05/06/24 - 166 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA: http://tinyurl.com/ytpxu8fy
| Share this: | ||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
Organic Transitions Farm Workshop In Montgomery County Nov. 15
|
|
On November 15 from 1:00 to 5:30 p.m., the Southeastern Pennsylvania Resource and Development Council will host a free Organic Transitions Farm Workshop for small farmers at the Greener Partners Longview Center for Agriculture in Collegeville, Pa.
The event will focus on teaching growers how to implement organic, low-input, sustainable techniques in their operations, and includes a tour of the center and series of lectures.
Participants will have the opportunity to see farmland conservation practices being implemented, including those benefiting soil, water, and pollinator habitat preservation. A tour of the Longview Center for Agriculture, a 90 acre certified organic farm, will showcase how a wide array of conservation-oriented techniques, such as cover crop rotations, seasonal high tunnels, integrated pest management, and organic orchard management, can be utilized to holistically address a wide range of natural resource concerns.
Andrew Frankenfield, Penn State Extension Educator for Montgomery County, will provide participants with a dynamic presentation on expert cover crop management techniques, including cover crop species selection and rotation as it relates to improving overall soil health. No till systems, as they relate to sustainable practices, will also be addressed.
Information about the financial and technical resources available to growers interested in adopting conversation practices which support organic agriculture systems will be presented by Austin Drager, Natural Resource Specialist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Additionally, Rick Fonda, production manager for the Longview Center for Agriculture, will provide valuable insights on how biological controls can be used to great advantage in an integrated pest management regime for an organic management system, including strategies that have proven to be most effective at Longview.
A special emphasis will be devoted to exploring how NRCS conservation practices and activity plans can be employed to guide growers closer to becoming certified by a third part certifier. Topics to be discussed include The Transition to Organic Plan, organic system plans for certified organic operations, and the process of becoming certified through the USDA National Organic Plan.
This informational session will be followed by a question and answer portion. Refreshments will be available for purchase at the Longview Center for Agriculture Market. Additional information about organic agriculture will also be available to participants.
Online registration and more information is available on the SRCDC website or call 877-610-6603. There is no cost to attend the event.
|
|
11/14/2011 |
| Go To Preceding Article Go To Next Article |
