Month: July 2016

Join Us At Addison County Fair & Field Days! And…. bring your submission to our crops exhibit!

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Hey Folks, Addison County Fair and Field Days is coming up August 9 – 13th and we are looking forward to your entries. Help us show and tell the general public about the crops you grow and use your prize winnings on fair treats for the family!
 2016 ADDISON COUNTY FAIR & FIELD DAYS
Bring in your crop entries:

Monday, August 8, 2016 – 8 AM to 12 noon

FIELD CROPS ENTRY RULES
  1. A farm may have only one (1) entry in each class. All entries must be produced on the exhibitor’s farm.
  2. Bring exhibits to the 4-H Exhibit Building on Monday, August 8th between 8:00 AM and 12:00 noon-This is the only time to enter!
  3. Entries must be tagged using Field Days’ tags: grower name, farm name, address, class, & variety.
  4. Entries will be judged and awarded ribbons as follows: Excellent – Blue;   Good – Red;  Fair – White;
Rosettes for Best of Class and Best of Show.
  1. Premiums paid:          Blue – $15             Red – $10              White – $5
Best of Each Class – $25     Overall Best of Show – $50
CROP CLASSES
1.   Corn Plants – 3 whole plants with roots intact
2.   Soybean – 5 whole plants with roots intact
3.   Cereal Grains-Wheat, Barley, Oats, Rye – bundle
4.   Corn Silage – 1 Quart Jar
5.   Snaplage or ground ear corn – 1 Quart Jar
6.   Grass Haylage – 1 Quart Jar
7.   Legume Haylage- 1 Quart Jar
8.   Dry Hay-Legume – 1 Slice of a Bale
9.   Dry Hay-Grass- 1 Slice of a Bale
10. Dry Hay-Mixed legume/grass – 1 Slice of a Bale
11. Wrapped Baleage Hay – 1 Gallon zip-lock bag
12. Corn Grain Whole – 1 Quart Jar
13. Corn Grain Ground- 1 Quart Jar
14. Soybean Grain Whole – 1 Quart Jar
15. Cereal Grain Whole – 1 Quart Jar
16. OTHER Pulse OR Brassuca Seed Whole- 1 Quart Jar
Addison County Fair Website: http://www.addisoncountyfielddays.com/
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Integrating Irrigation Into Your Grazing System: Thursday August 4, 2016

Hescock Cows

Joe and Kathleen Hescock’s Elysian Fields has been certified organic since 1998, where they currently manage 225 milking cows on pasture. This workshop will look at how they have recently integrated a traveling gun irrigation system into their grazing program. We will discuss the impacts of installing pasture irrigation with opportunities to maximize dry matter yields, shorten recovery periods and increase the number of rotations.

When: Thursday August 4, 2016 at 12:30pm to 2:30pm
Where: Elysian Fields, 3658 Route 74W, Shoreham, VT
Cost: $10 for farmers, $20 all others
Register: At the NOFA VT Events Page

This workshop is part of the Summer Organic Dairy Series put on by the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont (NOFA-VT) and UVM Extension Northwest Crops and Soils Program and the Champlain Valley Crop, Soil and Pasture Program.

Aeration Tillage & Precision Ag Field Day: Tuesday August 2, 2016

Aeration Tillage

The Champlain Valley Crop, Soils, and Pasture Team will lead a hands-on discussion of benefits and challenges of aeration tillage on hay ground. We will examine:

  • Compaction relief
  • Manure incorporation
  • Potential drawbacks

Results from a 2-year SARE research project studying the aeration of permanent hay land will be presented and discussed. Additionally, GPS guidance assist will be discussed as a way to make aeration tillage more efficient.

When: Tuesday August 2, 2016 at 10am – 12pm
Where: Doug Gould Farm – 2072 Nortontown Rd., Addison VT
RSVP: Rico Balzano-(802)-388-4969 ext 338 or or rico.balzano@uvm.edu
Download the Flyer

Special thanks to Doug Gould.

University of Vermont Extension and U.S. Department of Agriculture, cooperating, offer education and employment to everyone without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or familial status. To request a disability related accommodation to participate in this program, please contact Karen Gallott at (802) 388-4969 or 1-800-956-1125 (toll-free in Vt. only) by July 28, 2016.

In the News and Around the Town

Lately we’ve been busy bees (particularly Kirsten Workman!) and have found ourselves on Across the Fence as well as NPR.  Here are some links where you can see and hear more about what we are up to!

http://digital.vpr.net/post/farmers-embrace-cover-crops-improve-soil-reduce-runoff#stream/0

http://digital.vpr.net/post/no-till-tell-all#stream/0