The Midwest Mechanical Weed Control Field Day returns to Michigan
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EmailA full day tradeshow, weeding tool discussions and in-field demonstrations for managing weeds in row crops, vegetables and tree fruit with steep registration discounts for organic and organic-curious growers from Michigan, Illinois and Indiana.
Each year, the Midwest Mechanical Weed Control Field Day moves to a different state in the Midwest. This year, the field day’s 9th year, they are partnering with Michigan State University (MSU) Extension and holding the field day at the MSU Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center in Benton Harbor, Michigan, on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. This field day is the place to see weeding tools of all scales demonstrated in the field, where farmers can learn from company reps and farmers from around the region.
Managing weeds can be the top challenge for farmers. Unlike herbicides, weeds are not resistant to steel, and when farmers buy a weeding implement, they can use it every year instead of losing it out of the spray nozzle. As technology quickly improves the capability of weeding implements, farmers want to keep up with the tools and techniques to manage weeds.
This event is perfect for farmers and agricultural advisors who want to:
- See a particular weeding tool before buying it
- Learn how to adjust cultivators
- See what is new in cultivation
- Learn from other farmers
Farmers using conventional, no-till, organic, regenerative and other growing practices at all scales will find innovations to manage weeds better.
This is a full day of weeding machinery. The event starts from 8-9 a.m. when farmers arrive, get coffee and donuts, and check out the trade show. Farmers can see weeding tools and speak with company reps from manufacturers in the U.S., Europe and Japan, and meet the farmers in attendance from all over the region. They can also visit the trade show booth for other agricultural supply companies, like seed and fertilizer dealers.
Later in the morning, concurrent with the trade show, are the educational sessions. This year’s educational sessions focus on orchard floor management, stale seed bedding in row crops, and no-till weed control in veggies and flowers with deep compost mulch, green manures and tarping (Figure 1). These sessions will help you improve your weed management.
At noon, the field day will break for lunch, giving participants an opportunity to meet and network or continue looking at trade show equipment and speaking with exhibitors. In the afternoon, we’ll follow the tractors out to the demonstration fields, where corn, broccoli, beets, high-density apples and standard peaches have been prepared especially for the demonstrations.
The field demos are the heart of this event. Many tools will be demonstrated at the event by their manufacturers or dealers, including:
- Three-point camera-guided tools
- Tool-carrying tractors with belly-mounted tools
- Walk-behind tractors
- Horse-drawn tools
- Vineyard and orchard row middle- and front-mounted under-canopy tools (see full lineup below)
These demonstrations will show how the machines should be mounted and properly adjusted according to crop and soil conditions. They will also help farmers visualize how the implements can work on their own farms.
Full lineup of tools and power units
Walk behind / hand tools
- Tilmor Power Ox 2-wheel tractor
- Tilmor Agrarian electric 2-wheel tractor
- Terratek E-weedmaster electric 2-wheel tractor
- Terratek wheel hoe
- Assorted precision hoes from Johnny's
- Zasso walk-behind electric weeder
- Cropline and Pioneer horse-drawn cultivators
- Sumisansui irrigation from Wetterfrosch
Vegetable tools
- Tilmor 520 cultivating tractor with edge-of plastic tools, and lifter/winder combo
- Tilmor Super E electric tractor with Thiessen parallel linkages and finger weeders
- Zasso electric weeder
- JD 900 HC cultivating tractor
- IH Farmall Cub with Tilmor basket weeder, Thiessen tines and Lillistons
- Alice Chalmers G with KULT-Kress parallel linkages and various tools
- Kennco high clearance tractor for cultivating staked tomatoes
- Treffler tine harrow
- Ecorobotix camera-guided precision sprayer
- InRowING camera-guided in-row weeder
- Oggun II electric conversion tractor
Row crop tools
- Salford camera-guided cultivator
- Hatzenbichler camera-guided cultivator
- Einbock camera-guided cultivator
- Garford camera-guided in-row cultivator
- Bison Spyder cultivator
- Einbock tine weeder
- Hatzenbichler tine weeder
- Weed Zapper electric weeder
Orchard and vineyard tools
- KULT-Kress orchard finger weeder
- Thiessen Adaptive Vineyard finger weeder
- Spedo Inter-row front-mounted cultivator
- Berti mulcher
- Berti front-mounted flail mower
- Maschio Vineyard Disc
Registration
Registration for this full day of learning and networking on mechanical weed control is just $85. Registration includes morning coffee, trade show, educational sessions, lunch, and all the machinery demos you can handle. Register early as space runs out each year.
Online registration closes Sept. 8. Walk-ins are welcome, but you will need to bring your own lunch.
Continuing education credits
Continuing education credits are available. Certified crop advisers credits are available, and Michigan-certified restricted use pesticide (RUP) applicators can earn six RUP credits for Private Core, Commercial Cpre or the subcategories 1A, 1B or 1C.
Opportunity for Illinois, Indiana and Michigan farmers
The Midwest Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) exists to provide technical assistance and wrap-around support for transitioning and existing organic farmers and has provided funding to cover admission for any Illinois or Indiana grower, and the first 50 Michigan farmers interested in attending this year’s event. Illinois farmers should use the coupon code ILLINOIS26 when registering, Indiana growers should use the coupon code INDIANA26 and Michigan farmers should contact Mariel Borgman at mborgm@msu.edu for the coupon code. Thank you, TOPP!
General information for the event
When: Wednesday, September 16, 2026
Where: Michigan State University’s Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center, 1791 Hillandale Rd, Benton Harbor, MI 49022
Cost: $85 (includes lunch)
Registration: Register online by Sept. 8. Walk-ins are welcome but you will need to bring your own lunch.
For more information on the event or to register by phone, contact Crystal at crystal@thelandconnection.org or 217-840-2128.
