2026 UMaine Sustainable Agriculture Research Tour

A group tours agricultural research plots on a sunny day, standing in a grassy field beside rows of cover crops while a presenter speaks from the edge of the plots.Wednesday, August 5, 2026, 2:00–5:45 p.m.
UMaine Rogers Forage and Crops Research Farm
914 Bennoch Road, Old Town, Maine (Directions)

Cost: FREE!

Register Online

Credits Available: 3.5 Certified Crop Advisor (CCA). Two (2) Pesticide Credits approved by the Maine Pesticide Board.

Refreshments provided on site.

Please join us to learn about the latest research on organic cropping, soil health, forages, agroforestry, and wild blueberries!

Event Agenda

Our agricultural researchers from University of Maine Cooperative Extension and the School of Food and Agriculture will showcase their field research on a variety of innovative crops and sustainable production methods:

  • 1:30 p.m. – Sign-in opens
  • 2:00 – 2:15 p.m. – Introduction and Welcome
  • 2:20 – 2:40 p.m. – The Red Oak Common Garden — Presented by Jose Eduardo Meireles (Assistant Professor of Plant Evolution and Systematics)
    • The Red Oak Common Garden at Rogers Farm is a field-based research site managed by the Meireles Lab at the University of Maine. By growing Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra) specimens from different geographic origins in a single, shared environment, the project controls for local climate variations. Dr. Meireles and his team combine molecular tools with leaf-level remote sensing (spectroscopy) to study how genetic differences impact tree function. Ultimately, this experiment helps researchers understand how different oak populations adapt to environmental variability and how resilient long-lived forests will be to climate change.
  • 2:45 – 3:05 p.m. – Cool-season forage legume trial — Presented by Jaime Garzon (Assistant Extension Professor and Forage Educator)
    • This trial aims to evaluate the performance, nutritional value, and nitrogen fixation of 11 cultivars of alfalfa, white clover, red clover, and birdsfoot trefoil, grown as forage legumes, under Maine’s soil and climatic conditions over three years. The session will showcase the evaluated plots and results from the past two years of the study.
  • 3:05 – 3:25 p.m. – Warm-season forage and legume trial — Presented by Jaime Garzon
    • Dr. Jaime Garzon conducted the Maine Sunn Hemp Forage Legume Variety Trial at the University of Maine to evaluate whether sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea) could mitigate the seasonal “summer slump”, the mid-summer decline in traditional cool-season pasture growth caused by heat and moisture stress. This warm-season legume will be tested alone or mixed with three warm-season grass species for performance, nutritive value, and nitrogen fixation.
  • 3:30 – 3:50 p.m. – Assessing Variety Performance and Production Practices in Organic Specialty Potato Production — Presented by Brett Johnson (Assistant Extension Professor, Sustainable Agriculture and Farm Business Management)
    • In a series of small-plot field studies, the effects of variety, in-row spacing, and vine termination date are being evaluated for influence on yield, marketable yield, and tuber size distribution by market class. The goals and objectives of this project are to develop research-based, variety-specific recommendations to increase the uniform production of high-value ‘petite’ potatoes and increase marketable yields per acre. The intended outcomes of this project include increased income and reduced sorting costs for Maine’s specialty potato producers.
  • 4:00 – 4:20 p.m. – Alternative Tillage Systems for Managing Weeds in Organic Soybeans   — Presented by Tom Molloy (Extension Sustainable Agriculture Professional)
    • Organic soybeans are typically grown in tilled soil with cultivation as the primary means of weed control.  Although cultivation can be highly effective at managing weeds if conditions are ideal, farmers still list weed management as one of the top production-related issues.  In addition, the presence of weeds at harvest can lead to staining and unmarketable beans.   This trial is looking at two alternative systems for weed management.  The first is a no-till/roller crimper system where beans are no-till planted into an existing stand of winter rye, and then the rye is rolled/crimped to terminate it.  The second system is a living winter rye mulch system where the soybeans and winter rye are planted on the same day, and because the rye doesn’t go through vernalization, it stays low growing/ vegetative.  These are both being compared to the tilled system with cultivation.
  • 4:40 – 5:00 p.m. – Refreshments and travel to Wyman Center (Directions)
  • 5:00 – 5:20 p.m. – Climate change effects on wild blueberries — Presented by Rachel Schattman (Associate Professor of Sustainable Agriculture)
    • A NIFA-funded controlled experiment with a distinct ecosystem services approach. We are altering heat and precipitation, and measuring the effect on crop phenology, morphology, physiology, insect and disease interactions, and mycology.
  • 5:20 – 5:45 p.m. – Agroforestry research and demonstration — Presented by Rachel Schattman
    • An alley cropping system with cover crops, elderberries, hazelnuts, and bush cherries. We will discuss soil sampling projects and plans for future research.

Directions to Rogers Farm: The UMaine Rogers Farm address is 914 Bennoch Road, Old Town, Maine. It is located on Route 16, 1.5 miles north of Stillwater. Take exit 193 off I‐95 and head east toward Old Town on Stillwater Ave. At the third set of lights, turn left onto Bennoch Rd. (Rt. 16). Rogers Farm is 1.5 miles north of Bennoch Rd.

The Wyman’s Wild Blueberry Research Center is located 2.5 miles south of the J.F. Witter Center campus (off University Farm Road). Turn right (south) out of Rogers Farm onto Bennoch Road (Route 16) for 1.5 miles. Turn left onto Stillwater Ave, cross the bridge, and turn right onto College Ave. Drive 0.5 miles, then turn left onto University Farm Road. Follow the road past the barns to the wild blueberry site. Follow on-site parking signs.

The UMaine Rogers Forage and Crop Research Farm is part of the Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station at the state’s R1 public research university.

If you are a person with a disability and will need an accommodation to participate in this program, please contact Melissa Libby Babcock at 207.581.2788 or melissa.libby1@maine.edu to discuss your needs. Receiving requests for accommodations at least 7 days before the program provides a reasonable amount of time to meet the request, however, all requests will be accepted.