Released Auugst 5, 2009
LINCOLN, Neb. — University of Nebraska-Lincoln Working Organic Farm Tours Aug. 20 near Mead and Abie will offer the latest updates and research information about the project.
The tour starts at 10:30 a.m. at the Forestry Research Area at UNL's Agricultural Research and Development Center near Mead.
Richard Little, UNL organic wheat breeding specialist, will offer updates and will review the 2009 winter wheat varieties. Santiago Ulloa, UNL graduate student, will demonstrate and a weed flamer and discuss his research results using the flamer to control weeds. John Quinn, UNL graduate student, will discuss the Healthy Farm Index and the data he's collected on various organic farms across the state. Liz Sarno, UNL organic project coordinator, will talk about upcoming organic research projects.
The afternoon session will start at Larry Stanislav's farm near Abie for lunch and organic farm tours. Stanislav, a certified organic farmer, will share his 30 years of experimenting with various crop rotations, including: hybrid and open pollinated corn, soybeans, spring wheat and cover crops/green manures. Participants also will view various field equipment for mechanical weed control in organic crops; discuss cultural practices, benefits of strip cropping and record-keeping for organic production and inspection.
The next stop will be Randy Fendrich's farm, also near Abie. Fendrich has been farming organically for 13 years. He will talk about his crop rotation of corn, soybeans, alfalfa and the economics and benefits of his fertility program. He also will discuss his partnership with UNL's on-farm soil erosion research project and using an experimental flamer to control weeds.
To make a reservation for lunch call Pat at (402) 584-3837. Lunch is sponsored by the Nebraska Great Plains Resource Conservation and Development.
To get to the Forestry Research Area, start out on Highway 77 north of Lincoln toward Wahoo. Turn east on Highway 66 and travel 7 miles to the top of the hill, just past the August N. Christenson Research and Education Building at the ARDC. The entrance to the Forestry Research Area is on the left next to a row of trees. Take the farm road north one-half mile to the buildings on the left. If coming from the north through Mead, take Road 10 south to Highway 66, turn west and go one-half mile to the gravel farm road on the right. Enter and go one-half mile north to buildings in the center of the section.
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http://ianrnews.unl.edu/static/0908050.shtml
Source: Liz Sarno, (402) 584-3856; (402) 326-8777
Writer: Sandi Alswager Karstens, (402) 472-3030