12th Annual Small Farm Family ConferenceNovember 12, 2014

Presenter:• Clifton Slade, Vegetable/Produce Specialist

Overview of the 43560 Initiative

Let’s talk about Soil Health

While the project in 2013 could be called somewhat of a success there were a number of lesson learned from this huge endeavor

• Lack of good organization planning• Poor weed control• Labor source was not dependable• Inputs not order or received in a timely manner• Lack of good record keeping• Over use of transplants

The SFOP is making the following changes and improvements to the 43560 demonstration project for 2014: •A small farm nutrient management specialist and a soil specialist are actively involved with the project

•Soil test have been conducted by VT and ANL laboratories

•Nutrient management plans are being written for all crops

The SFOP is making the following changes and improvements to the 43560 demonstration project for 2014: • A project plan was developed and is modified on an weekly bases as weather and growing conditions change

• The project now has a project manager and a co-manager

• The project acreage has been reduced to 1 acre. With ½ acre being irrigated and the other ½ not irrigated. The remaining 1 acre is being used for testing of certain varieties of sweet potatoes and cover crops for small farm production

The SFOP is making the following changes and improvements to the 43560 demonstration project for 2014: • Volunteer labor hours are being tracked and are in compliance with the university volunteer policy requirements

43, 560 Work Plan for 2014 Duties/responsibilities:

• Take pictures of each bed and arrange in chronological order, by crop Install drip irrigation

• Perform irrigation management

• Perform fertilizer injection

• Apply fertilizer

• Provide water for all staff (to be donated by Farm Credit)

• Pickup cooler and get ice from the fish processing center

• Make an example PowerPoint at the end of the summer for each crop

43, 560 Work Plan for 2014 Duties/responsibilities:

Volunteers' Authorizations/Waivers

• Secure volunteers' forms from Risk Mgmt and Human Resources

• Have volunteers' complete Criminal background Request Form & complete and notarize Waiver Release form

• Submit completed forms to Ms. Johnson (Human Resources, VA Hall- Room 109)

• Supervise/sign in volunteers/visitors on Tuesdays and Thursdays

• Secure students' signed and approved "Student Trip Form" (submit 7 days before activity)

43, 560 Work Plan for 2014 Duties/responsibilities:

Perform site maintenance

• Weeding

• Watering

• Tilling

Harvest responsibilities:

Secure scales

Weigh and record the following:

• Average weight per head of cabbage , lettuce, and bok choy

• Average weight per bunch of cabbage, lettuce and bok choy

• Weekly harvest - kale, cucumbers, tomatoes, and flowers

43, 560 Work Plan for 2014 Transplant vegetables and flowers: 1. Cabbage - 80 days 2. Collards - 80 days 3. Lettuce, Romaine - 70 days 4. Lettuce, Buttercrunch - 65 days 5. Onion sets - 70 days 6. Zennias-75-90 days 7. Snapdragons- 100-120 days 8. Tithonia- 100-120 days 9. Cosmos- 90-120 days 10. Statice- 110-120 days 11. Larkspur- 100-120 days

43, 560 Work Plan for 2014 Direct seeded vegetables and flowers: 1. Chickpeas-100 days 2. Irish potatoes- 90 days 3. Carrots- 75-85 days 4. Kale-60 days 5. Turnips-60 days 6. Swiss chard-60 days 7. Beets-60 days 8. Radish-40 days 9. Edamame-75-100 days, plant 4/1 10. Sunflowers-40-70 days 11. Zennias-40- 75 days

The SFOP is making the following changes and improvements to the 43560 demonstration project for 2014: • Our end goal is to have a good record of everything we did

Questions?