Fall Soil Health Workshop And Field Day

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 Join Us as we discuss soil health, cover crops, no-till and more, share information from our research and demonstration trials, hear from farmers about their successes in Addison County, and welcome guest speaker Ray Archuleta.

 

 

 

Ray Archuleta is a Conservation Agronomist at the NRCS East National Technology Center, in Greensboro, North Carolina. Ray teaches soil health and the principles of agroecology throughout

the country.  He has 25 years of experience with the Natural Resources Conservation Service in many different states, has also served in the Peace Corps, and holds a B.S. in Agricultural Biology.

When: October 28th, 2015. 10:00 am to 3:00 pm

Where: Middlebury, VT. Begins at the American Legion; after lunch we will visit Foster Brother’s Farm.

Cost: Farmers attend and eat for FREE, but ONLY with registration. Others, $20, which includes a hot lunch.

— REGISTRATION WEBSITE  —     

www.regonline.com/soilhealthworkshop

For More Information:

Oct 28 Soil Health Field Day Flyer

Questions? Contact Karen Gallott at karen.gallot@uvm.edu or 802-388-4969 ext 330

To request a disability-related accommodation to participate in this program, contact UVM Extension by 10/07/15 at 802-388-4969 or toll-free in Vermont at 1-800-956-1125 so we may assist you.

 

What is your Watermark?

A new, locally produced movie addresses water quality far and wide, and focuses on ways that different sectors of the community are working to conserve and protect water. There is a strong emphasis on Lake Champlain and phosphorus best management. Mount Mansfield Media has teamed with ‘The H-Team’ to produce this film.

You can check out the video on YoutTube here,

Or check out their website for more information on the project: http://whatsyourwatermark.com/

 

Spring 2015, Soil Health Field Day

Soil Health Field Day Flyer_Hoorman 2015The snow is melting, the sap is flowing (hopefully), and the crew at CV Crops is dreaming of spring!

Join us for our Spring 2015 Soil Health Field Day

April 21st, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm.

We will be hosting Jim Hoorman, from Ohio State University Extension (PhD candidate and farmer), to discuss:SoilHealth

  • The Biology of Soil Compaction
  • Using Cover Crops to Keep Phosphorus Out of Surface Water
  • Economics of Cover Crops & Weed Suppression

    Soil Health Field Day Flyer_Hoorman 2015_Page_1

 (click on the picture above to view the pdf)

We will meet at the American Legion, have a hot lunch, and then head out to the field to visit Vander Wey’s Nea-Tocht Farm. If you are a farmer, you can attend this field day FOR FREE, due to the generous contributions of Caring Dairy and the Champlain Valley Farmer Coalition.

Service professions are welcome to attend, there will be a $30 fee. Five CCA credits available from this event.

Either way, we request that you register.

You may do so by either calling us at (802) 388-4969, or by registering online: https://www.regonline.com/soilhealth

 

Recent Planter Clinic

 

Jeff Sanders Speaking About No-Till Corn Planter Maintenance.
Jeff Sanders Speaking About No-Till Corn Planter Maintenance.

Last week we held a corn planter clinic, with a focus on no-till equipment maintenance. Rico Balzano organized the event and Jeff Sanders (NW Soils and Crops Team) spoke to a crowd that included about 30 (+) farmers, and other agriculture professionals. It was a very successful event, with constructive discussion. The clinic benefited both those considering no-till and those doing regular maintenance or upgrades on their equipment.

Jeff Sanders highlighted many different parts of the no-till corn planter that should be looked at and maintained for optimum performance. He highlighted the importance in no-till for successful opening and closing of the seed slot, and that maintenance should be focused on those pieces. He discussed different options to achieve that objective, and what people have had the most success with in VT. Jeff also talked about the importance of a level planter, of proper depth, and of seed placement in the seed slot. Proper maintenance of the planter will prevent doubles and skips, and ensure the slot is V-shaped and not W-shaped. He recommends getting off the tractor and looking at what the planter is doing and ensuring that it is planting properly. Jeff also emphasized that weather conditions and soil moisture will affect how successful no-till planting is, and particularly that fields that are saturated may not seed well.

Missed the Clinic? Do not despair.

Check out the checklist fact-sheet which can be downloaded:

Fact Sheet_No-Till Planter Checklist_2015.

We will hopefully be holding more events in the future! In the mean time, if you have any questions, feel free to contact us.

Rico Balzano can be reached at (802) 388-4969 ext 338

or rico.balzano@uvm.edu

New Across the Fence Video

The 2015 No-Till and Cover Crop Symposium was featured recently on Across the Fence!

The t.v. segment also features Kirsten Workman and Jeff Sanders discussing research, trials, and use of both cover crops and no-till in Vermont.

Check out the video HERE!

Interested in trying a new practice on your farm this coming year?  We are happy to help you determine the best fit for your farm!

Contact Us!

 

 

Reading ‘Cow Signals’: Upcoming Workshop

Join us for a fantastic opportunity to learn more about the ‘Cow Signals’ program! Dr. Hubert Karreman will be on hand in both a classroom and a barn session.

When: Tuesday March 24, 2015

Where: Bridport,VT and Shoreham, VT

Cows send out signals continuously about their health, well-being, nutrition, and production. The challenge is how to interpret these signals and use them to maximize cow health and well-being. The ‘Cow Signals’ program teaches farmers how to interpret the behavior and physical characteristics of groups of cows and individuals.

Learn More: Click on the picture below to view the pdf of the event.

Cow Signals March 15

 

 

 

 

 

Register: https://www.regonline.com/cowsignals

2015 No-Till and Cover Crop Symposium

Thursday, February 19, 2015

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Sheraton Hotel & Conference Center   |   Burlington, VT

Miss the Symposium? You can still learn about the information presented:

2015 NTCC Proceedings

THE CONFERENCE BROCHURE

Check out this awesome Across the Fence Video, that was shot at the symposium, and in the studio with Kirsten Workman and Jeff Sanders.

To view PDFs of the individual presentations, click on the links below.

Speakers Included:

  • John Koepke and his family own and operate a 350 cow dairy farm in SE Wisconsin. They are 2011 Leopold Conservation Award Winners and 2011 Dairy Men of the Year and have been no-tillers for more than 25 years: John Koepke’s Presentation
  • Gerard Troisi is crop advisor/production consultant since 1991, consulting on 24,000 acres in central PA.  He works with operators who no-till or are transitioning, and is skilled at increasing production on marginal soils while reducing input costs and adjusting production practices: Gerard Troisi’s Presentation
  • Lucas Criswell and his father farm in the hills of the Chesapeake Bay watershed in central Pennsylvania. They have been no tilling for over 30 years and now utilize high residue cover crops: Lucas Criswell’s Presentation
  • Pierre-Olivier Gaucher is the owner of Terralis & convened a consortium of Canadian farmers who are changing their cropping techniques to improve soil health.  They developed a crop rotation to include cover crops, winter cereals and interseeding in corn: Pierre-Olivier Gaucher’s Presentation, Pierre-OLivier Gaucher’s Video
  • Heather Darby, UVM Extension Agronomist: Heather Darby’s Presentation
  • Kirsten Workman, UVM Extension: Kirsten Workman’s Presentation
  • VERMONT FARMER PANELISTS:
    • Richard Hall, Fairmont Farms (E. Montpelier): Richard Hall’s Presentation
    • Ron & Chad Machia,  Machia & Sons (Sheldon)
    • Shawn Gingue, Gingue Bros. Dairy (Fairfax)
    • Scott Magnan, Custom Service (St. Albans)
    • Gerard Vorsteveld, Vorsteveld Farm (Panton)
 (Please respect the pdfs as original content).

 Thank you to our 2015 Sponsors:

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CVE LogoCaring Dairymatts truckingCVFC_color_round_croppedusda rma underneathVAAFM

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NT_FarmerMonument FarmsJBI Heli_logo

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champlain.crops@uvm.edu | (802) 388-4969

Participate in the Annual Vermont Farm Show!

Judging at the VT Farm Show
Judging at the VT Farm Show

The annual Vermont Farm Show will be held on January the 27th-29th (Tues-Thurs), at the Champlain Valley Expo, in Essex Junction, VT. All community members are welcome and there is something for everyone! Children, and children at heart, always enjoy the equipment and animals on display, the public can come learn about innovative agriculture practices happening in their community, and ‘foodies’ will enjoy the Wednesday ‘Buy Local Market’. There will be opportunities to have friendly and engaging conversation with a variety of representatives in the agricultural community – from seed, machinery and product vendors, trade organizations, Extension agents, state and national technical advisers, and financial organizations.

Growers, artists and home-chefs can submit products for the annual product competition. Many types of products will be on display including maple syrup and maple products, vegetables, apples, field crops, Christmas trees and wreaths, honey, eggs, home goods, and fiber arts. The UVM Middlebury Extension office is your local drop-off site for product entries. Please drop off entries by noon on Monday January 26th. Just be sure to fill out your tag with appropriate information and follow product entry rules. For more information about the Farm Show and the product entry rules, visit the website: http://www.vtfarmshow.com or call (802) 461-8774. Feel free to contact the UVM Extension Middlebury office, (802) 338-4969 or (800) 956-1125, e-mail: champlain.crops@uvm.edu or stop by: 23 Pond Lane Suite 300, Middlebury, VT.