Subject: SUSTAINABLE AG FIELD DAY UC DAVIS (fwd)

From: Victor Guest <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 31 May 1997 12:29:14 WST

ORIGINALLY From owner-SAED-SHARE-L@cornell

SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE FARMING SYSTEMS 9TH ANNUAL FIELD DAY- JUNE 19

The SAFS project is a long term interdisciplinary research project which
compares productivity and sustainability among conventional, low-input and
organic farming practices. The project is studying the effects of these
management practices on three, consecutive four-year rotations, of
processing tomatoes, safflower, corn and wheat/beans. The 20 acre
experimental site is located at the Agronomy Field Headquarters, which is
less than two miles from the central UC Davis campus. Our research group
consists of 12 faculty and extension members from various departments, three
local farmers and two Yolo County farm advisors. The field day is designed
to open our project to growers, farm advisors, researchers, industry
representatives, NRCS Officers, other agricultural specialists, students and
the general public. 

The SAFS field day is a good opportunity to inform a large number of people,
particularly growers, about the project. Also, it is scheduled at a time
when all the crops are growing vigorously in the plots, which should provide
participants with a realistic assessment of the  different management
systems. The morning program includes field tours of the SAFS experimental
plots including our companion area, where we are evaluating and developing
minimum-tillage tomato production methods, alternative weed control tactics,
and improved fertility and cover crop management strategies.  

The tour will be followed by presentation of SAFS research highlights after
completing eight years or two rotation cycles in the project. After lunch,
we will be pleased to introduce our keynote speaker, Miguel Altieri, who
will address "Moving the International Research Agenda Towards Sustainable
Agriculture." Dr. Altieri is an early proponent of systems studies like
SAFS, and is in the Department of Environmental Science Policy and
Management at the University of California Berkeley. 

In the afternoon, participants  are encouraged to attend a panel
discussion/question and answer session featuring growers and farm advisors
who are participants on the SAFS project.  The concluding session,
"Innovations in Agricultural Technology" will include a display of novel
farm equipment by Buffalo Manufacturing and Bezzerides Bros.  Also in the
afternoon, lab stations will be set up demonstrating Phospolipid Fatty Acid
analysis (PLFA) for microbial biomass sampling, and viewing of the new 1997
SAFS project video.

This year's field day will go from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.  A pre-registration
fee of $10 due by June 14th is required, which includes an information
packet and lunch. Your early response is appreciated so we can plan for the
number of participants who will attend.

Contact Kelly J. Brewer for more information. (916) 752-8940
[email-masked] 
Visit SAFS webpage: http://agronomy.ucdavis.edu/safs/home.htm

Kelly J. Brewer
Information Specialist
Sustainable Agriculture Farming Systems Project
University of California, Davis
Davis, CA     95616
TEL:916-752-8940
FAX:916-752-4361
e-mail:[email-masked]