard. Advances in organic management of insect pests and diseases will also be discussed. The New York Soil Health Trailer will also be onsite with demonstrations to show participants how healthy soil compares to degraded soil. Free to attend, light meal included.
Balancing Quality and Efficiency amid an Evolving Labor Force: Myth-busting H2A for Small Farms
Date & Time: Wednesday, Aug. 7, from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Location: Kent Family Growers, 1301 County Route 31, Lisbon, NY 13658
Kent Family Growers will share how their farm manages the challenges of reaching far-flung markets while offering local CSA members maximum choice, despite their rural northern location. This field day covers a range of topics, from how to identify 1% efficiencies to help you maximize production, to how you can integrate on-farm fruit and vegetable processing while maintaining high food safety standards. Particular focus of this field day will be on farm labor: how the Kent’s workforce has evolved over the years, how they find and work with H2A and J1 farmers, and how they train their crew on efficiency and food safety handling practices. $13.50 at the door for NOFA-NY members, $15 for non-members.
— NOFA-NY