This year’s Midwest Mechanical Weed Control Field Day takes place on Wednesday, Sept. 26 at PrairiErth Farm in Atlanta, Illinois. Hans Bishop, co-owner of PrairiErth Farm, will be hosting the event in the farm’s new packing shed, which also serves as a local food hub and educational center. The event is being planned by Sam Hitchcock Tilton, an organizer of last year’s event and Midwest representative for KULT-Kress precision weeding tools, and The Land Connection, an Illinois non-profit organization that promotes farmer training and land stewardship.
The field day is an ideal opportunity for farmers to learn about weeding tools and techniques. In the morning soil health expert Alan Philo (formerly the specialty crop specialist for Midwestern BioAg) will give a presentation on cultivation methods that preserve soil health and soil-building techniques that allow for subsequent precision cultivation.
The exhibition period that follows is an opportunity for growers to see weeding tools from more than 10 companies and speak with representatives. University weed scientists from surrounding states will share their research, Midwest farmers will exhibit their favorite weeding tools, and “Walk-Behind Alley” tent will feature two-wheeled walk-behind tractors and implements.
In the afternoon, myriad cultivators and cultivating tractors will be demonstrated in the field on direct-seeded beets and transplanted lettuce. These demonstrations will show how the machines should be mounted and properly adjusted, and will help farmers visualize how the implements can work on their own farms to increase efficiency and productivity.
All currently-manufactured cultivating tractors will be attending (Tilmor, Oggun, and Tuff-Bilt) as well as many others (IH-274, Hefty G, IH Super C, and modified Allis G’s). Field demonstrations will include a tine-weeder, belly-mounted finger-weeders, rear-mounted steerable toolbar, basket weeder, a mechanical transplanter, and a camera-guided in-row robotic cultivator. Numerous additional tools will be in the exhibition area, such as a Lilliston rolling cultivator, William’s toolbar system, Reigi/Eco weeder, and propane flame weeder.
The field day costs $20 and includes breakfast, lunch and root beer floats at the end of the day.
Register online: https://thelandconnection.org/farmers/mechanical-weed-control-field-day-2018
For more information, contact Mallory Krieger at mallory@thelandconnection.org or by calling (312) 840-2128.
Photo: Sam Hitchcock Tilton, planner of the Midwest Mechanical Weed Control Field Day and Grower’s Postcard columnist for Vegetable Growers News, talks about equipment at the 2017 event held in Michigan.