PRE-REGISTRATION CLOSES 9/8/24 at midnight ON-SITE REGISTRATION AVAILABLE (Lunch not guaranteed for with on-site registration)
Purdue University’s MEIGS Horticultural Research Farm in Lafayette, Indiana will be the host site for the 2024 Midwest Mechanical Weed Control Field Day (MMWCFD). MMWCFD connects farmers, machinery manufacturers, and the allied trades from all over the United States and Canada – because it is THE place to see weeding tools. The morning features a trade-show where companies can connect one-on-one with farmers, and educational sessions, and the afternoon features field demonstrations in vegetable and row crops.
OPPORTUNITY FOR ILLINOIS FARMERS! The Midwest Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) exists to provide technical assistance and wrap-around support for transitioning and existing organic farmers and has provided funding to cover admission for any Illinois farmers interested in attending this year’s event. Illinois farmers please use the code ILTOPP24 when registering (50 spots available). Thank you TOPP!
WHAT TO EXPECT
The first half of the day will include a trade-show where companies can connect one-on-one with farmers, and educational sessions. The second half of the day will feature field demonstrations in vegetable and row crops.
- Hear from national experts on weeding tools and techniques!
- See weeding tools of all scales: hand tools, walk-behind tractors, 4-wheel tractors, camera-guided hitches, autonomous laser weeders, and more!
- Watch field demos of weeding machines and hear from company reps!
- Visit the trade show featuring industry-leading cultivation companies and cutting edge tools!
- …and more!
FIELD DAY SCHEDULE
- 8:00 am Registration, Check-in, Coffee, and Trade Show Opens
- 9:00 am Welcome & Opening Remarks
- 9:30 am Trade Show
- 10:30 am Ed Session – Whitehorse Plow
- 11:00 am Ed Sessions – Silage Tarping
- 11:30 am Gregoire-Besson Plow
- 11:30 am Walk Behind Alley Demonstrations
- 12:30 pm Lunch
- 1:15 pm Walk and Wagon Transport to Demonstration Plots
- 1:30 pm Field Demonstrations
- 2:40 pm CYOA (Choose Your Own Adventure) Demo Time
- 3:30 pm Wrap-up and ice cream sandwiches (in exchange for your participation in a brief event evaluation)
- 4:00 pm Adjourn
DEMONSTRATIONS
Midwest Mechanical Weed Control Field Day features in-field demonstrations of cultivation tools for vegetables and row crops. You can expect demonstrations of all scales of weeding tools – hand tools, walk-behind tractors, 4-wheel tractors, camera-guided hitches, autonomous laser weeders, and more! Take a sneak peek at what you can expect to see at this year’s event!
Hand Tools & Walk Behind
- Earthtools– BCS and Grillo walk-behind tractors
- Johnny’s– Terrateck wheel hoe
- Small Farm Works– Paperpot transplanter, hand Japanese torsion weeder
- Tilmor– Power Ox two wheel tractor
Vegetables
- Tilmor– Tilmor 520 cultivating tractor, Edge of plastic cultivator
- Treffler– Tine harrow
- Theissen Tillage– Rear mounted steerable toolbar
- Farm Droid– Autonomous Weeding Robot
Corn
- Treffler– Tine harrow
- Garford– Camera guided cultivator
- T.H. Implements– Actuated Swinging Spyder cultivator
- Bay Shore Sales– Hatzenbichler XL camera guided cultivator
- Farm Power– Einbock Chopstar Prime camera-guided cultivator, Einbock Aerostar Fusion tine weeder, Einbock Verso
- Lemken– Rubin 10 Speed Disc
- Living Prairie-FALC GSL 3000 rotavator
Education Sessions
- Whitehorse Machine– 3 bottom plow
- Dr Stephen Meyer– Tarping Demo
- Bay Shore Sales– Gregoire Besson Voyager
Horse Demos
- The Bilenky Sustainable Horticulture Lab– Straddle row cultivator, between row cultivator, McCormick #9 sicklebar mower, culti-mulcher
MMWCFD is presented by The Land Connection and Purdue University.
Funding for Illinois farmers to attend for free provided by Midwest Transition to Organic Partnership Program
Thank you to our 2024 Sustaining Sponsors:
Thank you to our 2024 Supporting Sponsors:
AS FEATURED ON THRIVING FARMERS PODCAST
MMWCFD’s Sam Oschwald Tilton was featured on a 2023 episode of Thriving Farmer Podcast, hosted by Michael Kilpatrick. Sam spoke about mechanical weed control in the midwest.
VIDEO ARCHIVE OF PAST FIELD DAYS
Can’t wait until September for the 2024 MMWCFD? Check out these videos from past field days, and get excited for what’s to come in 2024!
2020 [virtual series]
Episode 1: Drone Wars
Jared Oomen of Oomen Farms, Ltd. discusses multiple cultivation implements and the set-up of a camera-guided cultivator in his shop in Hart, MI.
Episode 2: The Awakening
Sam Oschwald Tilton guides us through considerations for tool set-up in Peter Seely’s shop at Springdale Farm in Plymouth, WI.
Episode 3: The First Encounter
Sam Oschwald Tilton and Peter Seely discuss weed challenges and solutions from Peter’s farm in Plymouth, WI.
