Join OFTA in Michigan August 17 & 18 

OTFA Orchard Field Day - 

Hops Tour & Cider Tasting

Organic Orchard Management: Highlights and Lessons Learned from On-farm Research

Cost:  Register by August 13^th for the early bird rate of $20 and $10 for OTFA members.  Registration the day of the event -- $25 and $15 for  members.

Catered organic lunch provided

Celebrate and learn with us. Join us at Garthe Farms as we learn more about their organic orchard management practices with a focus on apples, pears, sweet and tart cherries, and on-farm research projects that Gene and Kathy are conducting in collaboration with Michigan State University researchers and other area growers. Highlights will include morning discussions on the challenges and opportunities associated with organic pest management, orchard tour, afternoon field walk sessions on orchard fertility, organic disease and insect management, and ways to integrate pastured hogs in the organic orchard. 

Extend your stay—learn and celebrate some more!

Free Hops Tour: Friday, August 17, 2:00 - 4:00 pm, NW Michigan Horticultural Research Center 

Free Cider Tasting: Friday, August 17, beginning 5:00 pm, at Tandem Ciders  

We also invite you to join us the day before on Friday, August 17^th for an afternoon tour of an organic hops variety trial being conducted at the nearby NW Michigan Horticultural Research Center. The tour will be led by Dr. Rob Sirrine, Extension Educator and Specialist in Community Food Systems. 

And 

We'll wrap up the day to visit Nikki Rothwell, owner of Tandem Orchards for a cider tasting at her cidery, Tandem Ciders located in Sutton Bay just 11 miles from theResearch Center.