Public invited to horticulture field day at UW’s West Madison Ag Research Station
The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s West Madison Agricultural Research Station (ARS) will be hosting an open house and field day for the general public on Saturday, Aug. 18 from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. The station is located at 8502 Mineral Point Road, Verona, Wisconsin.
At this free, family-friendly event, visitors can tour the station’s vineyard, vegetable garden and extensive flowerbeds, and participate in a taste evaluation of fruits and vegetables. UW–Madison and UW-Extension experts will share information and answer questions about pollinators and beneficial insects, plant diseases, turfgrass and general gardening.
Each year the station showcases different flowers, plants or cultivars, and 340 varieties of petunias will be on display this year. Visitors will also have the opportunity to learn about new research into cut flowers including health assessment of sunflowers and zinnias grown in hoophouses versus fields.
The West Madison ARS, located in Verona, 1/4 mile west of the Beltline on Mineral Point Road, has 535 tillable acres on which UW-Madison researchers evaluate field crops, vegetables and fruit crops. The station also maintains an extensive horticultural display garden featuring both annual and perennial ornamental plants and various fruit crops that grow well in the area.
For more information about the event, contact station superintendent Janet Hedtcke at janet.hedtcke@wisc.edu or (608) 262-2257.
The College of Agricultural and Life Sciences will make a reasonable effort to provide accommodations for participants with disabilities when notified in advance. To request a disability accommodation, please contact superintendent Hedtcke at least 10 days in advance of the event. Efforts will be made to meet same-day requests to the extent possible.