Without a doubt, the Milan No-Till Crop Production Field Day is one of the most far-ranging agricultural field days in the nation. Hosted by the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, the event is a junction for producers with varied farming interests. Tours will cover topics as diverse as row crop sustainability, beef cattle production, natural resources management, unmanned aerial systems and even the compatibility of honeybees and agriculture.
The 2014 Milan No-Till Field Day is scheduled for Thursday, July 24, at the UT AgResearch and Education Center at Milan. Registration is free and begins at 6 a.m. CDT, with the first tours leaving at 7 a.m. A total of 16 tours are on the agenda.
“Although we’ve diversified the field day program over the years, our goal remains the same as the first No-Till Field Day: provide farmers with in-depth information that will help them maximize productivity and exercise stewardship,” says Blake Brown, director of the UT AgResearch Center at Milan.
Additional tours will focus on issues like cover crops, soil management and no-till production of corn, cotton and soybeans. Visitors can see crop variety demonstrations, learn how to plan for the future of the family farm, and even help the community by taking a few minutes to assemble meals for local food banks at the “Farmers vs. Hunger” tour.
Most tours take approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes to complete. The last tours depart the assembly area at 1 p.m., so visitors should plan ahead to make the most of their day. A complete schedule will be posted closer to the time of event at http://milan.tennessee.edu.
Besides the array of educational tours, visitors can also enjoy a large tradeshow or a walk through the West Tennessee Agricultural Museum, which features an extensive collection of agricultural artifacts.
Pesticide certification points and continuing education units for Certified Crop Advisors will be available. For more information, including directions to the field day site, visit the website: http://milan.tennessee.edu or call 731-686-7362. You can also check out the Milan No-Till page on Facebook for the latest updates.
The AgResearch and Education Center at Milan is one of 10 research facilities operated by the UT Institute of Agriculture. In addition to its agricultural research programs, UTIA also provides instruction research and public service through the UT College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, the UT College of Veterinary Medicine and UT Extension offices in every county in the state.
Source:tennessee.edu