No-till, Soil Health Field Days at 2 Sites in June

No-till, Soil Health Field Days at 2 Sites in June

Improving soil health through continuous no-till cropping systems will be the focus of two field days this June, both conducted by No-Till on the Plains.  The events include field tours and presentations in the morning, lunch, and afternoon programs inside.

June 21 — Winside Whirlwind Expo

This field day begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Scott Heinemann farm 3 miles east and 3 miles south of Winside, 1/8 mile east of the intersection of 571 Ave and Road 849. 

Morning presentations include a rainfall simulator demonstration, field tour, equipment setup tips, and discussion of soils and soil communities in a soil pit. Lunch will be at the Winside Auditorium, 424 Main St.  Afternoon presentations will feature producers and soil health experts, concluding with a question and answer session. Featured producers will include:

  • Keith Berns, owner at Green Cover Seed in Bladen, who will discuss the soil carbon economics in the soil;
  • Scott Heinemann, continuous no-till producer from Winside, will share tips for getting started with no-till and cover crops in northeast Nebraska; and
  • Dan Stelling will share his experience integrating livestock into the no-till system on his farms.

June 23 - Alliance Whirlwind Expo

The event begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Watson farms, 1561 CR 61, Alliance. Morning presentations include a rainfall simulator demonstration, field tour, equipment setup tips, and discussion of soils and soil communities in a soil pit. Lunch will be provided at the West Side Event Center, 2472 CR 62, Alliance. Afternoon presentations will feature producers and soil health experts, concluding with a question and answer session. Featured speakers will include:

  • Mark Watson, continuous no-till producer from Alliance, who will discuss using field peas in a rotation and no-till production under irrigation;
  • Michael Thompson, continuous no-till producer from Almena, Kan., who will present tips for using livestock to complement no-till and cover crops; and
  • Lance Gunderson and Ray Ward of Ward Labs in Kearney, who will present research on using soil biological testing for fertility.

Registration

Registration is $30 per person for non-members, $15 for members. You are considered a member of No-till on the Plains if you attended the January 2016 Winter Conference in Salina. Pre-register at notill.org by June 17. Limited space is available for walk-ins, with meals not guaranteed. For more information call (785) 210-4549.

These field days are funded through a grant from the Nebraska Environmental Trust with support from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resource Conservation Service and Nebraska Extension. Sponsorship is provided by Green Cover Seed, Arrow Seed and the Nebraska Environmental Trust.

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