An official website of the United States government.
This planning proposal will inform an integrated proposal with the potential to develop and evaluate tools for organic vegetable growers in western Washington to implement no-till techniques. <P>This project will bring no-till specialists from other parts of the United States to western Washington to a two-day symposium. The first day will involve the specialists sharing information on how no-till could work in organic vegetable systems in western Washington. The second day will consist of facilitated discussions on how an integrated project on no-till in organic vegetable production could be implemented in western Washington.<P> In order to develop an invitation list for the symposium, we will consult with researchers, other extension professionals, Tilth Producers of Washington board members, and farmers known to be interested in no- or low-till systems. We will invite researchers involved in a wide range of agricultural specialties, including soil science, vegetable production, entomology, pathology, weed management, and agricultural economics.<P> At least 10 seats will be reserved for farmer participants. Extension professionals involved with organic vegetable farms in their regions will also be invited. If space allows, the symposium will be opened up to interested farmers, extension professionals, and researchers on an application basis. <P>This planning project will work towards the development of a larger research and extension project relating to no-till production in vegetable crops in western Washington.
Non-Technical Summary: Organic vegetable farms have grown in number and acreage over the past decade in Western Washington, with over 2,300 acres in vegetable production in 2007. Consumers in the region are looking for locally produced, organically grown food; they are also looking for local growers to take measures to reduce impacts on the environment, for example, by practicing no- or low-till soil management. Farmers are inherently interested in methods that can reduce the deleterious effects to soil quality, soil erosion, soil compaction, excess fuel consumption, and contribution to greenhouse gases that can be caused by extensive tilling. This is a Research and Extension Planning Proposal with a goal to bring no-till experts from other parts of the country to western Washington and conduct a symposium where local farmers, researchers, educators, and industry representatives can learn about no-till farming and how it can fit into organic vegetable production systems. Held in Snohomish County in October, 2009, the symposium will also focus on understanding needs for the organic vegetable industry in western Washington regarding no-till practices and developing a successful plan for an integrated project. This project will likely involve evaluating agronomic performance, pest and weed control, economic viability and soil health in a no-till system. The long-term goal of such a project is to increase farmer economic and environmental sustainability in western Washington through soil conservation systems. This planning project will work towards the development of a larger research and extension project relating to no-till production in vegetable crops in western Washington. <P> Approach: A small research and demonstration project will be underway in the spring of 2009. The farm at 21 Acres, a WSU Biologically Intensive and Organic Agriculture (BIOAg) site in Woodinville, Washington, will have a plot demonstrating the use of a winter rye cover crop, rolled and crimped in the spring. Pumpkins will be transplanted into the crimped rye during the 2009 growing season. This will serve as a small demonstration to symposium participants on how no-till farming can work into an organic system. A symposium will be held in the fall of 2009 to bring together no-till experts and other interested parties to develop an integrated proposal with the potential to develop and evaluate tools for organic vegetable growers in western Washington to implement no-till techniques.