Knoxville, Tennessee
January 30, 2009
National eOrganic website also
goes online
A new initiative of the
University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture may have
broad appeal for commercial producers, home gardeners and
consumers alike. UT Extension has launched a new Organic and
Sustainable Crop Production program, and the East Tennessee
AgResearch and Education Center in Knoxville has converted a
90-acre facility into an organic crop production research unit
to conduct experiments and demonstrations.
The UT Organic Crops Unit currently has 21 acres under
cultivation, with 14 acres of various organic vegetable crops
and cover crops in plots that are transitioning to certified
organic production. It generally takes a three-year transition
period for a plot to become certified organic under USDA
guidelines. Organic farming systems rely primarily on natural
inputs and largely exclude the use of synthetic fertilizers and
pesticides. The start of the transition is the date when the
last excluded substance was applied to the fields.
The UT Organic Crops Unit also includes three recently
constructed high-tunnels. High tunnels are framed, unheated
greenhouse-like structures covered in plastic whose purpose is
to extend the growing season for certain crops.
Dr. Annette Wszelaki, UT Extension commercial vegetable
production specialist, coordinates a team of AgResearch and
Extension professionals and graduate students working on the
project. Information about on-going research projects, upcoming
workshops, Extension publications, events, and grower resources
is now available online at
http://organics.tennessee.edu.
Also linked on the site is the eOrganic community. This effort
is a national community of Extension professionals who
coordinate information about U.S. organic agriculture production
including research and learning modules from land-grant
universities. Tennessee Extension professionals have been
involved with eOrganic, and the web site can connect those
interested in organic production to regional and national
experts.
The UT Web site includes information about an upcoming event
that may interest commercial producers. A 10-part monthly
workshop will be broadcast beginning in February from three
locations throughout the state: Knoxville, Nashville and
Jackson. There is no fee for participating in the workshop, but
advance registration is required. More information is available
online at
http://organics.tennessee.edu. |
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