Market and hobby gardeners interested in extending their growing season and reducing weather-related risks are invited to attend a hoop house field day scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 7, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Noble Foundation's Headquarters Farm in Ardmore. Registration begins at 9 a.m. The field day is co-sponsored by the Noble Foundation and the Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture.

Participants will have the opportunity to tour Noble's hoop house research and demonstration plots. Topics to be addressed include hoop house structures, hoop house economics, crop options and strategies for temperature, weed, pest, water and nutrient management. During lunch, participants will hear how growers can take advantage of season extension technology to market produce to schools as part of the new Oklahoma Farm-to-School program.

Following lunch, Noble personnel will demonstrate several hoop house construction techniques, including laying out a foundation, installing ground posts, hoops, doors, plastic film and roll-up side vents.

The field day is free to the public; participants are encouraged to pre-register by contacting Melissa Castleman at Noble at (580) 224-6411 or mdcastleman@noble.org or Jessica Castillo or Lena Moore at the Kerr Center at (918) 647-9123 or mailbox@kerrcenter.com.

Participants also are encouraged to bring a lawn chair. The field day will be held rain or shine.

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News Release Issued: August 21, 2006

The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Inc. (www.noble.org), headquartered in Ardmore, Okla., is a nonprofit organization conducting agricultural, forage improvement and plant biology research; assisting farmers and ranchers through educational and consultative agricultural programs; and providing grants to nonprofit charitable, educational and health organizations.