Dear Readers:
This is just a reminder that our annual soil building workshop will be held
on August 20th and 21st at Morgan Composting in Sears, MI. It is looking
like the turnout will be quite good, but we hope to have as many people
contributing to this event as possible. The deadline for early-bird
registration looms ahead; registration by August 15th will cost $30 for one
day and $50 for both days. After this date, the price will increase by $10.
You may register online at:
www.MichiganOrganic.msu.edu
(The above site also has links to the flyer, which contains the mail-in
registration form, and the program for the event.)
********
Some more info:
Innovations to Build Soils to Feed Sustainable Communities is a two-day
workshop featuring an expert in soil health from the Cornell University Soil
Health Team, in Ithaca, New York. The event will take place Wednesday and
Thursday, August 20-21 at Morgan Composting in Sears, Mich (4353 US Highway
10) from 9 am to 4:30 pm each day.
The workshop will consist of two days of educational sessions by researchers
and expert farmers, a tour of Morgan Composting and vermicompost Facility, a
trade show, and demonstrations of equipment for using compost and equipment
targeted to growers to scale up production (such as transplanters, seeders,
mulchers, and compost spreaders). The focus of the discussions will be on
improving crop quality by building healthier soils. Wednesday, August 20,
will highlight vegetable production, and Thursday, August 21, will feature
field crop production. In addition to the trade show and field
demonstrations, representatives from equipment dealerships, the USDA Farm
Service Agency, and credit unions will be available to discuss opportunities
to help farmers expand their operations.
Those attending will also be treated to a presentation by Bob Schindelbeck
from Cornell University’s Department of Crop and Soil Science.
Schindelbeck is a Soil Research Specialist on the Cornell Soil Health Team
who will bring information from the team to the farmer. He will share with
us how the Cornell Soil Health Team analyzes soil for the living and
non-living components in the soil, and how they impact the soil quality. The
Soil Health Team has designed a system for growers to not only understand
what the soil contains now, but how it can be made more productive using
appropriate management. In 2007, the team published a manual describing
their system. This manual provides a broad overview of many key aspects of
soil health and provides practical information so that growers can assess
and manage the physical, chemical, and biological components of their
farms’ soils. For the curious, this manual is available as an online
resource within the Soil building and Compost section of the
www.MichiganOrganic.msu.edu website.
In the afternoon, our guest speaker, Bob Schindelbeck will demonstrate,
using farmers’ soils (which they are invited to bring), how soil structure
or water stable aggregates impact crop production. This demonstration will
foster a discussion about the impact of soil management on the structure of
water stable aggregates, which enhance soil drainage, water retention and
nutrient availability to the plant.
Attendees may choose either one or two-day registration options for the
workshop. Cost of registration is as follows:
Reservations made by Aug. 15
One-day registration: $30
Two-day registration: $50
Reservations made after Aug. 15
One-day registration: $40
Two-day registration: $60
Trade show tables may be purchased for $60, but reservations must be made by
postmarked before Aug. 15, and include a two-day registration for two
people. Trade table and registration forms for the workshop can be found at
www.michiganorganic.msu.edu. You can register on-line or print out
registration forms at www.michiganorganic.msu.edu and pay by check or credit
card. Registration can also be sent in to 303 Natural Resources, c/o
Morrone, East Lansing, MI 48824.and make checks payable to Michigan State
University. For additional questions contact Vicki Morrone at (517)
353-3542.
If you would like to access previous postings to the Mich-Organic listserv you can copy and paste the following URL into your browser address bar
http://list.msu.edu/archives/mich-organic.html
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