2012 22.3 Farm Walks 2012
Tilth Producers and WSU Small Farm Team Program’s Farm Walks schedule
Monday, July 23 – Cloud Mountain Farm & Nursery, Everson
Developing a Broad Based Agricultural Enterprise and Improving Farmer Training
12:00 – 12:30pm Registration; Farm Walk 12:30 – 4:00pm
Cloud Mountain Farm & Nursery has been growing tree fruit, grapes and vegetables, plus propagating over 1,000 varieties of woody ornamental and fruit plants for thirty years. Owner Tom Thornton recently added a farmer training center to host an array of fruit and gardening workshops and a pubic fruit festival. Cloud Mountain Farm Center now offers training to new and beginning farmers to help improve their farming practices and increase farm profitability. Join us for a tour of operations and a discussion of new cropping strategies, season extension techniques for tree fruit and vegetable production, and the importance of working with WSU to evaluate new varieties of fruits and vegetables.
Monday, August 6 – Double Diamond Fruit Company, Quincy
Improving the Sustainability of Large-Scale Fruit Production
12:00pm Registration; Farm Walk 12:30pm – 4:00pm
Warren Morgan Orchards has been raising fruit in the Quincy area for over 30 years and currently grows about 300 acres of apples, cherries and apricots. Warren established Double Diamond Fruit Company to store, pack, and sell fruit in 1986. New technologies are continually being evaluated such as tower sprayers, compost tea, mow and blow, and platforms for workers. The orchard uses intensive Integrated Pest Management in their orchards, with an independent pest consultant providing control recommendations based on traps, phenology models, and minimizing impacts on beneficial insects. Initial tests of the “mow and blow” idea for managing the grassed orchard alleys to provide mulch for the tree row led to a joint project with WSU testing direct-seeding of legumes in the alley to grow more of the orchard nitrogen internally. The Morgans have also been planting new apricot varieties that are exceptionally flavorful and are developing markets for this product.
Monday, September 10 – Kirsop Farm, Tumwater
Reduced Tillage and Organic Fertility Trials & Diversified Vegetable, Grain, and Poultry Production
12:00 – 12:30pm Registration; Farm Walk 12:30 – 4:00pm
Limit: 60 people; pre-registration is required
Kirsop Farm is a 20-acre diversified farm located in the city of Tumwater. Now in its 17th year, Kirsop is co-owned and operated by Genine Bradwin and Colin Barricklow. In addition to a 200-member CSA and two weekly farmers markets, they provide fresh vegetables to local restaurants and stores. Over the last five years Kirsop Farm has diversified production to include pastured poultry, grains, and mushrooms. Colin and Genine are participating in two WSU on-farm research trials: reduced tillage in organic agriculture, and managing fertility on organic farms. The farm walk will highlight these research trials and the diversified vegetable, grain, and poultry production.
Farm walk Registration and Logistics
- Registration cost is $15 for Tilth Producers members, students
and interns, and $25 for non-members. - Paid pre-registration is recommended for all farm walks.
- Pre-register online at tilthproducers.org or mail a check with your farm walk choices to:
Tilth Producers
4649 Sunnyside Avenue N #305
Seattle, WA 98103 - Beverages are provided.
- Driving directions can be found online: tilthproducers.org or http://smallfarms.wsu.edu
- For more information: [email protected] or call 206-632-7506.
