Design Fundamentals for Greenhouse and High Tunnels

•  Building High Tunnels – Selection, Construction & Operation
• Heating and Cooling Alternatives for High Tunnel Tomato Production
• Update on Plastic, Polycarbonate, Acrylic and Glass Coverings
• High Tunnels- UVM
• Tips to Aid Construction of Greenhouses and Tunnels

 

Engineering for Storage of Winter Crops

• Maintaining Quality of Winter Vegetables in Storage

• Low Cost Food Storage Technology: Energy Savings and Produce Storage Quality

• Engineering Storage Facilities for Winter Vegetable Crops – Goranson Farm
• Engineering Storage Facilities for Winter Vegetable Crops- Tangerini’s Spring Street Farm

Farm Machinery and Storage Sheds

•  Storage Shed Plans

Farm Scale Irrigation Systems

• An Overview of Drip Irrigation (UMASS)
• Drip System Layouts
• Estimating Water Flow Rates
• Flow Capacity Charts
• Laying Out a Trickle Irrigation System
• Netafim Drip – Micro Irrigation Solutions

Pasture Management

• Grazing Success Through Observation and Planning at Bishopp Family Farm
• Pasture Management Planning Worksheets
• What is Good Grazing Management? by Sarah Flack

Safe & Effective Uses of Organic Pesticides

• Crop Management Practices for Reducing the Use of OMRI Listed Organic Pesticides – Eero Ruuttila
• Don’t Overlook Backpack Sprayers – John Grande, Rutgers
• Safe and Effective Use of Organic Pesticides- McKeag UMASS

Tractor Operation, Maintenance and Safety

• Information & Resource List – Tractor Operation, Maintenance and Safety
• Tractor Primer for the Market Farm

Other Resources

• Green Manure & Cover Crops 2013
• Shiitake Mushroom Cultivation- (A northeast SARE project coordinated by UVM and Cornell)

 

We had 113 new farmers and service providers attend “Build Your Network, Grow Our Future!” The BYNGOF conference was a very successful day, providing new farmers and agriculture service providers with a day of learning together about key programs as well as resource needs for farmers just getting started in CT!

This was a two-day class designed to educate and empower current or future users of agricultural tractors and farm equipment. During the class, they demystified tractors to  improve their understanding of how tractors are designed to work; how to operate them safely and effectively; and how to perform regular and basic maintenance tasks.

This class will covered a lot of important material – in a classroom as well as hands-on experience with both diesel & gasoline engine tractors. Shane LaBrake, from Maryland taught two 8 hour sessions w/Steve Olsen at UConn’s Research Farm in Storrs. Shane LaBrake is a Maryland farmer who has taught his agricultural tractor maintenance course to more than 50 farm organizations in the Northeast. Steve Olsen, is UConn’s Research Farm Manager.