BROOKINGS, S.D. – South Dakota State University Extension is hosting the third annual South Dakota Virtual Vegetable Short Course.
Designed to empower small and medium-scale commercial specialty crop producers to improve and expand their operations, the short course will provide practical, science-based vegetable production information. This year’s event will feature farmers, students and Extension specialists from South Dakota and Illinois.
This four-part educational series will hold sessions online via Zoom on Jan. 21, 23, 28 and 30, 2025, from 7-8:30 p.m. CST. They are free to attend, but registration is required to receive the Zoom link. To register, visit the SDSU Extension Events page and search “vegetable”.
Topics will include soil health, weed management, cover crop integration and adapting to extreme weather events. Sessions will be moderated by Kristine Lang, assistant professor and SDSU Extension Consumer Horticulture Specialist, and Rhoda Burrows, professor and SDSU Extension Horticulture Specialist.
Lang highlighted that two of this year’s sessions will feature current and former SDSU students and their research. On Jan. 23, Alexis Barnes, University of Illinois Extension Local Food Systems Small Farms Educator, will present on dealing with crop failures and unusual weather patterns. Barnes is a graduate of SDSU with a master’s degree in plant science.
On Jan. 30 Joslyn Fousert, SDSU Southeast Research Farm agronomy/horticulture research assistant, and Kristina Harms, SDSU graduate research assistant, will talk about living mulch and hay mulch within organic vegetable production systems.
“I'm excited to continue this event as it's fun to highlight new farming perspectives with each year of the short course. I'm also excited to welcome a former graduate student as a presenter who will share a larger Midwest perspective based on her experiences working in Illinois for the past year,” Lang said.
Other sessions will feature Kyle Haroldson, owner of Haroldson Farms near Bruce, on managing weeds and soil health; Shannon Mutschelknaus, an engineer/research/farmer at Wayward Springs LLC, by Brookings, on how to build a better high tunnel.
Details on event speakers are available on the SDSU Extension event page. Commercial specialty crop farmers, gardeners, Master Gardeners, non-profit and business partners and the public are welcome to attend. Attendees will have plenty of time to ask questions and engage with each presenter.
“We continue to prioritize time for audience questions so that presenters can engage with the audience and shared learning can occur,” Lang said. “The diversity of the audience from multiple states and farm sizes and backgrounds always makes this a fun webinar series.”
For more information, contact Kristine Lang, assistant professor and SDSU Extension Consumer Horticulture Specialist.
