GOC 2024: Managing Weeds with Smarts and Steel Workshop

The opening audio recording of this session was lost. As such, the bundle price has been reduced to reflect the missing audio. The full presentation is available to provide insight as to what was discussed at the opening of the session.

The Managing Weeds with Smarts and Steel: Cultural and Mechanical Weeding with Successful Techniques and Tools for Market Gardeners and Farmers with Reid Allaway and Sam Oschwald Session Bundle Includes:

• 2/3 Audio Recordings equaling 4.5h
• PDF of the Workshop Presentation (177 pages)

*** Disclaimer: The Guelph Organic Conference is an in person event. We have recorded the sessions and provided them to you here at a significantly discounted rate. The quality of the recordings vary and are best enjoyed when downloaded. To hear a sample recording before purchase listen to the 2024 Keynote Panel session here***

By purchasing this file, you are agreeing to the terms of sale, which means you agree not to share this report or recording.

Session Description:

From hand hoes to wheel hoes, two-wheel tractors to cultivating tractors – this full-day, hands-on workshop is brought to you by experienced vegetable farmer and machinery nut Reid Allaway and weed management specialist Sam Oschwald Tilton. The morning will focus on managing weeds through knowledge – by understanding weed life cycles, and judiciously choosing the timing and kinds of tillage, crop rotations, and cover crops – you can reduce your weed pressure over time. In the afternoon, Reid and Sam will dive into mechanical weeding tools of all kinds for all scales. The group will cover a range of row and bed spacing approaches, and a multitude of tools and explain how to match tools to crop, weed, and soil conditions.

Speaker Bios:

Reid Allaway

Reid Allaway is an organic vegetable farmer, tool builder, and technical problem solver at Tourne-Sol co-operative farm in les Cèdres, QC. Tourne-Sol manages about 7.5 acres of vegetables and seed crops organically on 15 acres and produces 500 CSA shares weekly. In 20+ years as a CSA farmer, Reid has developed particular expertise in mechanical weed control, electric drivetrains for farm equipment, and cover crop management. In partnership with Thiessen Tillage Equipment Reid is currently working on next-generation mechanical weeding solutions for small and medium-scale organic farmers.

Sam Oschwald Tilton

Sam Oschwald Tilton is a horticulture instructor at Lakeshore Technical College near Sheboygan, Wisconsin. He has a background in vegetable farming and a Master’s degree from Michigan State University with a focus on precision weeding tools. Sam has designed weeding machines for KULT-Kress and visited farms throughout Europe and the U.S., and he organizes the Midwest Mechanical Weed Control Field Day.

If you have any questions or require assistance please email communications@organiccouncil.ca .