Three All-day Sessions:
January5th, Soil Testing Tools and Their Use
January 19th, Using Soil Fertility Practices to Solve Problems on Your Farm
February 9th, Putting a System Together on Your Farm
This course is designed for intermediate to advanced vegetable growers to help you develop a deeper understanding of how to manage soils and soil fertility on your farm.
Class One
Tuesday, January 5th 8:30am-4:30pm
This class will explore soil fertility assessment tools available to growers. Speakers will discuss the integration of physical, chemical, and biological management practices to develop a systems approach to soil fertility management. Growers will solve real farm problems to develop an understanding of the tools available and how to use appropriate testing tools to ID problems and needs on their farm. Growers will work with their own soil greenhouse and compost tests.
Class Two
Tuesday, January 19th 8:30am-4:30pm
This class will help growers understand how to use soil fertility management tools and practices to meet physical, chemical, and biological needs of plants and solve problems on their farms. Tools and practices examined include fertilizers, amendments, tillage, cover crops, and crop rotations. Nutrient availability from organic materials and nutrient management tools available to growers will be discussed by our speakers. Experienced growers present what they have learned and problem-solving break out sessions will help growers determine how to best meet their crop's nutrient needs, both economically and environmentally.
Class Three
Tuesday, February 9th 8:30am-4:30pm
This class will instruct growers on creating a fertility management plan for their farms that addresses nutrient needs, using appropriate tools to address compaction, rotations and tillage. Growers will present their own systems for whole farm fertility management. Participants will bring plans and ideas to this session to be discussed with other growers to share insight on whole farm soil fertility planning using appropriate tools and practices they can afford.
Up to 5 vegetable farmers will have the opportunity to work with a farmer-mentor on soil health and fertility issues. Mentors provide technical assistance in the areas of soil fertility management and crop production. The mentoring process will start with the first course and continue through the 2010 growing season. For more information contact NOFA Vermont.
This soils course is one of four integrated learning courses for intermediate to advanced organic and sustainable vegetable producers being offered by NOFA Vermont through a Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Program Grant. The other courses will be on marketing, on-farm energy, and pest (insects, diseases, and weeds) management. For more information contact NOFA Vermont, 802-434-4122, info@nofavt.org.
Speakers / Facilitators Include:
Caroline Alves, Soil Scientist, NRCS
Mimi Arnstein Wellspring Farm CSA, Marshfield VT
Hank Bissell Lewis Creek Farm, Starksboro, VT
Brian Caldwell Hemlock Grove Farm, Spencer, NY & Farm Education Coordinator, NOFA-NY
Heather Darby Crops and Soils Specialist, University of Vermont Extension
Laurie Drinkwater Associate Professor of Horticulture, Cornell University
Carla Fenner Land Treatment Planner, NRCS
Amanda Gervais Northwest Crops & Soils Education Coordinator, University of Vermont
Vern Grubinger Vegetable and Berry Specialist, University of Vermont Extension,
Wendy Sue Harper Vegetable and Fruit Technical Assistance Advisor, NOFA Vermont
Fred Magdoff Professor Emeritus, Ecological Soil Management, University of Vermont
Don Ross Research Associate Professor of Soil Science, University of Vermont
Reed Sims GIS Specialist, NRCS
Ellen Sirvet Soil Conservationist, NRCS
Tom Villars Soil Resource Specialist, NRCS
Ryan Voiland Red Fire Farm, Granby, MA
And more to be announced!
This Course is offered with the generous support of Northeast SARE
Many thanks to our collaborating partners:
Natural Resources Conservation Service-VT
University of Vermont
University of Vermont Extension