November 2024 - 11

GREAT LAKES EXPO NEWS
Unlocking farm potential
Katrina Becker shares weed control, cover
crop insights at the Great Lakes EXPO
BY MADI SCHAFER
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
A
t the 2024 Great Lakes Fruit,
Vegetable and Farm Market
EXPO, attendees can gain
insights from Katrina Becker, owner,
operator and farmer of Cattail
Organics in Athens, Wisconsin.
Cattail Organics is located in the
coldest part of Zone 4a and gets
nearly 90 growing days per year.
Cattail Organics utilizes 1.5 acres
of covered unheated production
allowing for an increased growing
season but also for scaling up root
crops for a full season of deliveries.
It focuses on diversified high-quality
vegetable crops and increasing profit
and gross sales per acre over time.
Becker grew up in New York City,
and her journey led her to a career
in agriculture, which was driven
by her interest in food security and
food justice.
Her expertise on weed control
and root crop production will be
highlighted at the Great Lakes EXPO.
In her two sessions, Becker will
discuss an integrated approach to
farm management and strategies for
increasing yield while maintaining
soil health.
" Our organic farm is unique in
our commitment to having and
maintaining low weed pressure on
the farm through integrated methods
of management and business,
technology and labor management, "
Becker said. " Both sessions draw on
this expertise in different ways. "
In one session, Becker will address
weed control in root crops. " I will be
talking about our piggybacked soil
prep, seeding, technology and labor
investments in root crops with a
focus on carrots, which is one of the
main crops we grow on our farm, "
Becker said. " I will also be talking
about our philosophies about weed
control and what works for us. "
Becker will also address cover
crops for weed control. " We will
focus on the simple staple cover
crops we use, how we manage and
terminate cover crops and how we
manage weeds within cover crops
and utilize them for specific disease,
pest and weed issues, " Becker said.
Becker advises careful equipment
planning.
" The biggest advice I can offer is
using enterprise budgets or analysis of
return on machinery investments as a
way to increase long-term profitability, "
Becker said. " At my first farm, we spent
Katrina Becker
a great deal of effort buying things
cheaply and lowering investments
to allow us to draw income from the
farm. At my farm now, I spend a lot
more money and make a lot more
money on a much smaller footprint
because of targeted investments. "
The Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable
and Farm Market EXPO is the
premier event for connecting,
innovating and growing in the
agricultural industry. Engage with
more than 4,500 professionals from
fruit, vegetable, farm market and
greenhouse sectors. Gain insights
into the latest innovations and learn
how to apply new techniques to
overcome challenges and enhance
your business.
To learn more about these sessions
and more, visit glexpo.com.
Katrina Becker presents two sessions at Great Lakes EXPO
Vegetable Education:
Weed Control in
Root Crops
2 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 10
Soil Health & Cover
Cropping: Cover Crops
for Weed Control
3:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 10
VEGETABLEGROWERSNEWS.COM | 11
http://www.glexpo.com http://www.VEGETABLEGROWERSNEWS.COM
November 2024

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