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Cotton, sunflowers, soybeans and corn are just a few of the crops that will be on display during the University of Tennessee's Milan No-Till Field Day. No-till is an environmentally sound agricultural production technique that reduces soil erosion and conserves fuel. Download this photo (715 KB)

(MILAN, Tenn.) – An opportunity awaits the curious on July 27. During its popular No-Till Field Day the University of Tennessee Research and Education Center at Milan will feature overview tours of the agricultural research facility.

If you have ever wondered about the agricultural and natural resource research conducted at the Milan Center, or any of the University's research and education centers (formerly known as experiment stations), then the Overview Tour is an opportunity to see the operations for yourself.

No ticket is required and admission is free. The overview tour is designed to acquaint visitors with the Tennessee Agricultural Experiment Station system and its contributions to the state's agricultural- and natural resource-based economy as well as introduce them to specific research efforts at the Milan Center.

Experienced and knowledgeable guides will escort small groups of tour participants throughout the Milan Center via cozy vans. The guides will describe various ongoing research projects as the vans are driven along a route that covers most of the field day site. Each tour will last approximately 20 minutes.

"The Overview Tour is a great way to become familiar with the field day site and to learn about the breadth of research ongoing at Milan," said Center Director Blake Brown. He recommends the tour for those who are not overly familiar with agricultural practices or with the demands of collecting data under changing environmental conditions. "We believe that agricultural research positively impacts the lives of every Tennessean every day and one of our goals is to help the non-farming public understand how ag research benefits them as well as the farmer," Brown said.

"From switchgrass and cotton production to pest monitoring and irrigation studies, the information we collect at Milan has the potential to impact agricultural production throughout the Mid South and beyond," Brown said.

The Overview Tour will be presented from 10:00 a.m. through 2:00 p.m. It is presented in addition to 13 tours offered throughout the day that will interest agronomic and natural resource professionals. All tours are free and open to the public.

A complete program is available online at http://milan.tennessee.edu. Visitors are encouraged to arrive early and allow plenty of time to attend multiple tours. Most tours will begin at 7:00 a.m. An exhibition of commercial and educational displays will also be open for visitors as will the West Tennessee Agricultural Museum.

A cotton fashion show and luncheon will be presented at the Milan Elementary School at 11:30 a.m. by the National Cotton Women's Committee in conjunction with the field day. The show and luncheon are also free, but advance reservations are required. Call (731) 686-7494 or (731) 686-7362 prior to the field day for reservations.

The most recent Milan No-Till Field Day was held in 2004. The event attracted nearly 4,000 visitors from across Tennessee and 15 states.

The UT Research and Education Center at Milan is one of ten outdoor laboratories operated by the University in support of the state's agricultural producers and natural resource-based industries. The facilities serve all citizens by helping to ensure an affordable and safe supply of food and fiber. New research at the facilities on bio-based, renewal fuels may also help supply the nation's energy needs.

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Contact:
Blake Brown, Milan Center Director, (731) 686-7362
Patricia McDaniels, Media Relations Coordinator, (865) 974-7141