Join Spencer & Jennifer Blackwell of Elmer Farm, a certified organic mixed vegetable and flower farm in Middlebury, as they share techniques they have used to improve the health and fertility of their soils, along with the results of those efforts.
Some of the strategies discussed will include reduced tillage, installing a permanent bed system, increasing their use of multi species cover crops, reduced amendments and the use of more targeted, live mulches.
Stick around after the technical portion of the workshop for pizza from NOFA-VT’s mobile pizza oven and a discussion of how changes in policy and other tools can help to expand the use of good soil health practices on Vermont’s farms.
This workshop is part of a 3-part series focusing on soil health solutions for commercial farmers, and opportunities to create meaningful policy change to expand healthy soils practices in Vermont.
Cost: Farmers: free; Non-farmers: $15 to cover cost of dinner