The 4th Annual Midwest Mechanical Weed Control Field Day is officially in the books! Yes, things were a bit different this year, and sure, we ran into some challenges, but it was all worth it to be able to talk cultivation and mechanical weed control for even just a few hours this September.
Instead of all gathering on a farm to spend a full day watching demonstrations, engaging with tool and implement company representatives, listening to cultivation experts, and joining in roundtable discussions, we made the very difficult decision to scale this event back and move it online. Luckily, our partners at Practical Farmers of Iowa were hard at work figuring out how to launch a virtual field day and we are so grateful for their collaboration on this event. Even if we were thrown a curveball at every stage of planning, we are so pleased to have been able to share three lunchtime demonstrations and discussions featuring Sam Oschwald Tilton, Jared Oomen, and Peter Seely. (Thanks guys!)
Since we were operating online, we engaged folks both near and far. We had participants join from more than 30 states and several countries. These producers were looking for solutions to their most pressing weed control challenges. Challenges like in-row weed management, timing and preparation for weed control, and how to address these challenges most efficiently. While we weren’t able to cover every concern, we have a lot of great ideas for how to tackle these issues next year.
Speaking of next year, mark your calendar for September 15, 2021, when we plan to be back on the ground at Pheasant Run Farm in Belle Plaine, IA for the 5th Annual Midwest Mechanical Weed Control Field Day. You can expect all of the great content you look forward to as well as a few new improvements. And if you missed any of this year’s event, you can access all of the videos on our YouTube channel. In fact, we’ve got a whole Mechanical Weed Control playlist there. And if you are looking for more mechanical weed control information, check out this guide developed in partnership with Sam Oschwald Tilton and Hans Bishop (two superstars of mechanical weed control!).
Until next year, may the field conditions be ever in your favor!
