“The Manhattan Plant Materials Center (PMC) has been ‘Delivering Plants with a Purpose’ for 75 years, since 1936,” said Eric B. Banks, State Conservationist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). “A field day with a tour and breakout sessions is planned to bring awareness of the outstanding Plant Materials Program and its accomplishments.”
“To celebrate this anniversary, the PMC staff is hosting a field day on Tuesday, June 7, 2011,” said Richard Wynia, PMC Manager. The PMC is located at 3800 South 20th Street, south of Manhattan.
Banks and Wynia invite the public to join NRCS in recognizing the PMC’s 75 years of service. The PMC is a part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and NRCS.
“I encourage people to attend so they can see how the PMC develops plants for a wide range of conservation purposes,” said Wynia. “Those who come to the field day will get to tour the grounds and attend breakout sessions on various plant-related subjects.
The June 7 field day activities include: 8—9 a.m. Registration; 9—10 a.m. Welcome and PMC Overview; 10 a.m. — noon PMC Tour; noon—1 p.m. — Lunch catered by Ricky’s Café, $7.50 per person; 1—3 p.m., Breakout sessions including the following: Native Grasses; Tree/shrub Issues; Soils; Forbs/Medicinal Uses; Pollinators.
Reservations for the field day are needed by May 20 and can be made by calling the PMC at 785-539-8761. Those wanting to eat the catered lunch need to indicate that when making reservation. Cost is $7.50 per person. Also, if someone needs special accommodations that needs to be requested when a reservation is made.
This field day will be conducted outdoors so dress appropriately. Hat, sunscreen, walking shoes, and a lawn chair (if desired) are encouraged.
Established in 1936, the PMC develops plants and new plant technologies for America’s heartland. The PMC offers services to a diverse region of the heartland including northeastern Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, and northern Oklahoma. The PMC is located on sandy loam soil in the Kansas River Valley, southwest of Manhattan, Kansas. The primary objective of the PMC is to develop plant materials for conservation purposes.
Plant and technology-development conservation objectives of the PMC include water quality improvement, erosion control, range and pasture improvement, Native American outreach, and plant development and production.
For more information about the PMC, go to the Web site http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/kspmc/. A flier about the about the Field Day Activities at the PMC is available at http://www.ks.nrcs.usda.gov/news/events.html. The PMC story is told in a short video “Plants with a Purpose” on YouTube.com.
Please plan to attend the PMC field day June 7.