North Carolina State University’s Organic Grain Project will lead a tour of Hickory Meadows Organics in Whitakers, an organic field crop farm, on July 19 beginning at 5 p.m.

This organic farm has approximately 400 certified organic acreage, as well as conventional acreage.

The farmers at Hickory Meadows Organics produce a variety of crops, including organic tobacco, sweet potatoes, soybeans and cotton.

The farmers will describe the challenges and benefits of producing organic crops, as well as organic production techniques and research used to produce a variety of organic field crops. Speakers include North Carolina State University crop science researchers, as well as the host farmers.

Presentations include:


• Chris Reberg-Horton, Crop Science, North Carolina State University: Organic soybean production, weed management, organic no-till/roll-kill technique
;

• Loren Fisher and Nathan Bennett, Crop Science, North Carolina State University: New organic tobacco research; pest management
;

• Mary Wilks, Carolina Precision Ag: Organic sweet potato production and organic cotton production in North Carolina: What we’ve learned so far.;

• Farmers Orpha Gene Watson, Phillip Watson, Peyton McDaniel and Billy McDaniel will share their production techniques and challenges with organic at each field site.

Field day agenda:
 4:30‐5:00 pm: Registration, sign‐in
 5:00‐7:00 pm: Tour Hickory Meadows Organics
 7:00‐until.

A barbecue dinner will be provided at the end of the tour, as well as a marketing discussion with many organic field crop buyers in the state. Registration fee is $10, and includes the dinner.

Directions to Hickory Meadows Organics:
 Take I‐95 to exit 150 (exit is 12 miles north of US‐64/I‐95 intersection). Go west on NC 33 about one-quarter mile to NC 48. Farm shop and parking is behind the Hickory Baptist Church, just past this intersection. (Please note: This location is difficult to find with GPS devices, so follow these directions.)

The Organic Field Crop Tour is sponsored by the Center for Environmental Farming Systems, a partnership of North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.  

For more information about the Organic Grain Project, visit 
www.organicgrains.ncsu.edu.

Registration deadline is July 16. Contact Lisa Forehand to register at [email protected]
 or 919-513-0954.