Appalachian Harvest Organic Farm Tours on Insect Control on 6/21 & 6/22

Submitted by Karen on Wed, 2008-06-11 08:19.

There is a growing interest in organic vegetable farming in our area driven by the desire for local, healthy foods from farmers market shoppers and by the success of the Appalachian Harvest network (a group of over 50 family farmers in southwest Virginia and east Tennessee raising certified organic produce for supermarket chains throughout the southeast U.S.). Two Appalachian Harvest farms will be the focus of farm tours in June. These tours are free and open to the public.
In addition to a general farm tour (highlighting crops, fertility and season extension techniques) and an introduction to the Appalachian Harvest network, the tours will focus on the many creative and effective tools that organic farmers use to control insect pests on their farms. Anna Wallingford and Kathy Kamminga (both graduate students in entomology at Virginia Tech) will be on-hand at both farm tours to share their knowledge of insect identification and the use of 'good' bugs to control the ones that feed on crops. Several Appalachian Harvest growers will be there as well to share their own successes with garden insect control
The first tour will be on Saturday, June 21 at the farm of Gary and Cindy Laws in Stickleyville, VA (Lee Co.) from 2:00 until 4:00 p.m.
From Duffield, travel west on Rt. 58 towards Jonesville. Go up and over Powell mountain, and at the base of the mountain, turn left (south) onto Rt. 612. Travel 2.5 miles, look for workshop signs on your right.
The second tour will be in Abingdon, VA on Sunday, June 22 from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. at Abingdon Organics Farm, operated by Anthony and Laurel Flaccavento.
Take exit 13 off I-81 in Virginia and turn toward the gas station. At the light, go straight across Rt. 11 onto Rt. 611 (Providence Rd.). Travel 2.5 miles (staying to your left when the road forks) until the road goes under a RR bridge and "T's" onto Wyndale Road. Turn left onto Wyndale and look for the farm tour sign immediately on your right.
If you would like more information about these farm tours or Appalachian Harvest, please call Appalachian Sustainable Development at 276-623-1121 or email tpeterson@asdevelop.org.