Registration is open for the 2026 Market Garden & Small Vegetable Farm Day

Salta Mambetova<mambetov@msu.edu> and Chris Galbraith<galbra53@msu.edu>, Michigan State University Extension - February 25, 2026

Participants will learn about topics for market garden and small vegetable farm production from MSU Extension specialists and educators.

Various high-tunnel setups with different vegetables growing. — Various vegetables grown in a high tunnel and open field environment. Photos by Salta Mambetova and Chris Galbraith, MSU Extension.

Michigan State University Extension will host the 2026 Market Garden & Small Vegetable Farm Day on Monday, March 16, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Morris Lawrence Building at Washtenaw Community College, 4800 E Huron River Dr. Ann Arbor, MI 48105. This hybrid event is free to attend, with lunch provided for in-person participants. Registration is required and in-person space is limited, so please only register if you are certain you will attend.

This event offers a full day of practical, research-based education tailored to market gardeners and small-scale vegetable growers. Sessions cover non-chemical weed management, marketing strategies, produce wash water management, and cultural and biological disease practices. Additional sessions will focus on soil and nutrient management, food safety risks from birds, no-till organic production, nematode management and biocontrol options for major vegetable pests.

Online participation is available for those unable to attend in person. Registered virtual attendees will receive a Zoom link after completing their registration.

Agenda

9:00 a.m. Welcome

9:05 a.m. Non-Chemical Weed Management Options for Market Gardeners (Josh Miranda, Michigan State University)

9:35 a.m. Market Channels and Marketing Strategies for Small Scale/Organic Growers (Lewis Hughes)

10:05 a.m. BREAK

10:20 a.m. The Quick and Dirty of Wash Water Management (Phil Tocco, MSU Extension)

10:50 a.m. Cultural and Biological Disease Management Practices for Small-Scale Growers (John Spafford and Mary Hausbeck, Michigan State University)

11:20 a.m. Managing Soils and Nutrients for the Short and Long-Term (Zack Hayden, Michigan State University)

11:50 a.m. LUNCH

12:20 p.m. Assessing and Mitigating Food Safety Risks from Birds (Olivia Smith, Michigan State University)

12:50 p.m. Organic Vegetable Production in No-Till Terminated Cover Crops, Soil Health, GHG Emissions & Climate Resilience (James DeDecker, MSU Extension)

1:20 p.m. Management of Root Knot Nematodes in Vegetables in Fields and High Tunnels (Marisol Quintanilla, Michigan State University)

1:50 p.m. Biocontrol Options for Major Vegetable Pests (Zsofia Szendrei, Michigan State University)

2:20 p.m. Evaluations/MSU Extension Resources & Other Upcoming Events

2:30 p.m. Wrap-up

If you have questions, please contact Chris Galbraith at galbra53@msu.edu; phone: 734-240-3178, or Salta Mambetova at mambetov@msu.edu; phone: 517-230-1427.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).