Every field season is an opportunity for new discoveries at the MSU Western Agricultural Research Center (WARC). MSU-WARC is the main fruit and vegetable research center in Montana. And once a year, MSU-WARC invites the public to dinner and a farm tour where the researchers and collaborators share information about the research projects. The 2025 Field Day is Thursday, August 14th from 4:30-8:30pm.
Field Day is a chance to meet the scientists and students working to improve agricultural practices, to learn the methods they’re using and how you can apply those practices on your farm or home garden. The evening includes a farm tour and free dinner, with burgers from Bar MW local beef, catered salads from Mineshaft Pasty Co using local ingredients and special ice cream made with honeyberries and black currants made by Big Dipper Ice Cream.
A wide variety of crops are studied every year to address questions and concerns from farmers, producers and homeowners funded largely by USDA Specialty Crop Block grants. From identifying effective weed management practices that cut labor cost on organic vegetable farms to pioneering research on Haskap/ AKA honeyberries, MSU-WARC is focused on answers that address the needs of MT growers.
“Western Ag Research Center collaborates with Montana fruit growers to develop innovative research-based strategies for fruit production. The work that WARC does diversifies Montana agriculture. The field day offers a unique opportunity to gain knowledge and perspective on these crops in Montana,” states Christie Walsh, chair of the Montana Berry Growers Association.
Some of the research projects this season include:
- Organic weed management for vegetable growers – evaluating the potential of integrating, labor-saving, mechanical weeding tools and other practices and assessing when weed control has the most return on the labor invested in cabbage, carrots, onions, and garlic.
- Assisting onion and garlic growers by improving production practices, identifying the best performing, early maturing, and disease resistant cultivars, and exploring the potential for seed production in garlic, onions and shallots
- Shelf-life for fresh market Honeyberry and other fruits – determining how long growers can expect high quality fruit after harvest.
- Fruit processing and value-added products- optimizing means of processing fruits to create appealing, cost-effective value-added products
- Cowpeas – MSU-WARC is working the researchers across to state to evaluate the potential of this pea-relative as a crop in Montana. Cowpeas may also provide pest management benefits as they support many small wasps that attack crop pests.
- Improving efficiency and quality Honeyberry harvest- improve understanding of berry attachment, how this changes as berries mature and how it differs among Honeyberry varieties. We’re using this information to figure out when and how to harvest and when berries may be at risk of getting knocked off the bush by high winds.
- Grapes – Improve vineyard management practices to increase grape yields, quality, and vine cold-hardiness. Identify grape varieties that are well adapted to MT climates. We’ll showcase several ways to train grapes.
- Apples- Recent research has focused on irrigation and pest management. We’ll review how and when to water fruit trees and research on fire blight management.
MSU-WARC has been one of research centers in Montana and part of the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station (MAES) since 1907. According to the MSU College of Ag Department of Research Centers webpage, “MAES- Serving the state of Montana’s agricultural and natural resource industries by providing meaningful and applied agriculture research since 1893.” MSU-WARC has a long history and impact to local farms and the economy of Montana communities.
