What you’re NOT expecting at our Field Day
Usually, this edition of Center Points highlights the regularity and organization of our annual field day, which is tomorrow (Tuesday, July 14). You’ll arrive at 9:00 a.m. for coffee and donuts, we’ll do greetings and announcements at 9:15 a.m., wagons roll at 9:30 p.m., everyone back to the yard at noon for a sponsored lunch, then an afternoon tour at 1:30 p.m.
However…let’s look at you’re maybe NOT expecting.
We’ve have a LOT to accomplish in the first 15 minutes! Most of us will get to meet NDSU’s 16th president, Marshall Stewart, for the first time. We’re also awarding an NDSU Agriculture Partnership Award to a long-term CREC collaborator.
We have four concurrent tours in the morning, and one afternoon tour. Read all about them, but let’s look at those surprises.
Horticulture Tour. Rebranded as ‘horticulture’ to reflect a broader scope toward gardening, backyardening, and citizen science. Identify and help beneficial insects, and explore the positive relationship from coplanting tomatoes and alliums (onion, garlic, chive). No surprise, we’ll have a tour of plantings in our orchard, but we’ll also offer pick-your-own juneberries (fair warning, they are a little past prime) on Tuesday afternoon after the morning tour.
Livestock Production Tour. They aren’t on our doorstep yet, but New World screwworms are in the U.S. Good pest control begins with understanding, so we’re bringing in an entomologist and a veterinarian to cover insect management topics. Get a livestock perspective on droughts with a meteorologist, look at our new Smart Feeders, and meet our new animal scientist.
Organic and Sustainable Agronomy Tour. While weed control might be an obvious topic, we’re going to look at disease management, including biofumigation, and explore precision ag in these systems as well. Hear how soil amendments can ultimately manage grasshoppers.
Emerging Technologies Tour. Hear about Grand Farm’s network, follow a spray drone demonstration, learn about plasma activated water, and explore autonomous systems.
The weather forecast is for a high growing degree day (that’s farmer for “hot”) but don’t let some heat dissuade you from attending! The horticulture tour will use our covered wagons in the morning, and the afternoon tech tour will use the covered wagons, too. The livestock tour will park in shade for most of their stops. We’ll have plenty of water. We have a large tent to shade some of our lunch tables, and other tables will be under our trees for some relief. That said, anyone is welcome to eat inside in our large conference room, and any of our staff (just look for our matching gray shirts) are ready to assist with parking, shuttle service, lunch seating, or any other need.
For more information on our tours, listen to KDAK Cardinal Podcasts.
We’re located 3.5 miles north of Carrington, and we’ll be ready for you.
Linda Schuster
Linda.Schuster@ndsu.edu
Administrative Assistant
