Dr. Panicker Presents at Alliance Field Day

Dr. Panicker Presents at Alliance Field Day

ALLIANCE FIELD DAY: FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2017

(HOSTED BY SWEET GRASS PASTURES IN LUCEDALE, MS

Our 60^th Field Day! Thanks to our partner organizations and local farmers for helping us reach this milestone. We can do something special, if we work together. TOUR AND LEARN FROM SUSTAINABLE FARMING OPERATIONS! WORK WITH AND SUPPORT LOCAL FARMERS AND RANCHERS!

Thanks to Dr. James Barnes with Mississippi State University Extension and his program Bricks-To-Clicks™, the Alliance has launched its new Facebook page. Our goal is to feature our partners and local farms on the page. We will start by highlighting our host farms/sites each month. We are also starting a GIVEAWAY/CONTEST, to help promote our field days:

LAST WORKSHOP/FIELD DAY (FRIDAY, JUNE 16, 2017)

This workshop/field day was hosted by Alcorn State University. Major topics were: “Turmeric, Blueberries, Muscadine, and No-till Vegetable Production”. The workshop/field day was led by Dr. Girish K. Panicker and covered field tours on research and demonstration plots of Turmeric, Blueberries, Muscadine, switch grass, no-till vegetables, and USDA/APHIS’s Soybean Surveillance Unit on Alcorn State University Conservation Center's Research Site.

Participants learned about production of selected high-quality melons from the U.S, and France with synthetic mulching following the latest regulations of organic production, which help farmers raise them with organic manures while completely avoiding weeding and irrigation. Sample seed packets of Ridge gourd (a medicinal vegetable), Pride of Wisconsin and Charentaise (French variety), and Turmeric rhizomes were supplied FREE OF CHARGE. Participants also learned about the medicinal properties of all these crops. In addition to introducing Turmeric all over Mississippi, Dr. Panicker is introducing Cocoyam (Taro), a tropical summer tuber crop in Mississippi. This crop is highly adapted to Mississippi and all plant parts, including leaf, leaf-stalk, and tuber, can be consumed. Attendees received flyers on all these crops.

Dr. Girish K. Panicker is Director of Conservation Research & Associate Professor of Plant and Soil Sciences, on the Conservation Research Site at Alcorn State University. Dr. Panicker has a B.S from Kerala Agricultural University, India; M.S in Agronomy from Alcorn State University; and a Ph.D. in Horticulture from Mississippi State University; with several years of international experience in Asia, Africa, and North America. He is the Pride of India Award recipient and Hall of Fame in Agriculture.

NEXT FIELD DAY (FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2017)
This event will be hosted by Sweet Grass Pastures in Lucedale, MS. Major topics will include: pastured poultry, eggs, pork, beef, and their pecan orchard. Demonstrations and tours will include their pecan orchard, mobile chicken coop, setting up mobile hog fencing, and much more.

This family owned farm began operations in 2014. The Scott family thinks of themselves as, farmers of the soil. Their goal is to have healthy living breathing soil full of microorganims and worms. These organisms are responsible for keeping healthy nutrients available for the grass and healthy grasses make healthy livestock. They do this by "rotational grazing" or rotating their animals. The movement of the animals mimics mother nature and assures that the nutrients the animals eat from the grasses are spread back onto the pasture in an organized way.

At Sweet Grass Pastures their animals are raised 100% free of GMOs, antibiotics, vaccines, and steroids. They also believe that an animal that lives as mother nature intended will always produce the healthiest best tasting product. That is why all their chickens, hogs, and cows are raised naturally outside without confinement.

A small dream has slowly become a small reality, and with a little hard work and hope the Scott family believes they can truly provide Mississippi with a healthy affordable alternative. Everyone is encouraged to visit their website and Facebook page, join their buying club, and visit the farm.

REGISTRATION: 10:00AM. PROGRAM: 10:30AM TO 2:30PM.

There is NO COST to attend this event, but PRE-REGISTRATION is required!

TO REGISTER SEND EMAIL TO: [email protected]

Help us get the word out! Post the attached flyer. Send out an email broadcast or communication to your members, colleagues, and others.

ALL PARTICIPANTS SHOULD WEAR COMFORTABLE CLOTHING AND SHOES FOR FARM/FIELD ACTIVITIES!

“FOCUS GROUP FOR LIMITED-RESOURCE GROWERS AFTER THE FIELD DAY”

Mississippi State University will conduct a short focus group with 10 (no more than 10) limited-resource growers. They want to learn about the barriers farmers face in building their farm businesses. $25 gift cards will be given to each grower who participates. Participants Must Register Separately for the Focus Group and the Session will be Limited to 10 Farmers.

DRIVING DIRECTIONS TO SWEET GRASS PASTURES

Sweet Grass Pastures is located at 1128 Wayne Lee Road, Lucedale, MS 39452. FROM NORTH: Take Highway 49S from Jackson MS all the way down to Hattiesburg, MS. From Hattiesburg take Highway 98E Towards Mobile/Lucedale for about an hour. After that you will take the Highway 63S Exit. Wayne Lee Rd will be on the left after about 7 miles down Highway 63. Once on Wayne Lee Rd you will follow it down to the very end until it turns into a dirt road. This will be the farm. You will pass a house on the left and a house the right, and the farm tour will be past this house through the double gates (not into the pecan orchard but out onto the pasture). FROM NORTH: You can also take Hwy 45S all the way down to Hwy 57S which will turn into Hwy 63. FROM SOUTH: You can come up from I10 down along the coast. Take the 69 Exit onto Hwy 63N and drive north for about 30 minutes. You will be about 5 minutes from Wayne Lee Road once you pass into George County. Contact: Nathan Scott/Owner at #601-508-9986, for help with directions. TO REGISTER EMAIL: [email protected]. (Pre-registration is required)

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

USDA/NRCS Accepting Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Applications

The United States Department of Agriculture/Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is providing financial assistance through EQIP to help Mississippi producers, farmers and ranchers implement conservation practices. The deadline to sign-up to be considered in the EQIP first ranking period is October 1, 2017. FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE THE ATTACHED MEDIA RELEASE.