Organic Production of Apples, Currants and GooseberriesJune 28 | 1-4pm | Two Onion Farm | 19638 Cottage Inn Rd, Belmont, WI 53510
Join Chris and Juli McGuire for a tour of Two Onion Farm to learn about organic apple, currant and gooseberry production. We will visit their half-acre planting of currants and gooseberries, established in 2020, and view their ongoing trials of the cordon trellis method of growing these plants alongside more traditional untrellised, bush plantings. We will also hear results of a recent on-farm trial on organic methods of controlling gooseberry Anthracnose leaf spot, a troublesome disease in the Upper Midwest. We will then tour their apple orchard, including trees ranging from 1-12 years of age, and discuss site preparation and planting, tree training, groundcover management, pest control, variety selection and orchard equipment. We will hear how their apple growing methods evolved as their orchard changed from a small component of a diverse vegetable farm to their farm's primary focus.
Co-sponsored by UW-Madison Extension and Marbleseed. |
|
Introduction to Growing Hard Cider ApplesTour The Cider Farm orchard to see the many apple trees that are used to make their ciders and apple brandy. Learn how they organically manage their many traditional English and French cider apple varieties and enhance the natural environment of their 166 acre farm in Wisconsin’s beautiful Driftless region. Host Deirdre Birmingham will share the farm vision, story, and design of the 18-acre high-density orchard and then lead us on a tour to talk about the attributes of the different varieties that make them perfectly suited for their delicious ciders.
Co-sponsored by UW-Madison Extension and the Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems. |
|
Growing Hops for the Craft Brewing MarketJuly 28 |10am-noon | Hoppertunity Gardens | 3434 County Hwy X, Elk Mound, WI 54739
Scott and Jody Alne, owners of Hoppertunity Gardens, established a 2-acre hop yard in 2016 dedicated to growing Cascade and Centennial hops for the craft brewing market. Topics will cover all things related to growing and marketing hops, including equipment, drip irrigation, soil fertility, disease management and marketing.
Guest speakers include:
Free lunch to follow. No pre-registration required but please RSVP to Carl Duley at carl.duley@wisc.edu if you plan to attend so we can order food. |
|
2023 Marbleseed Farmers of the Year Field Day at Janie's Farm OrganicsAugust 4 | 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. | Janie's Farm Organics | 854 E. 2300 N, Danforth, IL 60930
From farm to mill to your belly, come see how grains get from field to food with Marbleseed’s Farmers of the Year, Harold and Ross Wilken. Tour Janie’s Farm and Mill and partake in local treats and lunch featuring the farm's grains. We will hear from researchers and farmers about the agronomic aspects of producing food-grade small grains in an organic system as well as from the folks who turn the yields into food for their community. We will also hear from some of the young producers who are working to build and maintain this local grainshed and continue to connect farms directly to the people they feed. Space will be limited, so register early for what will surely be an awesome day at the farm!
|
|
Crop Diversity and Soil Health WorkshopAugust 9 | 10am - 1:30pm | Michael Fields Agricultural Institute
W2857 County Road ES, East Troy, WI 53120 Michael Fields Agricultural Institute (MFAI) and partners are hosting a field day highlighting emerging crops Kernza, hemp and others, and their potential for building diversity on your farm, soil and water health, as well as exciting market opportunities. A soil sampling presentation will give farmers hands-on practice to track soil health improvement when they return to their fields.
See and discuss in the field practices of:
Event partners include:
|
|
Hemp Research Trials at UW-MadisonAugust 17 | 9am-12pm | Arlington Agricultural Research Station | N695 Hopkins Rd, Arlington, WI 53911
UW-Madison staff and the Shelby Ellison lab are hosting a field day at the Arlington Agricultural Research Station to discuss their research trials in hemp production. Topics discussed will include:
|
|
2nd Annual Wisconsin Hazelnut WeekAugust 21-25 | Multiple Locations
Hazelnut Week is back for a second year! This is your very best chance to learn about hazelnuts, kick the tires, and ask questions of those involved in breeding, production, harvesting, and post-harvest processing. All the field days are free and open to the public. Pre-registration is requested. For all the details and the registration link, visit https://www.midwesthazelnuts.org/coming-events.html |
|