CORVALLIS - Conservation Farming Field Day is set for 9 a.m. to noon, Tuesday, July 22, at the Oregon State University Vegetable Research Farm.

It's a field day for those who want to sustain profitable farming while conserving natural resources.

"We will feature compost, cover crops, conservation tillage and other practices that enhance farming over the long haul," said John Luna, OSU horticulture professor.

Among the featured projects will the use of cover crops for enhancing soil and water quality, and improving soil organic matter and biological activity.

Others projects featured deal with strip-till and no-till vegetable production using cover crop mulches; plant breeding for pest resistance; biological pest control; crop rotation; long-term effects of farming on soil quality, and effects of compost and minimum tillage in organic production systems.

"Conservation farming seeks to enhance economic viability, land stewardship and environmental quality through practices that conserve the environment," Luna said.

The OSU Vegetable Research Farm is a half mile east of Corvallis on Hwy. 34 on the north side of the highway.

For more information, contact Luna in Corvallis at 541-737-5430 or Marion County extension agent Dan McGrath in Salem at 503-588-5301.

The field day is sponsored by the OSU Extension Service and the USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program.

Source: 

John Luna 541-737-5430

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