MSU Western Agricultural Research Center to host July 11 organic management workshop, tours

MSU News Service

While the Northern Agricultural Research Center at Fort Assinniboine southwest of Havre is holding its annual field day Thursday, the Montana State University Western Agricultural Research Center in Corvallis is inviting people to a workshop in July.

Western Ag Research Center and Montana’s Organic Advisory and Education Council will host a full-day workshop on the principals of organic agricultural management Wednesday, July 11.

The workshop, “2018 Organic Principals Review,” will focus on topics and techniques related to integrated weed management in organic systems and will include local tours of organic-based agricultural productions in the Bitterroot Valley. Topics covered during the workshop include integrated weed management, perennial weed control and weed ecology, soil fertility, cropping systems and the integration of crop and livestock systems.

From 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., local tours of organic productions will include Luna Llena Vineyard, an organic vineyard and fruit production in Stevensville owned by Rich Torquemada, president of the Montana Grape and Winery Association; the Tucker Family Farm, a value-added lamb and cheese agribusiness in Victor, and Mill Crick Farm, an organic vegetable farm north of Corvallis.

Following the tours, from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m., lunch will be provided at WARC with invited speakers addressing current initiatives in organic research and the future of food and organics. Afternoon speakers include: Zach Miller, WARC superintendent and MSU assistant professor of horticulture in the Department of Research Centers; Fabian Menalled, professor of weed ecology in the Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences; Eric Gallandt, professor of weed ecology in the School of Food and Agriculture at the University of Maine; Ellen Mallory, assistant professor of sustainable agriculture in the School of Food and Agriculture at the University of Maine;  Jim Barngrover of Timeless Natural Food, and members of the Montana Organic Advisory and Education Council.  

The workshop is open to the public. Registration and a map for the event can be found at https://goo.gl/forms/Jer5GSC4f3PTQ6NC3.

  WARC is located at 580 Quast Lane in Corvallis. WARC is one of seven off-campus agricultural research centers, including NARC in Havre, that comprise the MSU College of Agriculture and the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station. Jointly, the college and MAES conduct pertinent agriculture research for Montana strategically located across the state to allow research with different soil types, elevations, climate zones and landscapes. A local advisory council guides the research at each station.

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Havre Daily News staff contributed to this report.