GREENWOOD, Miss. -- Farmers can learn a variety of useful information about tomatoes and cucumbers during a May 19 Alliance for Sustainable Agricultural Production field day.

Hosted at Levee Run Farm in Greenwood, the event will cover composting and trellising these crops, as well as ways to control insects and disease. Attendees also will learn about the family farm’s vegetables, flowers, fruit trees, high tunnels and pastured poultry.

The field day is free, but preregistration is required. Onsite check-in begins at 10 a.m. The program begins at 10:30 a.m. and ends at 2:30 p.m. Levee Run Farm is located at 802 Grenada Boulevard Extended in Greenwood.

To register for the field day or to host a field day, contact alliance manager Keith Benson at keithmdp@yahoo.com or 601-988-4999. For detailed directions, call farm owner Leann Hines at 662-392-4189.

Other upcoming workshops

To increase support for small farmers, the alliance will offer supplemental monthly educational events in addition to its regular field day.

Growers interested in organic agricultural production can attend one of two identical hands-on workshops May 8 or 9. On May 8, the workshop will be at Ole Brook Organics in Brookhaven. On May 9, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians will host the event in Philadelphia. Both events begin at 10 a.m. and end at 3 p.m.

Attendees will get information on organic production, U.S. Department of Agriculture cost-share programs and other available financial assistance. Those interested in applying for organic certification can get help with the application process on site.

On May 26, a workshop at Jumpertown High School in Booneville will demonstrate setup and operation of an irrigation system for small farms. Check-in begins at 10 a.m. The program begins at 10:30 a.m. and ends at 2:30 p.m. Jumpertown High School is located at 717 Highway 4 West in Booneville.

The organic agriculture and irrigation workshops are free, but preregistration is required. To register contact Benson at keithmdp@yahoo.com or 601-988-4999.

Alliance field day partners and sponsors include the Mississippi State University Extension Service, Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, Alcorn State University Extension Program, University of Mississippi Transactional Law Clinic, National Center for Appropriate Technology, Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce, and Mississippi Department of Education.

Contact: Keith Benson, 601-988-4999