CALS will offer back-to-back programs on organic agriculture research on Sept. 4 at the Arlington Agricultural Research Station. The morning event, an Organic Research Symposium, will be geared toward UW-Madison faculty and staff who are interested in conducting organic agriculture research. The afternoon event, the second annual UW-Madison Organic Research Workshop and Field Tour, is geared toward organic growers and the general public. The research symposium runs from 9:15 a.m. until lunchtime. The public workshop and field tour runs from 1–5:30 p.m. Please RSVP to Erin Silva at emsilva@wisc.edu or 890-1503 if you are planning to attend either or both sessions.

The Organic Research Symposium (download flyer here) will follow this schedule:

• 9:15 am — Check-in
• 9:30 am — Welcome and Introductions
• 9:45 am — Research Summaries and Discussion (representatives from Agricultural Research Stations)
• 10:45 am — Update on Organic Dairy Research (Pam Ruegg)
• 11:00 am — University of Illinois Research on Organic Transition (Michelle Wander, UIUC)
• 11:45 am — 10 years of organic research at the WK Kellogg Biological Station (Dale Mutch, Michigan State University, KBS)
• 12:30 pm — Lunch

The Organic Workshop and Field Tour (download flyer here) will include three indoor workshops featuring speakers discussing issues concerning weed management, soil fertility management, and minimal-till organic cropping using cover crops. Fields stops will focus on research investigating the relationship between soil fertility and insect feeding, as well as research projects focusing on the crimped rye/soybean production system. Here’s the schedule for that event:

• 1:00 pm — Check-in
• 1:15 pm — Welcome (Erin Silva)
• 1:30 pm — “Weed Management in Organic Vegetable Production”, Jed Colquhoun, UW Weed Scientist
• 2:00 pm — “Organic Soil Fertility: From the Ground Up”, Michelle Wander, Soil Scientist, University of Illinois
• 2:30 pm — “Using Cover Crops to Reduce Tillage in Organic Farming Systems”, Dale Mutch, Michigan State University, Kellogg Biological Station
• 3:30 pm –Organic No-till Research at UW
• 4:00 pm — Field crops in organic transition: soil fertility, crop plant nutrition and insect IPM
• 5:00 pm — Discussion of Organic Research Needs
• 5:30 pm — Adjourn