The first annual Peterborough Agricultural Innovation Award was presented Monday to Indian River Acres, owned by Kevin Cornish and Janet Dawson. The Award was created by the Peterborough Agricultural Roundtable, and co-sponsored by Sunderland Co-op. The farm was presented with a $500 cheque and a presentation plaque.
Indian River Acres’ primary products are sweet corn, garlic, pumpkins and squash. Their innovation goal was to find a way to grow pumpkins in a manner that used minimal sprays and chemicals, but also built soil health, minimized disease transmission, and protected the earth from wind and water erosion. Over an 8-year period, they performed research and experimentation to come up with a new and more sustainable process, including cover cropping and the use of a crimper roller to terminate the cover crop at the beginning of the season. They no-till seed their pumpkins at the same time.
The full text of the application submitted by the farm for this Award can be found here:
Document
“I know the immense efforts, blood, sweat, and tears that go into making a family farm successful. On behalf of all of Peterborough County, I want to congratulate you and thank you for your hard work and dedication to innovation in the agricultural sector.” – Peterborough County Warden Bonnie Clark
Applications are now open for the 2023 Award. The form can be filled out online at any time or can be downloaded on paper and mailed if necessary. To access the application form, click here: https://ptboagnews.com/agricultural-innovation-award
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