Learn about rice farming opportunities for New York and the northeastern U.S. Join us for a 3-session online workshop series (via Zoom):
A Feathered Fortress: The Duck-Rice Aigamo System for Flood-Resilient Agriculture
Friday, January 24 / 2:30-4:30pm EST
The Aigamo system, an ancient Japanese farming practice, offers a sustainable and eco-friendly approach to rice cultivation. By integrating ducks into the rice paddies, farmers can significantly reduce their reliance on pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Erik Andrus (Rice Farmer at Boundbrook Farm in Vermont) and Oscar Leiber (Cornell Cooperative Extension Summer Intern that researched Aigamo systems in Japan) will share their experiences on how the Aigamo system could provide a compelling model for sustainable agriculture, demonstrating the power of nature-based solutions that can be integrated into flood-resilient agriculture in the northeastern U.S.

Sourcing Rice Farming Equipment for American Small Farms
Friday, February 7 / 2:30-4:30pm EST
Rice production for small farms can be scalable and profitable with the right equipment. Erik Andrus (Rice Farmer at Boundbrook Farm in Vermont) will provide an overview of rice nursery, transplanting, weeding, harvesting, and grain processing equipment that is optimal for rice production from a scale of 1 to 20 tons of harvestable rice grain. The webinar will include ways to source affordable equipment at the beginner to more advanced levels of rice farming.

Growing Rice as a Vegetable: Drip-Irrigation Methods versus Flooded Fields
Friday, March 7 / 2:30-4:30pm EST

Rice is a flood-tolerant crop that can be grown in upland, dry soils. Learn how Nazirahk Amen (Rice Farmer at Purple Mountain Organics in Maryland) diversified his organic vegetable, fruit, and grain farm to include upland, drip irrigation rice production. This method involves cultivating rice plants under biodegradable mulch which provides effective weed control and healthy root growth, while conserving water through precision irrigation with drip tape. Jared Gulliford (Cornell Cooperative Extension Tioga County Agricultural Extension Educator) will share his experience in adopting the “rice as a vegetable” farming method at a hilltop farm in New York.

All presentations will be recorded and available to attendees for future reference.
Fee: $75 for all three sessions

Online registration at: https://riceconference.securepayments.cardpointe.com/pay

For more information contact Shari Romar at [email protected].