Vegetable Tillage & Cultivation Equipment
Featured June 14 in Farmington
CONTACT: Parker Forsell, LSP, 507-523-3366; parker@landstewardshipproject.org
5/26/09
FARMINGTON, Minn. — Tillage and cultivation equipment for vegetable production will be featured during a special workshop Sunday, June 14, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., at Gardens of Eagan organic vegetable farm near Farmington. This event, which is sponsored by the Land Stewardship Project’s Farm Beginnings® program in collaboration with the Organic Field School @ Gardens of Eagan, is free to Land Stewardship Project members and open to the public for a cost of $35 per person. Space is limited and participants must pre-register before June 7 by calling Parker Forsell at 507-523-3366 or e-mailing parker@landstewardshipproject.org.
This is a production workshop for people currently farming or interested in launching a farming operation. Participants can view firsthand how the principles discussed at the workshop are being put into practice on the Gardens of Eagan operation. This is a unique opportunity to learn from Gardens of Eagan’s Atina and Martin Diffley, two of the area’s most experienced organic vegetable growers. Topics to be covered include:
- Demonstrations of tillage and cultivation equipment in the field.
- How history of land use and farm operation affect tillage and equipment decisions.
- Principles of efficiency.
- How topography affects tillage decisions.
- Tillage decisions and their effect on soil quality, moisture levels, compaction and erosion.
- How compaction affects tillage and cultivation and what to do about it.
- What are you trying to accomplish with your tillage?
- Timing of tillage.
- Weed management and weed psychology.
- Seed bed preparation.
- Driving equipment decisions with farm goals, not problems.
- Prioritizing equipment purchases.
- Budgeting for equipment purchases.
- Sizing equipment to your operation.
- New and used equipment availability.
For more information on the Land Stewardship Project’s Farm Beginnings program, see www.farmbeginnings.org or call 507-523-3366. For more on Gardens of Eagan, see www.gardensofeagan.com or call 952-985-7233.
