Weed management is the biggest challenge on many market farms. And managing weeds in vegetables requires specialized tools and techniques. There are a wide variety of weeding tools available - but it can be hard to choose the right weeding implement and to know how to adjust them in the field to be effective. Farmers also use different scales of machinery - hand tools, two wheel tractors - and it is helpful to understand the machinery options for different scales.
This event brings together an experienced farmer and an organic weed management expert to guide participants into understanding the many weeding tool options and becoming familiar with how to use them. You’ll take a farm tour to see how weed management is planned into the farm, and then spend time in the vegetable field learning about weed ecology, seeing many weeding tools, learning how to adjust them to match field conditions, and trying them yourself in a hands-on demo plot. This is a great opportunity to learn about and try many weeding tools before buying them.
A refundable Registration Fee of $20 will be given when you arrive to the event. Lunch will be provided.
October 8th will be at Beet Root Farm and October 9th at Ryder Family Farm
Schedule
9:30-10 - Arrival, registration, coffee and pastry
10-11 - Farm tour, with a focus on weed management
11-12 - How weeds work, and the big picture of ecological weed management
12-12:45 - Lunch, informal networking
1-1:30 - Introduction to types of weeding tools
1:30-2 - How to adjust cultivators to match field conditions
2-3 - Hands-on tool time for participants to try tools in demo plots
3 - Evaluations;Adjourn
