From san@nal.usda.govWed Jun 12 15:48:29 1996 Date: Mon, 3 Jun 1996 17:00:54 -0400 (EDT) From: "Andy Clark, SAN Coordinator" To: sanet-mg Subject: New Video (fwd) Here's a useful product from a SARE grant. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Mon, 3 Jun 1996 12:51:32 -0500 From: Beth Holtzman To: SAN@nal.usda.gov Subject: New Video N E W S R E L E A S E For Release: Immediately Contact: Beth Holtzman Phone: 802-656-0554 Successful Vegetable Farmers and Their Weed Control Machines Star in New Video If you're interested in mechanical weed control but don't have the opportunity to learn how successful farmers use their tools, here's a new video for you. "Vegetable Farmers and Their Weed Control Machines," is the next best thing to being there. From sweeps and rotary hoes to flame weeders and home-made tools, this high-quality, 75-minute video demonstrates many of the available cultivation implements. It also explains some of the weed control strategies being used effectively by New England vegetable farmers. "Vegetable farmers have considerable knowledge about cultivation equipment," says University of Vermont Vegetable and Berry Specialist Vern Grubinger. "This video was produced in an attempt to get some of the knowledge on film so it could be easily shared." Grubinger and University of Massachusetts Weed IPM Specialist Mary Jane Else worked with UVM videographers to produce the video. Their goal was to help extension educators and growers improve their knowledge of weed control equipment. The USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Program provided funding for the project. While the video focuses on New England growers, the information presented is applicable to smaller-scale vegetable farms in many parts of the country. It shows how the implements work and how producers adapt their use for production goals and site-specific conditions. "We visited nine farmers in three states to get their opinions on various pieces of equipment and how to use them," Grubinger says. "Direct market, wholesale, conventional, and organic growers were included." The video features plenty of clear, up-close footage of various pieces of machinery in use on a variety of vegetable crops. Tools demonstrated include: Buddingh basket and finger weeders, Lely tine weeders, rotary hoes, rolling cultivars, Bezzerides implements, various sweeps, as well as backpack and tractor-mounted flame weeders. Some home-made tools for cultivating the edges of plastic mulch are also described. The nine growers explain how the different pieces of equipment work and describe how the various tools fit into their overall weed control strategy. The producers also tell some of the pros and cons of specific equipment. The video is available for $10 including postage. Make checks payable to UVM Extension and include a note with your name and mailing address. Send to: UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture, 590 Main Street, Burlington, VT 05405-0059. ************************************ Beth Holtzman Northeast Region SARE/ACE Programs Phone: 802-656-0554 Fax: 802-656-4656 e-mail: bholtzma@moose.uvm.edu ************************************