2010 Nutrient Density
Crop Production Course with Dan Kittredge
During the 2010 growing season, NOFA/Mass is running a six-part course on growing nutrient-dense crops at Lindentree Farm in Lincoln, MA. Led by Dan Kittredge, the course is designed for farmers and gardeners seeking to achieve a nutrient-dense quality standard. Concepts and techniques are presented throughout the growing season to correspond with seasonally specific tasks for achieving long-term success.
The learning process is cumulative. Each new concept is introduced and the application of that concept will be demonstrated in the field with hands-on skill building. Concepts introduced early in the course will be revisited from different angles later on, helping growers to integrate the knowledge for making effective management decisions on their own. The course will provide a support network in which growers will share their questions, experiences, and insights throughout the year.
Sessions run from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and include an hour for potluck lunch from 12 noon to 1:00 p.m. Please bring a lunch item to share in the potluck. You may bring your own lunch instead. Please bring your own utensils and plate.
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Course Location: Lindentree Farm's beautiful heated barn will serve as the instruction area for the course. Each day of instruction will involve hands on instruction in the farm's greenhouse and in the fields.
Address: 10 Old Concord Road Lincoln, MA 01773
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Course Outline:
Day 1: The Foundation: Soil Mineral Nutrition - Saturday January, 23, 9AM-5PM
- Nutrient dense quality standard.
- Soil agronomic principles of nutrient density.
- Inoculation and selection of seeds.
- Preparing potting soils for best starts.
Day 2: Working the Soil - Saturday, March 13, 9AM-5PM
- Tillage and cover cropping to facilitate soil biological life.
- Drip systems and foliar applications.
- Reading your soil test.
Day 3: Working with Plants Saturday, April 24, 9AM-5PM
- Plant sap analysis (brix).
- "Male" vs. "female" foliars and drenches.
- Soil conductivity and pH.
- Seeding and transplanting with biological inoculants.
Day 4: Optimizing Growth, Health & Quality Sunday, June 27, 9AM-5PM
- Long-term mineral management and whole farm system building.
- Monitoring and trouble-shooting disease, insects and weeds and what they tell about soil condition.
- Plant physiology and growing cycle.
- Foliar and drench applications to maximize yield and quality.
Day 5: Completing the Season in Style Sunday, August 29, 9AM-5PM
- Fall soil tests to inform further mineral balancing and remediation.
- Planning cover crops for following year.
- Extend flower & fruit cycle using "male" & "female" foliars and drenches.
Day 6: Putting Land to Rest Sunday October 31, 9AM-5PM
- Review fall crop yields and how they responded to various treatments.
- Plan for the farm next year: rotations, fall mineral applications, crop planning.
- Make appropriate analysis of local soil conditions and deficiencies and how to remediate them.
***Read and article by Dan Kittredge in The Natural Farmer Winter 2009-10 Issue: Nutrient Dense Crops: What does the term mean, and how do we produce them?
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Instructor: Dan Kittredge is a life-long organic farmer who has served as executive director of Remineralize the Earth and currently directs the Real Food Campaign. He works with leading specialists in the field of nutrient dense crop production to increase the nutrition in the food supply. He lives and farms with his wife, Roshni, and two children in North Brookfield, Massachusetts.
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Registration: $60 per course session, with daily NOFA membership discount of $5 and daily early registration (by January 16, 2010) discount of $5. $30 discount for signing up for all 6 sessions. Full course price with early bird and membership discounts applied is $270.
Contact: Ben Grosscup, 413-658-5374. By email, ben.grosscup@nofamass.org; put "ND Course" in subject.
For archives of the 2009 Massachusetts Nutrient Density Field Trainings, see here.
This page was last modified on December 21, 2009 at 11:24:07 AM.
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