2018 Center for Excellence Field Day

Join us August 8 for the 2018 Center for Excellence Field day! You’ll see plots that show the economics of using conservation tillage and the latest technology available to farmers.

The 22th Center for Excellence Field day is just around the corner. Since its establishment in 1996, the Center for Excellence has grown to become one of the most important educational platforms for agricultural technology and innovation in southeast Michigan, especially in Lenawee County. There will be on-farm demonstration plots that show the economics of using conservation tillage and the latest technology available to farmers.

Two 40-acre family-owned farms are used for demonstration during field day activities. The plots at Bakerlards Farms in Clayton demonstrate various tillage systems and a closed loop waste water wetland sub-irrigation system. The plots at Raymond and Stutzman Farms in Morenci demonstrate the newest technology available to farmers. 

The 2018 Center for Excellence Field Day will be held Wednesday, August 8. RSVPs are requested. The deadline to reserve is August 3. RSVPs can be sent via the Conservation District website here, by submitting names in the "message" area to the right.

Center for Excellence Field Day Agenda - August 8, 2018

8:00-8:30 Registration

8:30 Opening Comments and Welcome

8:45 Program Begins

Bakerlads Farms (10960 Cadmus Road, Clayton)

Concurrent Presentations: 8:45-9:15 a.m.; 9:20-9:50 a.m.; 9:55-10:25 a.m.; 10:30-11:00 a.m.

  • Michigan Wheat Systems Update: Dennis Pennington, Michigan Wheat Program
  • Linking P Recommendations to Crop Yields: Bill Copeland, Precision Ag Services
  • Round Table on Agriculture: 1-hour long 8:45-9:45 a.m. and 9:55-10:55 a.m.
    • Quick roots, Nemastrike: Bart Marshall, DSM Channel Seed
    • P level trends in WLEB: David Henry, A & L Labs
    • P management through 4 R’s: Mark Fritz, Outreach Coordinator-4R Certification Program, Ohio AgriBusiness Association
    • Cover Crop Over-Seeding: Karen Renner, Michigan State University
    • Verifying Farmsteads with MAEAP: Gordon Nobach, Lenawee Conservation District

Trailer Tours

Woodland and Wildlife Tour: 70 minutes; The tour will run twice from 8:40-9:50 a.m.; 10:00-11:10 a.m.

  • Log scaling: Demonstrate value of standing trees. Discussion with timber buyers on how they put value on trees by creating sample bids: Cutting Edge Lumber and Tri-County Logging
  • Bee Keeping: Judith Holcomb, Lenawee Conservation District
  • Pollinators on your Farm: Nathan McNett, Lenawee Conservation District
  • MAEAP Forest, Wetlands, & Habitat System: Airin Beechler, Lenawee Conservation District

Conservation and Crop Production Tour: 105 minutes 8:45-10:30 a.m. and 9:50-11:35 a.m.

  • High production Soybean Plot: Ricardo Costa, MSU Extension Educator-Field Crops
  • Nematode Management in Corn: MSU Grad Student
  • Benefits of No-till: Jerry Grigar, MI NRCS Agronomist
  • Evaluating Soil Health in the Field: Jim Hoorman, OH NRCS Soil Health Specialist
  • Field Edge Water Quality Sampling: Ehsan Ghane, Ph.D., MSU Assistant Professor & Extension Specialist Biosystems & Ag Engineering
  • Saturated Buffer: Nathan Utt, Principle Engineer, Ag Water Solutions
  • Blind Inlet: Ed Scheffler, Lenawee County Drain Commission
  • Phosphorus Filter from Last Year: Plant Tuff Staff
  • Silicon Application in Crop Production: Plant Tuff Staff

11:30-11:40 a.m. Leave for Raymond and Stutzman Farms (8055 Seneca Hwy., Morenci)

Noon -- Lunch Signature Steak Sandwich

Afternoon Program Facilitated by Tim Boring, MABA

12:45-1:15 p.m. Bill Northey, Under Secretary for FPAC (Farm Production & Conservation)

Afternoon program 1:30-3:00 p.m.

Trade show

Concurrent sessions: 35-minute sessions that will run concurrently (two sessions)

  • Planter Clinic: Ag Leader, Precision Planting, Case IH, Kinze, Orthman Strip-till System
  • Nitrogen management with Biosolids-Variable rate application of NEFCO product based on Phosphorus requirements: Tim Stutzman, Host Farmer, Bill Copeland, Precision Ag Services and NEFCO Staff

Program Ends

  • CCA and RUP Credits

This event qualifies as an approved MAEAP Phase I Meeting.  

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