Heifer Farm
Cost: NOFA/Mass Member - $75 (Walk-in cost, $85), Non-member - $94 (Walk-in cost, $104)
There are a very limited number of scholarships available for this event for active NOFA/Mass beginning farmer members, to apply please click here. We anticipate the workshop to sell-out, pre-registration well ahead of time is recommended. For more information, Glenn Oliveira, Education Events Organizer, at glenn@nofamass.org or 774-678-9644.
Description:
Learn techniques for intensively growing vegetables using no-till practices on a commercial scale from Bryan O’Hara, owner and farmer at Tobacco Road Farm in Lebanon, CT. Liz Joseph, Heifer Farm garden manager and host for our workshop, will provide a tour of the Heifer Farm gardens where she has implemented intensive no-till vegetable production techniques over the last five years.
During this day-long workshop, Bryan will provide mountains of details in the concise, practical and cohesive manner that we have come to appreciate from him over the years. He will take participants through his whole production system, which has been profitable and sustainable for over 20 years.
Learn about the various steps of a no-till transition:
-
Assessing the perennial weeds that are established
-
Killing preceding crops and reducing residues
-
Creating weed-free seed beds
-
Controlling weeds
-
Applying fertility
-
Increasing biological activity and diversity
-
Seeding appropriately
-
Interseeding and cover cropping
Far from a broad abstract view of production systems, Bryan will cover in great detail the various tools and techniques he has honed over his last two decades of production. Bryan will also focus on building soil and fertility; season extension techniques to grow crops year round; multicropping; cropping schedules; mowing; solarizing (using plastic to scorch crop residue); weed-free composting; mulching; broadcast seeding; weed and pest control; irrigation; harvest techniques; and efficient decision making tips.
Good business techniques like tracking crops, how to get the right dollar amount per crop, and how to make the right decision at the right time for overall profitability will also be covered.