LU's Busby Farm Open House

Lincoln University will have an Open Housse at their Alan T. Busby Agriculture Farm this coming Friday, May 4th from 9 am to 4 pm.  Busby Farm is located at 5124 Goller Road, Jefferson City, MO (off Hwy 54 West).

Come and learn about a variety of topics: Organic Blueberry Production / Integrated Pest Management / Aquaculture / Silvopasture / Multi-species Grazing / Composting.  Busby Farm promotes sustainable and organic agriculture.

This is a free event open to the public. A box lunch will be available for $ 5.00 benefiting the Lincoln University Agriculture Club.  Register by calling 573-681-5543.  Please let us know if you need special accommodations.

Program

The Program begins at 9:00 am.  All sessions will be 45 minutes each will be held concurrently from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm. During lunch from 11:30 am – 12:30 pm, Dr. K.B. Paul will provide an overview of the Missouri SARE Program.

Topics

Silvopasture—Dr. Charlotte Clifford-Rathert - Researching the best management techniques and goat breeds most suitable to control weeds and brush. Lincoln University has 42 acres dedicated as a natural laboratory that will also serve as a demonstration area to evaluate the benefits of using goats for vegetation control in woodland settings and the integration of pastureland.

Integrated Pest Management—Dr. Jaime C. Piñero, State IPM Specialist and Jacob Wilson, Extension IPM Tech. - The Lincoln University (LU) IPM Program promotes organic insect pest management through research, extension and education. We increase farmers’ awareness that effective organic pest management starts with an understanding of both IPM and the National Organic Program (NOP) final rule (USDA, 2000) which emphasizes the use of preventive and cultural practices than enhance crop health such as crop rotation, crop covers, sanitation measures, cultural and biological control. At this event, we will provide and overview of pest management in organic blueberries including Japanese beetles.

Aquaculture—Dr. James Wetzel - Our mission is to develop & diversify the aquaculture industry of Missouri. Our efforts concentrate on native sunfish such as bluegill, redear, black crappie and largemouth bass. We concentrate on culture methodology, nutrition and genetic makeup. Ongoing trials involve larval rearing and feeding trials.

Multispecies Grazing—Dr. James Caldwell - The grazing trials include various rotations and combinations between cattle, goats and sheep. Field data and lab data will help determine the differences in forage utilization and per-acre production for forages and pounds of livestock. Our research will also include the use of alternative forages and their effects on internal parasites. The trials will also compare the suitability of various fencing and watering options for multispecies grazing, as well as researching which mineral supplementation program is best suited to this type of grazing system

Solar Watering System—Chris Boeckmann - The solar powered pumping system will utilize water stored in the reservoir to provide water for livestock and irrigate the blueberries and, eventually, the organic fruit trees.

Composting Programs—Dr. Hwei-Yiing Li Johnson - The LU Composting Facility has several programs that are designed to improve waste management and environmental quality. You will be introduced to various composting methods such as aerobic composting and vermi-composting. Other programs to be shown will be green roof, green walls, rain garden, rain barrel usage, and winter heating with electric and solar thermal system for worm beds.