Hands-on program for beginning vegetable growers held April 13 in Imlay City
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EmailLearn how to start your own vegetable farm and hear from experienced vegetable growers.
Prepping Your Field – From Seed to Ground is a one-day workshop on April 13, 2024, in Imlay City, Michigan, for the vegetable farmers of the future, including youth interested in agriculture, beginning farmers and those who are already growing vegetables to sustain themselves. The goal of this workshop is for participants to experience the joy of farming while gaining connections, tools and resources that will support them in starting their own vegetable farm.
The workshop has two parts: an educational session in the morning and hands-on activities in the greenhouse in the afternoon. The speakers are farmer experts with several years of experience, as well as a Michigan State University Extension educator. With 30 years of farming experience and owner of Monty’s Farms in Imlay City since 2019, Sean Montgomery will talk about the importance of soil preparation, weed management and soil health. Vince Delicilo, a third-generation farmer from Yale, Michigan, who has 42 years of experience in farming, wholesale and retail in the Detroit Eastern Market, will discuss how to plant your plants, row spacing and the importance of crop rotation. Salta Mambetova, a Michigan State University Extension vegetable educator, will provide information on seedling diseases, what symptoms to watch for and how to manage them.
The last part of the workshop will be in the greenhouse. Participants will transplant seedlings from smaller to bigger pots while holding an interactive discussion on the morning session topics and about soil, seed and other greenhouse and field related purchases. At the end of the workshop, each participant will have the opportunity to pick a plant from the greenhouse to bring to their farm.
Educational materials such as the 2024 Weed Control Guide for Vegetable Crops and the 2024 Midwest Vegetable Guide will be distributed for free to participants, thanks to a mini grant from the North Central Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education. Refreshments and lunch will be provided, courtesy of Monty’s Farms.
