August 25^th: Pest Walk
Guest presenter: Steve Bogash, Regional Horticulture Educator, Penn State Cooperative Extension

Rain or shine!

The farm is thrilled to announce that the popular Penn State Cooperative Extension Educator, Steve Bogash, will be leading our “Pest Walk” through the DC Farm on Saturday, Aug. 25th, from 2pm-4pm! Everyone is welcome, from beginners to advanced pest pioneers.

As undesirable as they may be, pests and diseases are part of our ecosystem, and their presence or absence can offer important messages about our gardens and farms. How do we decode these messages? As holistic gardeners and farmers, what can we add to our toolbox that is both environmentally responsible AND effective when we are faced with a pest problem or disease? What are the latest solutions that are revolutionizing organic vegetable and fruit production?

Don’t miss this chance to take a closer look at some of the issues on the Dickinson Farm and hear an expert’s suggestions for the best holistic materials and techniques to prevent – or get around – each problem.

$5 suggested donation - Register

Directions to Dickinson College Farm

More about Steve Bogash, Regional Horticulture Educator, Penn State Cooperative Extension

Steve is currently a Horticulture Educator serving Pennsylvania out of the Franklin County office in Chambersburg. He covers vegetables, small fruit, cut flowers, greenhouse vegetables, and specialty marketing as his primary areas of responsibility. Tomatoes, bell peppers, container vegetable, muskmelons, and other specialty crops are regular items in the trial gardens under Steve’s management.

Since 2008, Steve has been doing extensive trials on container-grown vegetables in addition to his high tunnel and field tomato evaluation program started in 2000. Evaluating more than 300 varieties of tomatoes for flavor, appearance, disease resistance and general usability has made Steve very opinionated when it comes to tomato varieties. Steve lives with his wife, Roberta and son, Joe in Newville, PA and is looking to create a vineyard and greenhouse business as a post-retirement form of entertainment.

For Immediate Release                                             Contact: Media Relations
Aug. 14, 2012                                                       717-245-1289; media@dickinson.edu

Calling Kids For “Dirt, Worms & Dinner” At The Dickinson College Farm

(Carlisle, Pa.) – The Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) invites children ages 8-12 to “Youth Farm Day: Dirt, Worms & Dinner,” on Saturday, Aug. 18 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Dickinson College Farm, 553 Park Drive, Boiling Springs, Pa. Cost is $10 per child and pre-registration is encouraged by Friday, Aug. 17. An organic snack will be provided.

Youth Farm Day provides a fun and safe environment for children to see a sustainable farm firsthand and to learn how nourishing food moves from seed to soil to table.  Six supervised learning stations, each lasting 30 minutes, include an interactive activity, game and lesson.

Children will:

• Identify beneficial bugs and pest insects;
• Discover why the farm is constantly moving its sheep and cows from place to place. Children will design their own grazing plan;
• Discover how long it takes something to decompose and what makes it decay faster
• Learn how garbage can be used for fuel and how biogas is made.
• Learn how to save seeds and use them to grow food
• Go on an interactive scavenger hunt

Parents are welcome to observe, take a self-guided tour of the farm, relax in the shade or take a short drive into beautiful Boiling Springs. At the end of the field day, children are invited to show parents what they’ve learned around the farm.

The Dickinson College Farm, a PASA member, is a 50-acre living laboratory that is USDA Certified Organic and Food Alliance Certified. Located just six miles from campus, the farm has more than 15 acres of vegetable production ground and 18 acres of animal pasture. The harvest is delivered to the campus dining hall, sold at the Carlisle Farmers on the Square, donated to local food bank Project S.H.A.R.E. and distributed via a Campus Supported Agriculture program that feeds more than 130 families. Students assist with all aspects of food production and the farm supports the academic interests of students and faculty, promotes renewable energy through solar applications and builds a greater awareness among the college community about how food is generated using techniques that help sustain natural ecosystems.

With nearly 6,000 members, PASA is one of the largest and most active sustainable agriculture organizations in the U.S. Through business support and regional marketing assistance for farmers, advocacy, and public education, PASA seeks to promote profitable farms that produce healthy food for all people while respecting the natural environment.  PASA’s hallmark event, the Farming for the Future conference, draws thousands of participants from more than 30 states and six countries each February.  For more information, visit www.pasafarming.org.

For more information, directions or to pre-register, visit http://blogs.dickinson.edu/farm/directions/, call 717-245-1969 or email farm at dickinson.edu.