Davis College
News/Events

West Virginia University’s Organic Research Farm will host its annual field day from 1:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, July 24, 2008.

Situated on 71 acres of land off Route 705 and Stewartstown Rd. in Morgantown, the farm houses studies on field crops, livestock, organic pasture management, vegetable production, weed, insect and disease management, as well as soil quality.

The multidisciplinary team from the Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences and WVU Extension is beginning its ninth year of research on organic production methods.

“Organic farming is one of the fastest growing sectors in American agriculture,” said Jim Kotcon, associate professor of plant and soil sciences. “The WVU Organic Research Farm provides the information needed to help growers succeed in this rapidly expanding market.”

As part of the farm?s mission to provide best-practice recommendations for organic farmers and home gardeners, Field Day events include in-depth workshops, wagon tours of research plots and demonstrations of organic practices.

Although free and open to everyone, the field day is geared toward organic growers, students who want to learn about alternative food production practices; home gardeners who want to avoid pesticides; conventional growers who are considering transitioning to organic; and cooperative Extension agents or pest management advisers.

“We hope people will see the possibilities in organic agriculture and learn solutions to organic production problems,” Kotcon said. “Most importantly, we hope they have fun.”

Gates open at 1:30 p.m. with workshops beginning at 2:10. Wagon tours begin at 4:20. Dinner sponsored by the Plant and Soil Sciences Club will be served at 6:00.

Participation in the event is free, but pre-registration is appreciated. For more information or to register, contact Kotcon at (304) 293-8822 or jkotcon@wvu.edu. More information on WVUs Organic Research Farm is available online – www.caf.wvu.edu/plsc/organic.

Field Day Schedule of Events

1:30 Gates Open, Registration
2:10 Workshops
Season Extension ? Dr. Sven Verlinden
Economics of Organic and Pastured Poultry ? Dr. Joe Moritz
New Innovations in Organic Weed Management ? Dr. Rakesh Chadran

2:40 Break

2:50 Workshops
The West Virginia Farmers Market Association ? Susan Sauter
Organic Herd Health. ? Dr. Margaret Minch (DVM)
Plant Diseases, And What You Can Do About Them ? Dr. James Kotcon

3:20 Break

3:30 Workshops
Pasture Management ? Dr. Bill Bryan
Get More from Soil Test Results! Compost & Soil Fertility ? Dr. Louis McDonald
Handy Hand Tools ? Evan Anderson

4:00 Break. Registration Continues

4:10 Welcome: Dr. Barton Baker

4:20 Wagon tours:

Tour A. Market Garden/Vegetable Production
1. Season Extension. Market Garden Systems. Dr. Sven Verlinden
2. BioFuel Crops, Pumpkin Powdery Mildew Trials. Dr. Jim Kotcon
3. Blackberry Variety Trial. Dr. Lewis Jett

Tour B. Field Crops, Sheep, Poultry, Weed Management
1. Field Crop/Livestock Transition Systems. Dr. Bill Bryan
2. Poultry. Dr. Joe Moritz
3. Attracting Beneficial Insects To Orchards. Dr. Yong-Lak Park

5:00-6:00 Wagon Tours Repeat at approximately 30-minute intervals.

Plus, Free-Time & Self-guided Tours.

Demonstrations, Displays, and Exhibits
E. coli Contamination and How to Avoid It. Rachel Weichman
Nematode Pathogens & Parasites. Tiara King.
Achieving Optimal Crop Stands for Improved Production ? Hannah Schrum
Rotational Grazing with Sheep and Chickens. Jessica Eddy
Companion Plants for Natural Enemies. Will Lewis and Folukemi Adedipe
Creep Gates and Portable Fencing. Dr. William Bryan
Manic for Organic: How to Maximize Your Organic Shopping Experience. Betty Forbes

6:00 Dinner-Prepared by WVU Plant and Soil Sciences Club, and Dr. Joe Moritz.

7:00 Adjourn