Cultivating Healthy Communities
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/
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!
We will be hosting Jim Hoorman, from Ohio State University Extension (PhD candidate and farmer), to discuss:
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
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.
Rico Balzano can be reached at (802) 388-4969 ext 338
or rico.balzano@uvm.edu
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!
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.
Register: https://www.regonline.com/cowsignals
The survey helps us gauge local farmer practices, adoption, needs, and interests.
It also helps direct our future workshops, events, and research.
Click on the picture to go to the survey.
Win a free year of goCrop!
Or one of these great books from SARE:
The 2015 No-Till and Cover Crop Symposium was a huge success! We are already processing the evaluations to continue to improve and advance the conversation. If you missed the symposium, or would like to revisit the information, we have posted the pdf files of the presenters.
champlain.crops@uvm.edu | (802) 388-4969
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.
Don’t miss this event! Our No-Till and Cover Crop Symposium with be held February 19th, 2015.
It will be located at the Sheraton, in Burlington, VT.
More information to come (see link in side panel).