WILLARD, Ohio — Muck is that soil that is made up primarily of humus drained from swampland. Don’t tell northern Ohioans that their soil is swampland, but it is in this part of the state (particularly Huron County) one will find the richest, black soils – commonly referred to as muck. And this area of Ohio is referred to as the "salad bowl" of the state.

The Muck Crops Agriculture Research Station rests on 1.5 acres in Huron County, in the heart of this muck region. The station, dedicated to research and outreach specific to the needs of fresh-market vegetable production, will host its Muck Crops Field Day from 10 a.m. to noon July 25. Scientists from the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) will spearhead this event.

"This muck field day will allow us to provide meaningful information for vegetable growers, processors and the agricultural seed and crop protection chemical industries," said Ken Scaife, assistant to the director of field operations at OARDC.

Also taking part in this one-day gathering will be research specialists, OSU extension specialists and industry groups who will lay out innovative studies on unique production issues facing vegetable farmers in muck soils, which are high in organic matter content but experience diseases and weed growth uncommon in other areas.

This year’s program will include topics on weed control, cover crops, variety evaluation and insect and disease control on many different vegetables.

Muck farming on drained bogs is an important part of agriculture in Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, New York and Florida, where mostly vegetables are grown. American "muckers" often have roots from the Netherlands or Eastern Europe, where their ancestors practiced a similar type of farming in similar soils.

The rich, black soils of Huron County are ideal for scientists for their study of radishes, parsley, cilantro, green and bulb onions and many other leaf and root crops. The station is at the forefront of research seeking to reduce the risk of foodborne disease contamination in produce, and this knowledge is shared with farmers to improve their operations, Ohio’s overall economy and the public’s health.

Huron County ranks No. 1 in Ohio in vegetable production and 99th out of all counties in the United States. Huron County contains 10 percent of the 47,000 acres dedicated to vegetable crops in Ohio.

"Highlights will include a wagon tour of research plots, including research at grower fields, poster and display information," Scaife said. "People will come away with information on new varieties and options for weed, insect and disease control. This event should be of particular interest to commercial vegetable farmers, crop advisors, seed and crop protection chemical representatives and home gardeners."

The Muck Crops Agricultural Research Station was established in 1948 when a group of area producers (called the Golden Rule Association) purchased and donated 15.5 acres of muck soil near Celeryville to OARDC for use as an experimental farm. The soil here is almost 45 percent organic matter, whereas most mineral soils only have 3 percent to 5 percent organic matter.

Muck Crops Field Day will take place at OARDC’s Muck Crops Branch, located two miles south of Willard on Ohio Route 103 South. Admission is free and open to the public. For more details about this event, call 419-935-1201.