SPRING HILL, TN — Whether your yard is big or small, rural or urban, you can learn useful strategies to make your outdoor space more productive and enjoyable at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture’s Fruits of the Backyard Field Day.

The event takes place on Tuesday, June 17, at the Middle Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center in Spring Hill. Admission is free.

Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. CDT, with formal presentations starting at 9:30. Arrive early so you can tour the trade show and educational displays. Among the exhibitors will be the UT Soil, Plant and Pest Center, which will be offering field day visitors free plant disease diagnostics, insect identification and soil pH testing. Those interested in learning the pH of their soil should bring a sandwich bag full of the soil they wish to be tested. Those desiring more comprehensive tests should visit UT Soil, Plant and Pest Center for instructions or call a local UT Extension office.

The educational presentations will begin with instruction on the creation and maintenance of raised bed gardens by Annette Wszelaki, UT Extension vegetable specialist. Wendel Smith, UT Extension agent, Lawrence County, will follow with an informative presentation on new insect invaders. Finally, David Lockwood, UT Extension fruit and nut specialist, will discuss blueberry production.

At the conclusion of the presentations, visitors are invited to participate in an open panel question and answer session. The panel will include all speakers, plus additional UT specialists. Area farmers will also be on hand to answer questions throughout the day in the educational displays area.

Fruits of the Backyard concludes at 12:30 p.m. For more program details, visit middle.tennessee.edu or call 931-486-2129.

The Middle Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center is located on Highway 31, just minutes south of Nashville. Take exit 53 from I-65 and follow the signs to Columbia. The AgResearch and Education Center is on the east side of Hwy. 31.

The Middle Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center is one of 10 AgResearch facilities operated by the UT Institute of Agriculture. In addition to its agricultural research programs, UTIA also provides instruction research and public service through the UT College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, the UT College of Veterinary Medicine and UT Extension offices in every county in the state.


Source: UT Institute of Agriculture