Summer is in full swing, and there are many opportunities for farm field days coming up in the Western Lake Erie Basin in Michigan:

Aug. 14. The 2019 Center for Excellence Field Day will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Bakerlads Farms. RSVPs are requested. The deadline to reserve is Aug. 7. RSVPs can be sent via the Lewanee Conservation District website by submitting names in the “message” area to the right.

Aug. 21. The Cows Under Covers program provides an opportunity for growers and grazers to learn about advanced cover crop and grazing techniques. Keynote speakers include Steve Groff, the “Cover Crop Coach”; and Jerry Lindquist, a retired Michigan State University Extension livestock-grazing educator. The program will be held at a cover crop test plot run by Michigan State University at Person Farms LLC, 6011 W. Territorial Road, Camden. Registration starts at 4:30 p.m. The meal at 5 p.m., and the workshop begins at 5:30 p.m. There is a $20 registration fee payable to the Hillsdale Conservation District. Register by Aug. 16 online at hillsdalecd.org. Certified crop adviser and restricted use pesticide credits are pending.

Aug. 22. The 2019 Nutrient Management Field day will be hosted by Jay and Kelli Williams of Stoney Ridge Farms from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Lunch will be provided, and six Michigan RUP Credits, 10 CCA Credits and Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP) Phase 1 credits will be available (pending at time of publication). The event is free, but registration is encouraged to the Hillsdale Conservation District. For more information on the 2019 Nutrient Management Field Day, contact the Hillsdale Conservation District at 517-849-9890, ext. 3.; or visit hillsdalecd.org.

Aug. 26. “Kick Your Soil Health up a Notch: A Twilight Meeting” will be held at the Monroe Community College cover crop plot. The meeting is hosted by MSU Extension and sponsored by Farm Bureau and The Nature Conservancy. Topics to be discussed include tile drainage issues, manure management, and cover crop selection. Dinner and refreshments will be provided. This event is free, but registration at the MSU event webpage is requested.

Sept. 12-13. The Michigan Land Improvement Contractors Association will partner with MSU Extension to host a field day right at the Lenewee-Monroe County border, just off U.S. Route 223 at Goetz Farms of Riga. The project consists of a complete farm drainage system, which will be also used for subirrigation. It will drain into a 6-acre retention pond and be stored until summer. Then, the pond will be drained to irrigate. The plan is to have little to no runoff, and little to no water exit the field. It is hoped that this practice will help with the algae bloom.

For more information about these events, contact Sarah Fronczak at 517-439-9301 or Ricardo Costa at 517-264-5310.

Source: Michigan Farm Bureau, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.