MSU to Host Campus Farms Field Day July 7

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by Jenny Lavey, MSU News Service

BOZEMAN — Montana State University’s College of Agriculture and Montana Agricultural Experiment Station will host a free public field day Thursday, July 7, on MSU’s Arthur H. Post Agronomy and Horticulture farms. The public is invited to attend to learn about MSU’s on-farm research work that has a statewide and regional impact spanning cropping systems and plant breeding to beekeeping and small-acre vegetable farming.

The day will begin at 8 a.m. at the Post Farm, followed by lunch. The Post Farm will host teaching stations from 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m., staffed by MSU faculty who will present on topics such as plant breeding, cereal quality, pest control and management, cropping systems, pulse crops, forages, soil health and fertility and precision agriculture. MSU Agricultural Economics Extension Specialist Kate Fuller will speak at lunch regarding an agricultural market outlook for Montana. The Post Farm is located five miles west of Bozeman on U.S. Highway 191 and may be reached at (406) 586-6819.

Later in the evening, the MSU Horticulture Farm will host walking research tours from 6 – 8 p.m. on beekeeping, vegetable production, hoop houses and specialty crops, with locallymade beverages and snacks. The Horticulture Farm is located one mile west of the MSU campus on West Garfield Lane in Bozeman and may be reached (406) 994-2231.

“The whole day is slated to shine a light on the university’s research and teaching capacity at our modern, efficient farms that serve as an extension of MSU’s larger campus,” said Barry Jacobsen, associate director of the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station. “We invite not only MSU faculty, staff and students, but local business owners, regional agricultural producers and members of the public who are interested to learn about the diversity of research happening on our campus farms.”

In years past, the Bozeman field day focused on crops and weeds research at the Post Farm, though organizers this year wanted to expand the day and include the Horticulture Farm and an increased focus on small farms research.

“Increasingly, today’s agriculture students are seeking research and hands-on learning opportunities on working farms,” said David Baumbauer, Horticulture Farm manager. “The Horticulture Farm not only hosts small-farms and horticulture research, but also provides learning and research opportunities for students in a variety of agricultural-related disciplines.”

Both the Post Farm and the Horticulture Farm are part of the College of Agriculture and Montana Agricultural Experiment Station, whose mission is to conduct agricultural research meeting old and new challenges of Montana producers. The experiment station includes seven research stations strategically located across the state and the Post and Horticulture farms are two of 12 active teaching and research farms affiliated with MSU. Last year, the Post Farm was ranked No. 28 out of 40 of the best college farms in the nation, for its national research profile and student involvement, according to College Ranker.

“There are many assets at MSU, though one of the most distinct is having nationally-recognized working teaching and research farms within miles from campus,” said David Gettel, Post Farm manager. “These are functional, working farms with students, staff and faculty who are conducting research on a national scale and making a real difference for Montana agriculture.”

For more information on the MSU Farms Field Day, contact Shana Wold at shana.wold@montana.edu or 994-7289. RSVPs for the day are encouraged. To RSVP, visit http://agresearch.montana.edu/campusfarms/farmdaysrsvp.html or call 994-7289. For more information about the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station, visit http://agresearch.montana.edu/maes.html. For more information about the station’s research centers, visit http://agresearch.montana.edu/researchcenters.html.

Contact: Shana Wold, shana.wold@montana.edu or (406) 994-7289 

 

 

Students and researchers harvest research crops at the Montana State University Arthur H. Post Farm in Bozeman. MSU photo by Kelly Gorham.

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