Did you know that it is possible to grow crops and garden vegetables in the Willamette Valley without any irrigation at all? Join the LWC and Polk and Marion Soil & Water Conservation Districts for a fascinating look at dry farming with OSU Dry Farming project leader, Amy Garrett. Amy will share her research, you will hear testimonials from local farmers, and we will tour Gowen Farms to get a first-hand view (and taste!) of dry-farmed tomatoes, squash, melons and more! We will wrap up with a debrief from Bill and Carol Sutkus, and the Marion Polk Food Share on their dry farming trials for the past two years and have time for questions and discussion at the end. Scroll down for the agenda!
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Our Partners
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Dry Farm Presentation and Field Day Agenda
4:30 - 5:30: Intro to Dry Farming Vegetables (Amy Garrett)
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As summer water availability becomes an increasing concern for growers of all scales, strategies for growing with little to no irrigation is peaking interest and being incorporated into farms and gardens all over the maritime Pacific Northwest. In this presentation you will learn about:
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5:30 - 6:30: Gowen Farm Trial Site (Darlene Gowen)
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Darlene Gowen has been hosting trials with the OSU Dry Farming Project since 2016 and is involved in multiple research projects this year including site suitability study, fungal inoculant study, potato variety trials, and more. We'll walk with her through the trial plots, learn about her experience, and do some taste-testing of her dry-farmed vegetables!
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6:30 - 7:15: Dry Farming Take-Aways (Marion-Polk Food Share & Bill and Carol Sutkus)
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You'll hear from Jared Hibbard-Swanson and Emily Griffith about Marion-Polk Food Share's experiences with dry farming at their Youth Farm. Bill and Carol Sutkus will also be sharing their knowledge and experiences with dry farming in a smaller, more urban setting.
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7:15 - 7:30: Dry Farming Debrief
