Cover Crops and Alfalfa Mulch Walk-n-Talk

Join Rural Advantage, University of Minnesota Extension, and Carmen Fernholz for a walk-n-talk field day on cover crops and alfalfa mulch on August 22, 2011, starting at 1pm at the Fernholz farm near Madison, Minnesota. 

How do you ensure your crops are getting enough nutrients?  Organic producer Carmen Fernholz is attempting to answer that question with a fresh, new technique.  With funding from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and some assistance from researchers at the University of Minnesota, Fernholz will be conducting his second year of on-farm research.  He is looking at obtaining enough nitrogen from the use of alfalfa mulch and cover crops to grow a healthy, high yielding corn crop.

Attendees will hear an explanation of Fernholz’s alfalfa mulch research and will learn about utilizing various cover crops in organic or conventional agriculture systems.  A tour of the mulch and cover crop acres will be given.  Attendees will also be able to view the machinery Fernholz uses to apply the alfalfa mulch and plant the cover crops.

This is an outdoor event and will be held rain or shine.  Please dress accordingly.

Directions: From Madison (2484 Hwy 40 – Madison, MN) – Travel East on Hwy 40 for 1 mile.  You will see an A-frame house on the North (left) side of the road; this is the Fernholz farm.