Upcoming MSU Extension field day offered in Monroe County

Chris Galbraith<galbra53@msu.edu>, Michigan State University Extension - September 01, 2023

Enhance your knowledge of conservation agricultural practices with this exciting educational opportunity on September 13.

Cover crops growing in a field. — Cover crops will be just one of the topics discussed at the upcoming MSU Extension field day in Monroe County. Photo by Madelyn Celovsky, MSU Extension.

Michigan State University Extension is pleased to offer an evening field day event designed for vegetable and field crop growers on Sept. 13, 2023, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Monroe County. Tools at Twilight will help participants enhance their understanding of conservation agricultural practices like cover cropping, conservation tillage and field drainage. This event is being held in partnership with the Monroe County Conservation District and the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP). The event will count as a MAEAP Phase I event and will count towards two RUP credits.

This exciting educational program will feature speakers with experience and insight into different farming practices that boost yields, soil health and environmental quality. Matt Burkholder is a farmer advocate with the Nature Conservancy and owner of Burkholder Healthy Farms, who has seen firsthand the benefits of integrating no-till practices and cover crops into his operation. Daniel Brainard is an associate professor and Extension specialist with MSU who has conducted research on strip tillage, cover crops and other aspects of sustainable agriculture. Madelyn Celovsky is a conservation agronomist educator with MSU Extension with experience in cover cropping and best practices for improving soil quality. Ehsan Ghane is an associate professor and Extension specialist at MSU with expertise in agricultural management systems and water quality. These featured presenters will share their knowledge and experience with participants interested in conservation ag practices.

A tractor tilling a field. — Conservation tillage and strip tillage are other topics that will be discussed at the upcoming event. Photo by Eric Anderson, MSU Extension.

The event will take place at 12444 Dixon Rd., Dundee, MI 48131 in a field owned by Horkey Brothers, a family farm in southeast Michigan that has been growing high-quality vegetables for their community for generations. The event will include a catered dinner for participants.

Visit the Tools at Twilight registration page to register for this event and to download a flier.

Please reach out to Chris Galbraith at galbra53@msu.edu or 734-240-3178 with any questions.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).