The 2023 Purdue Small Farm Education Field Day was held at the Purdue Student Farm in West Lafayette, Indiana. With 105 participants registered, the in-person event featured an array of on-farm demonstrations and was a resounding success.
Nearly 84% of attendees reported that they learned something they didn’t know before. A third (34%) indicated they plan to adopt recommended practices for diversified farming systems, and a quarter (24%) plan to adopt recommended practices for creating, improving, or strengthening their business. Nearly half (45%) indicated they plan to adopt practices for horticulture and the environment or practices that will increase efficiency (42%). Over a third plan to adopt practices/technologies for the conservation of resources (37%). Nearly half (46%) of past field day attendees indicated that they had adopted new, recommended practices for their farm or operation. When asked what new practice they had adopted, participants responded:
- Alternate BT and Spinosad on brassicas.
- Pest scouting.
- Applied BT for brassica caterpillar complex control.
- Integrated pest management
Over three-quarters (80%) of participants reported that they had experienced financial improvements because of adopting new, recommended practices from the information presented at past field days.
Attendees commented ……
- “I recommend this event to any beginner small-scale producer.
- I brought my sons and my father to this event. It was a family education day for sure, and each one of us
learned several things we didn’t know. Please continue to offer these events. It’s very helpful! - Good information and a fun, interesting presentation
- I like the wide variety of topics, and I think that so much could be covered in such a short amount of time.
- Lots of helpful information covering a wide variety of topics.
- Always learn, gain knowledge, and learn from questions others ask. When I get home, I can read the literature provided and share it with family in Virginia who farm.
- Very informative and builds on previous research.
- Everyone should learn about these topics.
- It was a good way to be exposed to a variety of horticultural crops.
- I am just beginning to develop my vegetable garden. The information given at the Field Day program was
very useful, and I am confident I will create a beautiful garden space with plants that will give me a great
yield. Also, I appreciate learning what insects I should keep an eye on.”
The event featured an array of “demonstration stations” on the farm where participants learned about a variety of topics:
- High Tunnel Pepper Production and Variety Selection
- High Tunnel Table Grape Production
- Silage Tarps and Their Potential Uses on Small Farms
- Growing Grains on the Small Farm – Dry Edible Bean Variety Trial
- Predator-Prey Dynamics in High Tunnel Crop Production
- Biorational Pesticide Efficacy for Controlling Caterpillars and Flea Beetles in
Crucifer Crop Production - Black Soldier Fly Composting and Specialty Crop Production
- Raised Garden Beds for Vegetable Production
- Postharvest Food Safety Demonstration
- Choosing Fertilizer Injectors for Drip Irrigation for Small Plots
Save the date for the next field day – July 25, 2024
Educational topics for the 2024 field day will be available in May. To learn more about the field day, visit our webpage at www.purdue.edu/hla/sites/studentfarm/events/ or contact Lori Jolly-Brown or Petrus Langenhoven.
