MURFREESBORO — Anyone
from the campus community or public who attends this year’s MTSU Farm
Laboratories Open House should be able to note the changes since last year’s
event.
Students, faculty and staff and alumni and friends of the
university are welcome to attend the School of Agribusiness and Agriscience
open house from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18, at the MTSU Experiential
Learning and Research Center, 3211 Guy James Road, in Lascassas, Tennessee. The
event is free.
Guests are invited to the various farm areas — MTSU Dairy,
gardens, apiary for beehives and more — at their leisure. After touring the
dairy, visitors also are welcome to drive their vehicles down the hill, where
parking will be available.
“People will be able to see the improvements we’ve made
since last year,” said Warren Gill, director of the School of Agribusiness and
Agriscience.
The apiary, also known as a bee yard, has had great success
this year.
“We’ve had our best honey year,” Gill said. “Weather caused
one of the greatest clover years ever. We had an amazing amount of clover.”
Clover is a key source of nectar for honeybees.
Gill credits Farm Laboratory Director Matthew Wade and Ed
Holcomb, a regional expert on maximum honey production, with “doing a great job
of hive management.” Holcomb, 84, is from Shelbyville, Tennessee.
The apiary’s 15 hives have produced more than 1,600 pounds
of honey — more than 100 pounds per hive, “which is remarkable,” Gill said.
And, yes, honey will be for sale at the open house.
Before the 6 p.m. dinner being served, a demonstration of an
unmanned aerial vehicle, or drone, will take place. Agribusiness and
Agriscience are partnering with MTSU Aerospace to conduct research in this
area.
A new addition in the garden is another hoop house — a
semi-circular structure whose interior heats up from solar radiation, extending
the growing season for fruits and vegetables. Fifteen acres are allocated for
the garden area.
For more information, call 615-898-2523.
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