Among their many tasks, farmers engage in informal research regularly. Trying a new variety, a new technique, a new product requires background research, forming a good question, testing the new approach, and keeping records for comparison. For the past three years the Ohio Organic Farmer Researcher Network has offered support for farmers to develop their on-farm questions, connect to research resources, and share results with other farmers and farm educators.
This fall the network has organized a series of Fall Farmer Exchanges. Each event will provide opportunities to see farmer-led research that focuses on organic and regenerative farming practices. Tour organizers encourage attendance from others who have experimented or wondered about these or similar research questions. Events will include ample time for questions and discussion. To register or learn more.
Woodlyn Acres Farm in Dalton, Ohio (Wayne County) will host an August 27 tour on their current project comparing plow-down vs. harvest of leguminous cover crops. Scott Myers will share how this on-farm research project was designed with other area farmers and what questions they hope to answer. He will discuss other conservation practices they have tested on-farm. This research is part of a larger multi-institution project creating farmer-led research nodes across Ohio and Missouri to improve the performance of conservation practices. Read more about the From the Ground Up Project at ftgup.org. Registration for this tour is encouraged to help with planning.
Source : osu.edu