PFI Field Day: Fall Crops Without a Hoop House
Event Details
825 Abbe Hills Road
Mt. Vernon, IA 52314
Contact Name: Practical Farmers of Iowa
Email: info@practicalfarmers.org
Phone: 5152325661
Website: practicalfarmers.org
Event Description
Description:
Growing produce in the fall has all the fun, but none of the problems (bugs, disease, weeds, heat) of growing the same crops in the spring. Tour a 200-share CSA farm that provides food from the gardens until the end of October – and sometimes beyond – without the use of a hoop house. Crops include all the regular spring crops, only better.
Topics:
•Variety selection
•Planting dates
•Harvest planning
•Irrigation
•Harvest tools
•Season extension in the field
•Fall marketing
The Farm:
Abbe Hills farm is on 72 acres north of Mt. Vernon. Laura and her crew grow vegetables for a large CSA, plus a handful of other local markets, especially fall crops. The farm is managed with crop rotation, cover crops, integrated pest management, pollinator habitat, and without the use of synthetic pesticides. A large hoop house helps with season extension. Soil conservation and water quality practices are used over the entire farm.
Directions:
From Mt. Vernon: Take County Road X-20 (8th Avenue) north out of town for 1 mile. Turn left (west) onto Abbe Hills Road. The farm is about 1 mile west of the intersection.
From Cedar Rapids: Take Mt. Vernon Road southeast to Abbe Hills Road, which intersects near the Community Bible Church. Turn left (east) on Abbe Hills Road; the farm is about 1 mile east. You will see two red sheds and a high tunnel on the north side of the road.
Supper provided after the program. RSVP Requested. RSVP for meal: Lauren Zastrow, lauren@practicalfarmers.org, (515) 232-5661 by Thursday, October 15.
Sponsored by: Bon Appetit Management Company
