Free Public Tour of Fruit & Vegetable Polyculture Plots at OARDC
Joe Kovach, who studies ecological pest management at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC), will hold a free public tour of his fruit and vegetable polyculture plots at 4 p.m. on Thursday, May 20th at 2305 Dover Rd. (U.S. 250) in Wooster.
The plots grow various combinations of annual and perennial crops, tall crops and short ones, in raised beds or not, under high tunnels or not, to determine which way works best to minimize pests and maximize profits.
“There’s been a lot of interest (in seeing the plots), especially among urban market gardeners,” said Kovach, who also holds an appointment with Ohio State University Extension. “I decided to offer the tours at set times to streamline things a bit.”
High-value crops, including apples, peaches, green beans, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and salad tomatoes, are the focus. Grossing $10 per row foot — equal to $90,000 an acre — is the goal.
The plots are ideal for urban and small-scale farming, Kovach said. They’re just 44 feet by 60 feet in size; use only minimal pesticides — only when there’s no alternative; produce a lot of food in a relatively small space; and grow foods that are both good to eat and easy to sell.
The varied crop types, heights and seasons, plus the ramped-up biodiversity that results, are designed to make life harder on pests and easier on the grower.
Tours are set for June 24, July 22 and Aug 19 as well, all at the same time and place and also on Thursdays.
The plots are just south of the main OARDC campus.
Call 330-263-3846 or e-mail kovach.49@osu.edu for more information.
OARDC and OSU Extension are the research and outreach arms, respectively, of Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
