Cover Cropping for Soil Health, Nutrient Management and Water Quality 

Cover Crop Workshop and Tour 11/14/13

Registration @ Big Flats PMC                                                           9:15 am – 9:45 am

Tour of cover crop plots and zone-builder demo                              9:45 am – 11:45 am

Travel to American Legion Hall (45 Olcott Rd S, Big Flats NY)                 11:45 am – 12:00 pm

Lunch (optional rainfall simulator demo)                                          12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

Presenters                                                                                          1:00 pm – 3:30 pm

Panel discussion with PA. No-Till Alliance (optional)                          4:00 pm – 6:00 pm

PRESENTERS: 

Dave Shearing- Consultant, CCA- Western Crop Management Association and Fisher Welles- Crop Farmer Chemung Co. (3100 acres) Discussion of benefits of zone-builder, comparisons between conventional, no-till and zone-builder on years with drought and excessive precipitation and demonstration of zone-builder.

Paul Salon- USDA-NRCS, Plant Materials Specialist- Tour of cover crop demonstration plots at Big Flats PMC, which includes a time of planting demo with over 250 plots (species, varieties or mixes); some seeded at several seeding dates.

Chris Houser- Penn State Extension, CIG grant 3-way interseeder demonstration results in corn and soybeans.

Aaron Ristow- Agriculture Coordinator, Upper Susquehanna Coalition (USC); Cover Cropping within the Chesapeake Bay TMDL Framework.

Dale Gates- USDA-NRCS, Resource Conservationist- Updated Cover Crop Specification for New York.

Quirine Ketterings- Cornell University Dept. of Animal Science, Associate Professor, Nutrient Management Spear Program; Winter-Forage Small Grains to Boost Feed Supply: From Cover Crop to Double Crop, results from 2013 trials.

Charlie White- Extension Specialist, Penn State University, Cover crop mixtures: How many species and in what combination to achieve desired goals.

Dave Mclaughlin- Vice President PA No-Till Alliance, (Dairy and Crop Farmer, Perry Co., Pa.), and Jim Hershey- President and founding member of PA No-Till Alliance (Raises hogs, broilers and crops in Lancaster County, PA) and Joel Myers (Crop Farmer, Centre Co. Pa., no-till and soil health consultant, and former State Agronomist USDA-NRCS), Introduction to the Alliance, how to form and maintain farmer networks.

Panel Discussion with Dave Mclaughlin, Jim Hershey, and Joel Myers of the PA. No-till Alliance.

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*To register, click on the blue  "Register Now " below:

*For additional information contact Paul Salon @ paul.salon@ny.usda.gov  or by calling 607-562-8404.

The morning portion consists of an outside field tour, so please dress accordingly and let us know if you are in need of any special accommodations. 

Please bring $12.00 to cover the cost of lunch, exact change would be appreciated.

4.00 CCA credits available

Directions to USDA NRCS Big Flats Plant Materials Center (9:15-11:45): Take Route 17 (I 86) to Exit 48 (East Corning/Route 352). Follow Route 352 east for 1.5 miles. PMC entrance is on the left. (Plant Materials Center address- 3266 RT 352, Big Flats New York 14814)

Directions to Big Flats American Legion (after 11:45) – Route 17 (I-86) Exit 49 go south on Bridge St ., make right at "T" onto Maple St., go 0.1 miles to stop sign, driveway and sign straight ahead (American Legion address- 45 Olcott Rd S, Big Flats, New York 14814).

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