On Saturday, August 13th, join grazing specialist and cattle producer Dale Peacock and poultry producers from Angel Acres Farm for a pasture walk and demonstration of how two livestock producers can use the same pastures for grazing. For more info call Dale at 715-965-5698 or email [email protected]
Not sure how to begin gardening? Come learn the basics of soil preparation, seed starting, transplanting, and caring for a vegetable garden on Wednesday, May 11th, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the AERC station. Cost is $5, payable at the door. You can sign up for this workshop when you sign up for your community garden plot!
Thirty people came to AERC's Second Annual Seed Swap on March 26th and traded seeds and scion wood. AERC board members and local farmers spoke about the importance of saving local seeds. To get involved with AERC's new Seed Stewards Initiative, email [email protected]. We are developing a regional network of seed savers to preserve our heirloom varieties and improve locally adapted fruits and vegetables.
It's Green Thumb time! AERC will host a sign-up event for Green Thumb Community Garden plots next Tuesday, April 19th, at the Research Station meeting hall from 6:00 to 8:00. Plots are once again $30 for the first 20 X 40 plot and $20 for each additional plot.
Email [email protected] for more information. Ken Raspotnik saddled up to mow the experimental willow windrow at the Research Station using his McCormick #9, the last of the horse drawn mowers. The willow whips were mowed to about 5 inches tall and will sprout out to produce a 20 foot tall windrow for the southern fields.
Log Truck Safety Workshop at the Research Station!
Topics include log securement, equipment requirements, and air brakes. Sponsored by the Living Forest Coop this Friday, March 25th. The workshop is free but pre-registration is required by calling 715-682-0007. Looking for locally adapted, heirloom, and hybrid vegetable seeds for your garden this year? Want to try some new tree fruit varieties? Come trade seeds and scion wood at the annual Chequamegon Bay Region Seed Swap at the Agriculture and Energy Resource Center, Saturday, March 26th. We’ll trade seeds and scion wood from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m and then share a potluck dinner. We’ll start at 3 p.m. with a short program on seed saving, the importance of local genetics, and a new initiative at AERC to start a seed library tuned to our region. Bring your own extra seeds, envelopes, markers, tape, and a dish to share. Call Clare Hintz with questions: 715-682-1492.
As we round the corner toward spring, new projects are sprouting up all over the Research Station grounds. Dale Peacock, Pri-Ru-Ta grazing specialist, has transferred his herd to temporary stanchions as we wait for the ground to thaw for fencing and water line installation. Angel Acres farm is at work building infrastructure for poultry rearing, and The Equestrian Coop is preparing facilities to introduce its first group of equine boarders.
Meanwhile, AERC is working through the logistics of sourcing materials to build trellises for our hops trials and planning out the fieldwork to establish malting barley trial plots. A seed swap and sign-up day for Green Thumb Community Garden plots is scheduled for Saturday, March 26th, and we are collaborating with the Living Forest Cooperative and the National Network of Forest Practitioners to organize a seminar and workshop focused on opportunities to build a regional woody biomass market network. This summer promises to be an exciting time at the Research Station with the grounds in full swing and activities of all kinds. Help us plan for centennial celebration activities in the fall by volunteering to help out with a centennial steering committee! Just send us an email through our contact form, or call Rich at 715-682-8292 or 715-209-8037. With some new features at our disposal, we are working to build a better website to make it easier for you to find out what's new at AERC. We welcome your comments and suggestions through our new Contact Page!
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