OFFER Organic Field Day

Primary tabs

Jun 29, 2017, 2:00pm - 6:00pm

The Organic Food and Farming Education and Research (OFFER) field day scheduled for June 29th from 2 to 6 p.m. will include new findings and discuss important issues related to certified organic research and production for vegetables, crops and, for the first time, dairy.

“This year will include a major focus on dairy, a first for the OFFER program, in support of the rapidly expanding organic dairy industry,” said Douglas Doohan, director of the OFFER program.  The addition of dairy to the annual organic field day is in response to multiple requests received from organic dairy farmers for research based information, especially in the areas of mastitis care and prevention, and feed rations.  This field day will provide networking opportunities for researchers and dairy farmers, and respond to the desire for information in the organic dairy community.

Topics to be covered include:

Dairy (Group 1):

  • Mastitis prevention in organic dairy systems
  • Nutrition & ration balancing in organic dairy
  • Organic forages, grazing and hay production

Vegetable Production (Group 2):

  • Microbe-containing biofertilizers/biostimulants
  • Reduced tillage
  • Grafting
  • Season extension

Combined Groups (Groups 1 & 2):

  • Soil management, including soil balancing experiments
  • Weed control
  • Tour of organic research plots

Speakers:

  • Luciana DaCosta, Veterinary Preventive Medicine
  • Doug Doohan, Horticulture & Crop Science
  • Maurice Eastridge, Animal Sciences
  • Marc Sulc, Horticulture & Crop Science
  • Matt Kleinhenz, Horticulture & Crop Science
  • Larry Phelan, Entomology
  • Gerald Reid, OFFER Organic Farm Manager

About the OFFER Program:
The Organic Food & Farming Education and Research (OFFER) Program was established in 1998, to provide science-based research and information to Ohio’s organic farmers, gardeners, processors, retailers and consumers.  Today OFFER’s land resources include over 80 acres of land on three farms near Wooster, and at the John Hirzel Sustainable Agriculture Farming Systems Research Site in northwestern Ohio.

Location:
OARDC’s West Badger Farm, Fry Farm and Horticulture Unit 1
1501 Apple Creek Road
Apple Creek, OH

Directions:
The field day will start at West Badger Farm, located at 1501 Apple Creek Road (County Rd 44) between Wooster and Apple Creek in Wayne County.  From U.S. 250, go north 1.8 miles on Apple Creek Road.  From U.S. 30 go south 1.1 miles on Apple Creek Road.   Look for OFFER Field Day signs on the west side of Apple Creek Road between Ely Road and Secrest Road.  Participants interested in vegetable production will travel by bus to view additional plots at Horticulture Unit 1 for the first half of the afternoon, then return to West Badger for the remainder of the program.