The University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Spooner Agricultural Research Station will host its annual Twilight Garden Tour on Thursday, August 21, from 4:00 p.m. to dusk. The event takes place at the station’s teaching and display garden, located at 780 Orchard Lane, just off Highway 70 east of Spooner.

The evening features presentations, demonstrations and displays, plus guided tours of the garden plots, including the station’s research projects focused on hazelnuts, table grapes and honeyberries (elongated, blue berries with a flavor described as a cross between a blueberry and raspberry). Spooner’s garden is an official All-America Selections (AAS) display garden featuring grapes, flowers and vegetables. It has been awarded multiple awards in the National Landscape Design contest sponsored by AAS.

Attendees are welcome to explore the garden and bring in plant, insect and disease samples – or representative photos – for identification and advice. Numerous experts will be on hand to ID samples and answer gardening questions, including personnel from the UW–Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS), the UW–Madison Division of Extension (Extension) and the station, plus local garden volunteers.

This year’s presenters include:

• Julie Dawson, associate professor and extension specialist in the Department of Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences, discussing the Seed toKitchen organic variety trials
• PJ Liesch, entomologist with the CALS Department of Entomology and Extension’s Agriculture Institute and director of the UW Insect Diagnostic Lab, talking about the insect pests to watch for in 2025
• Steffen Mirsky, emerging crops outreach program coordinator in Extension’s Agriculture Institute, sharing insights on the crops his team is studying

Spooner Agricultural Research Station, which covers 383 acres, hosts field research on a variety of short-season and other crops, including oats, barley, winter wheat, alfalfa, forage grasses, hazelnuts, corn and soybeans.

The station will make a reasonable effort to provide disability accommodations for field day participants when notified in advance. To request a disability accommodation, please contact ars_accommodation@cals.wisc.edu at least 10 days in advance of the event. Efforts will be made to meet same-day requests to the extent possible.

There is no charge for this educational event. The station is located at W6646 Hwy 70, Spooner, Wisconsin. For questions, contact spooner@cals.wisc.edu. Visit www.facebook.com/spoonerag to learn more about event status in case of weather. For more information, contact the Spooner Ag Research Station at (715) 635-3735 or learn more at https://spooner.ars.wisc.edu/.

Spooner station is part of UW–Madison’s Agricultural Research Station network, which is supported by the university and through state and federal funding. Research projects conducted at ARS network stations are funded by a variety of sources, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and private industry.