Join us this Sunday, August 24th for the annual High Mowing Field Day, our fun-filled open house marking the height of the growing season! Learn something new at our workshops, tour the beautiful Trials & Showcase fields, satisfy your soul with a delicious Local Food Showcase meal prepared in the field by New England Culinary Institute chefs, then dance the night away with live music and a bonfire! Best of all, all events are FREE! Be sure to check out all the other great events going on this weekend as part of Kingdom Farm & Food Days, a celebration of local farms and producers of Vermont's Northeast Kingdom. KFF is presented by High Mowing Organic Seeds, Sterling College, Pete's Greens, and the Center for an Agricultural Economy. Read on for more details... High Mowing Field Days Schedule - Sunday, August 24th, 2014 All tours and workshops start at the Welcome tent. 1:00-1:50pm
  • Field Tour with Taylor
Workshops:
  • Pollinators, What's All the Buzz About? with Stephen Purdy. This workshop will take a look at pollinator identification, habitat, and life cycle with a focus on their role in organic seed production. We will walk through wildflower patches and production fields discussing the challenges that pollinators face, then build some nesting sites to take home.
  • Introduction to Vegetable Fermentation with Holly Simpson. In this workshop we will cover all the basics of successful home fermentation.
2:00-2:50pm
  • Field Tour with Jacob
  • Seed Saving & Production Tour with Tom Stearns. In this workshop we will walk around the Trials and nearby seed production fields discussing techniques and issues related to saving your own seeds on both a garden and farm scale. Most varieties of vegetables as well as some herbs and flowers will be covered.
3:00-3:50pm Workshops:
  • GMO OMG: Understanding Genetic Modification and Why It Matters with Sophia Bielenberg. In this workshop we will discuss many aspects of genetic modification. We will talk about transgenic and cisgenic genetic engineering, what they are, and why the USDA allows one in organics but not the other. We'll also cover High Mowing's stance on varieties derived from the popular artificial CMS technique, the recent study of nutritional differences between conventional and organic foods, and what's on the horizon for Vermont since passing the GMO-labeling law. We'll save time at the end for Q&A.
  • Putting Cover Crops to Work: Better Soils for Better Crops with Jacob Keszey. Join us to learn about the broad impact cover crops can have in improving the life of your soil. We'll discuss how using cover crops effectively can improve soil conditions by increasing organic matter, fixing nitrogen, reducing soil compaction, suppressing weed growth, preventing excessive water loss, and limiting erosion of fallow ground.
4:30pm: Local Food Showcase Meal prepared in the field by New England Culinary Institute Chefs! 5:30-8:30pm: Live Music with Granite Junction and a bonfire! Getting There High Mowing Field Day takes place at the High Mowing Trials & Showcase Field on Marsh Road, Wolcott, VT (NOT at our warehouse at 76 Quarry Rd!) Directions To Trial & Showcase Gardens From Morrisville and Points West: Drive East on Route 15 through the town Wolcott. Continue on 15 past Fischer Covered Bridge on your right and High Mowing Organic Seeds' warehouse on your left. Turn left on Marsh Road. Follow Marsh Road uphill continuing to bear left wherever the road forks. When the road stops going uphill, continue past the Steve Hill farm on your right until you see the VT Land Trust sign on the left. High Mowing Organic Seeds Trials & Showcase Garden is the next driveway on your left. (Google Map) From Hardwick and Points East: Drive West on Route 15. Turn right on Marsh Rd. Follow Marsh road uphill, continuing to bear left wherever the road forks. When the road stops going uphill, continue past the Steve Hill farm on your right until you see the VT Land Trust sign on the left. High Mowing Organic Seeds Trials & Showcase Garden is the next driveway on your left. (Google Map) We hope to see you at Kingdom Farm and Food Days this weekend - and join the fun on Facebook!