Organic Farm Walk

Event Date : February 26, 2013

Farm Walk on Tuesday, 26th February 2013, 10.30am – 2.30pm, Hook House Farm, Kirkby Fleetham, Near Northallerton, North Yorkshire, DL7 0SS, by kind permission of Steve Pierson and family.

The event is being organised by Newcastle University’s Nafferton Ecological Farming Group (NEFG) and the purpose of the day is to:

• Provide a discussion forum for organic farmers in the north, particularly on your main challenges and issues regarding soil management, maintaining fertility and P and K indices.
• Feedback findings from the Tilman-Org Research project on the use of reduced tillage and green manures by organic farmers in Europe.

• 10.00-10.30am – Arrival and tea/coffee
• 10.30am – Introductions
• 10.50am – Farm walk around Hook House Farm
• 12.20pm – 1pm Lunch
• 1-1.45pm – Dr Liz Stockdale, Newcastle University, will lead a discussion to identify your key challenges related to soil management and what research or training might assist you.
• 1.45-2.30pm – Dr Julia Cooper, Newcastle University, will report on the key findings so far from the Tilman-Org project:

http://research.ncl.ac.uk/nefg/tilman/page.php?page=1

Hook House Farm is 60 ha, certified organic since 2001. The main business enterprises are arable, Christmas turkeys, a mule flock producing lambs for finishing and fattening traditional breed cross stores for beef. The rotation provides ley and arable crops in equal proportions, consisting of red or white clover ley/stubble turnips catch crop/winter or spring wheat/ beans/ barley undersown. Steve has been trying some reduced tillage techniques over the past few seasons on the sandy loam, peaty loam and clay soils.

Steve has kindly offered to provide a light lunch for everyone and so it is essential that you let Kate Gascoyne from NEFG know if you are planning to come by Thursday 21st February, on 01768 881462 or kate.gascoyne@newcastle.ac.uk