Project Overview
FNE03-474
Project Type: Farmer
Funds awarded in 2003: $3,642.00
Projected End Date: 12/31/2004
Matching Non-Federal Funds: $7,521.00
Region: Northeast
State: Massachusetts
Project Leader:
Timothy Laird
MA Audubon Society, Inc
Commodities
- Agronomic: potatoes
- Fruits: berries (strawberries)
- Vegetables: carrots, onions
Practices
- Education and Training: demonstration, farmer to farmer, on-farm/ranch research, participatory research
- Farm Business Management: agricultural finance
- Production Systems: general crop production
Proposal summary:
This project will compare cultivation tools to determine effectiveness. The farmer has recently acquired an Einbock Flex-Tine harrow and a Star-Hoe, and has found in the first season of use that the combination of the two made marked improvements in reducing hand labor and overall costs. To confirm this impression, he will compare these two cultivators with the time and labor involved with the use of cultivating tractors that use sweeps, basket weeders, finger weeders, and hilling disks; the crops will include potatoes, onions, fall carrots, and first-year strawberries. Outreach will be through a farmer meeting and demonstration and the creation of a booklet describing the project findings.
Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or SARE.