New Mexico State University's Agricultural Science Center in Los Lunas will host a field day on August 8 according to an NMSU Newsroom article published on Tuesday. The event will provide an opportunity for the state's producers to be taught by various university researchers and Extension staff about multiple agricultural topics including crops and weed control.
Attendees will also take part in presentations about topics including tomatoes, jujube production, chile production, chile peppers, native and improved forage grasses, and grape varieties. There will also be a learning garden featuring a pollinator habitat and mulch study.
The field day's registration opens at 7:30 a.m. at 1036 Miller Road, Los Lunas. Field tours will begin at 9 a.m., and lunch will begin at 12 p.m. Free lunch and door prizes will be handed out during the event.
“This field day is an excellent chance for the community to come out and see firsthand the important research conducted at the science center,” said ASC Extension forage specialist and research director Mark Marsalis. “These educational events provide information to the public in order to better understand the issues facing producers of agronomic and horticultural crops, and how those issues are being resolved.”
The field day will also offer multiple engaging activities including a self-guided learning garden walking tour, a scavenger hunt, a bee and honey demonstration, a seed-to-supper presentation, a master gardener Q&A booth, and a culinary delights food booth promoting locally grown foods.
According to its official website, the ASC was first established in 1957 and primarily serves the Middle Rio Grande area and parts of central New Mexico.
"Research programs are as diverse as the landscape and strive to meet the needs of both large and small farming operations as well as urban horticulture," the website reads. "The station is uniquely situated to address a wide array of urban and rural issues associated with crop and home garden production."