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Sweeping problems under the rug usually leads to larger problems in the future, unless of course, the problem is weeds and the rug is tarps. Tarping fields as a weed management strategy is an integral part of many organic and reduced tillage operations. Cornell Small Farms Program director, Anu Rangarajan, and Reduced Tillage project coordinator,…
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Are you a vegetable farmer already using tarps? Or are you wondering if and how tarps could work best on your farm? The Cornell Small Farms Program is excited to announce a series of workshops on tarping in small-scale vegetable systems, to be held in Maine and New York this fall. Tarping has emerged as…
Read MoreTarping for Reduced Tillage Workshop Registration Form You are registering for the workshop on Tuesday, November 19, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. held in Voorheesville, NY, at the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Albany County. Registration closed on Thursday, November 14th. For questions on the workshop contact Ryan Maher at rmm325@cornell.edu.
Read MoreTarping for Reduced Tillage Workshop Registration Form You are registering for the workshop on Monday, November 4, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. held in Springvale, ME, at the University of Maine Cooperative Extension – York County. Unfortunately this workshop has been CANCELLED! To register for a different date and location, visit our workshop announcement.…
Read MoreTarping for Reduced Tillage Workshop Registration Form You are registering for the workshop on Monday, November 18, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. held in Canandaigua, NY, at the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Ontario County. Registration closed on Thursday, November 14th. For questions on the workshop, contact Ryan Maher at rmm325@cornell.edu
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Tarping has become a popular practice for small-scale organic farms to manage weeds. Typically, beds are tilled and prepared for planting and then covered using a durable, black plastic tarp. Tillage combined with warming soils under tarps can promote the germination of weed seeds which then die when starved for light. Tarps are then removed…
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Why strip tillage? Repeated, intensive tillage degrades soil structure and creates compacted layers than can restrict plant roots. Strip tillage targets soil disturbance to the planting zone and can help retain surface residue, preserve soil moisture, build soil structure, and reduce erosion. This approach can give vegetables a good start by warming soils, forming a…
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Permanent bed systems can help farms improve soil health at the farm-level. Rather than plow and harrow by the field, fields are divided into a set of beds and field traffic, whether tractor or foot, is restricted to the between-bed area, year after year. These pathways can be managed with cultivation, mulches, cover crops, or…
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Research on the potential of tarps to reduce or even replace tillage by controlling weeds and decomposing crop residue. By Haley Rylander Introduction Organic vegetable farmers rely heavily on intensive soil tillage to control weeds, incorporate amendments and cover crop residue, and prepare clean seedbeds. Intensive tillage, however, can decrease long-term soil health by causing…
Read MoreThe Cornell Small Farms Program will be attending several conferences in early 2019. From presentations of our research to special events, you can connect with the our team and fellow farmers at the conferences listed below. New York State Vegetable Growers Association 2019 Empire State Producer’s Expo Reduced Tillage Project: Ryan Maher, Brian Caldwell, &…
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