PUYALLUP, Wash. — Washington State University’s first ever field day for small-scale and urban area farmers will be held on Wednesday, July 16, at the university’s Puyallup Research and Extension Center.
This will be the first opportunity for growers to see the new field trial plots at the facility that are specifically for research to benefit small-scale, sustainable, and organic growers.
Those attending will learn about the latest research on the effectiveness of inexpensive organic soil amendments, ranging from yard debris to dairy solids to chicken manure.
Participants will also be able to observe the results of trials on controlling weeds and building soil nutrients by inter-seeding a variety of row crops with cover crops such as clover and vetch. They’ll also see which low-cost approaches are proving most effective for biological control of the carrot rust fly.
Demonstrations of a flame weeder and a basket weeder will highlight useful equipment for small farms.
Interactive presentations will provide opportunities for growers to share their experiences, ask questions, and offer ideas for additional research that could benefit small-scale growers.
Sign-in begins at 1:00 p.m., with presentations starting at 1:30 p.m. and equipment demonstrations set to get underway at 2:30 p.m. The field day is free of charge and no advance registration is required.
The WSU Puyallup Research and Extension Center is located at 7612 Pioneer Way E. in Puyallup. Directions are available at http://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/plantclinic/madd/madd.html. The field day will be at the Puyallup research farm on the north side of Pioneer Way, across from the main entrance to the Research and Extension Center (near the big white barns).
The field day is sponsored by the statewide WSU Small Farms Program, which is committed to fostering profitable family farms, land stewardship and access to healthy foods.
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