Mid-Mo Expo for backyard gardeners, small farmers will be Feb. 24 in Columbia
The second annual Mid-Mo Expo for backyard gardeners and small farmers offers presentations and demonstrations to improve productivity and profits.
The event will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Feb. 24 at Battle High School, 7575 E. St. Charles Road, Columbia. University of Missouri Extension in Boone County is hosting the event.
MU Extension agricultural engineer Kent Shannon says four concurrent sessions will occur throughout the day. Attendees can drop in only for sessions that appeal to them or for the whole day. There will be vendors, food, demonstrations and other events to make the day educational and fun, he says.
Presenters include MU Extension state wildlife specialist Robert Pierce talking about managing nuisance wildlife. MU Extension specialists Charles Holland and Tish Johnson will give tips for marketing produce.
Carrie Hargrove, of the Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture, will speak about the new agricultural park planned in Columbia. She will also offer a session on organic vegetable production for personal use. MU Extension agronomist Todd Lorenz will share more than 50 tips on how to safely garden in your senior years. In a separate session, he will talk about how to prune trees properly, why you should test your soil as well as read the results and how to care for your lawn.
MU Extension horticulturist David Trinklein will share tips for growing tomatoes. Horticulturist Patrick Byers will talk about growing and marketing elderberries.
Conservation for small farms will be discussed by Ethan Miller of the Boone County Soil and Water Conservation District, Kim Reitz of the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and Ryan Lueckenhoff of the Missouri Department of Conservation.
MU Extension Natural Resources Engineer Charlie Ellis will offer help on choosing small equipment for small acreages.
MU Extension Forester Hank Stelzer will talk about the Missouri Managed Woods program. Michael Gold of the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resource’s Center for Agroforestry will discuss chestnut production. Gregory Ormsby Mori, also with the Center for Agroforestry, will teach the basics of growing mushrooms on logs.
Veterinarian Charlotte Clifford-Rathert of Lincoln University will talk about why goats and sheep are good choices for small farms.
Tickets are available online for $7 at extension.missouri.edu/boone/mid-moexpo.aspx. Admission at the door will be $10. For more information, call 573-445-9792.
