Organic Farming Workshop July 16-17

Organic Farming Workshop July 16-17

>June 15, 2007

An organic farming workshop and farm tour will be held July 16-17 near Madison, South Dakota. The program is a multi-state collaboration with North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa and Nebraska and is funded by the North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program.

The event begins July 16 with 8:30 a.m. registration at St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Orland Township. The morning sessions will include an introduction to organic farming, and applying the organic perspective to horticultural crop production and management, crop production and management, and livestock production and management. The July 16 afternoon sessions cover soil fertility, integrated weed management, biological weed control, certification, marketing, and accessing information. An evening session includes a presentation about the USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program followed by a question and answer session.

The July 17 morning session features a tour of the Charlie and Allan Johnson operation, which has been in organic production since the 1980s. Together they farm 2,400 acres, 1,500 of which is tillable. During the tour Charlie will explain the rotation program they use. They have implemented a six-year rotation for their farm which includes alfalfa, rye, soybeans, small grains, and oats underseeded to alfalfa. The July 17 afternoon session wraps up the workshop with a question and answer session.

Registration for the two-day conference is $50. For more information contact April Borders by phone at (605) 665-3387 or e-mail at april.borders@ces.sdstate.edu.

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