Farmers have been on their toes so far in 2019, dealing with Mother Nature and all of the challenges that come with an unprecedentedly wet spring, along with navigating fluctuating markets, learning about new alternatives of production, and adapting to new technologies. These and other issues will be addressed on September 5th at Purdue University Extension’s annual Crops Field Day. This field day will also serve as a celebration, honoring Purdue University’s “150 Years of Giant Leaps” along with “70 Years of Agronomic Progress at the Agronomy Farm.”
“Our field day tries to hit on the hot topics farmers are thinking about heading into harvest each year, and I anticipate that the weather and the markets will be at the top of everyone’s list, each of which is being addressed,” says Andrew Westfall, White County Purdue Extension director and agriculture and natural resources educator. “We are also excited to have stops where participants will learn about other timely subjects, including: hemp production, UAVs, field tile and drainage, field crop diseases, and farm safety. Lastly, we are thrilled to celebrate with the public the anniversaries that Purdue is commemorating this year.”
The field day, sponsored by the Indiana Soybean Alliance and Indiana Corn Marketing Council, will be at the Beck Agricultural Center, located at the Agronomy Center for Research and Education (ACRE), 4540 U.S. 52 West in West Lafayette. While the event is free and open to the public, those wanting to attend must register online at: bit.ly/2019CropsFieldDay.
Crops Field Day is scheduled to begin with check in at 7:30 a.m. (EST) and conclude at 1:30 p.m. The day’s program is as follows:
8 a.m., Welcome from Jason Henderson, director of Purdue Extension and associate dean of agriculture, and Karen Plaut, the Glenn W. Sample Dean of Purdue’s College of Agriculture.
8:15 a.m. , 2019 Weather Update with State Climatologist, Beth Hall
9:00 a.m., Learning stations at various on-site locations featuring:
- “UAVs: More to See and Learn” by John Scott, Extension coordinator for digital agriculture.
- “Field Crops Disease Update for 2019” with Purdue Extension Plant Pathology Specialist Darcy Telenko.
- Steven Boyer, superintendent of Northeast Purdue Ag Center, and Jeff Boyer, superintendent of Davis Purdue Ag Center, will discuss their experiences with drainage and installing field tile.
- “Update on Hemp Production in Indiana,” with Purdue Professor of Agronomy Ron Turco.
- “Enhancing Worker Safety during Harvesting, Transporting, and Storing Forage Crops,” with Bill Field, Purdue Professor of Agriculture and Biological Engineering and retired Purdue Extension Educator, Mike Manning.
11:30 a.m., Lunch.
12:15 p.m., 1:00 p.m., “Commodity Marketing: Basis, Market Carry, and Returns to Storage for the 2019 Crop” with Nathanael Thompson, Purdue Assistant Professor of Agricultural Economics
1:00, 1:30 p.m., 70 Years of Agronomic Progress at the Agronomy Farm / ACRE
Private Applicator Recertification Program (PARP), Continuing Education Units (CEU) and Continuing Certification Hours (CCH) credits have been applied for. Participants wanting to receive PARP credits must pay a $10 fee (cash or check only).
For more info, contact Westfall at 219-984-5115, awestfal@purdue.edu.
