UMaine Sustainable Agriculture Field Day July 17 in Stillwater

Contact: John Jemison, 207-581-3241, jjemison@umext.maine.edu

STILLWATER, Me. — University of Maine Cooperative Extension will hold its annual Sustainable Agriculture Field day for farmers, crop advisors and other members of the agricultural community on Tuesday, July 17. It will take place at Rogers Farm, UMaine’s 100-acre forage and crops research facilityon Bennoch Road in Stillwater. This free event will feature talks on many different agricultural topics, and those who attend may receive one pesticide certification credit and three Certified Crop Advisor credits. Registration is set for 9 a.m., and events will run until 12:30 p.m. For more information, contact Gale Clendenning at 207-581-2953.

The sessions will cover many areas, including small grain production issues, oil and energy crop production, specialty potato varieties, cover crops to suppress soil pathogens in potatoes, spring grains, and new grass varieties. In addition, there will be a brief talk on the reestablishment of the Black Bear Food Guild, a community-supported organization that grows crops on three acres of Rogers Farm, providing fresh organically grown vegetables twice a week to 60 shareholders.

UMaine Extension’s statewide sustainable agriculture program works closely with producers, industry representatives, college faculty members and USDA agencies to improve agricultural efficiency and reduce agricultural impacts on the environment. Forage crop management and use, pasture and grazing systems, nutrient management strategies, and soil management and health are all important parts of this educational program.

Tuesday’s event will feature several specialists: John Rebar, Extension interim director; Ed Ashworth, dean of the College of Natural Sciences, Forestry and Agriculture; John Jemison, Extension water quality specialist; Peter Sexton, Extension crops specialist; Tim Griffin, New England Plant, Soil and Water Research Laboratory agronomist; Lois Berg-Stack, Extension ornamental horticulture specialist; Eric Gallandt, associate professor of weed ecology and management, and his assistants, Lauren Kolb and Tom Molloy; Mark Hutton, Extension vegetable specialist, and his assistant, Heather Bryant; and Hayley Williams and Britta Jinson, students and members of the Black Bear Food Guild.