Make plans now to join farmers and ranchers at the 2018 Farming Evolution event February 13-14 at the Phillips County Event Center in Holyoke, Colo. The focus will be on incorporating cover crops and livestock grazing into a no-till system.

Allen Williams will be the primary speaker. Williams is a sixth generation family farmer and founding partner of Grass Fed Beef, LLC, Grass Fed Insights, LLC, and a partner in Joyce Farms, Inc. He has consulted with more than 4200 farmers and ranchers in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and South America on operations ranging from a few acres to over one million acres.

Williams said he looks forward to an open dialogue on soil health, cover crops, and grazing cropland.

Joining Williams will be Jonathan Lundgren, founder of Blue Dasher Farms, which is focused on investigating practices and farming systems adapted to the Northern Plains and upper Midwest. Lundgren will discuss why biodiversity is important, how it works, and the science behind it.

Tying directly into Lundgren’s talk will be Julie Peterson, Nebraska Extension entomologist. Peterson's research emphasis is on the impacts of beneficial insects on the cash crops common to eastern Colorado and western Nebraska. Her recent research focuses on encouraging beneficial insects that attack the western bean cutworm and western corn rootworm.

On day two, Williams will address how to implement these ideas on the farm. This will be a working session where producers can share information about their operation and get feedback. Williams will also discuss how to access the value-added grassfed market.

More Information Event sponsors are the Haxtun, Sedgwick, West Greeley and Yuma County Conservation Districts in Colorado and the Upper Republican Natural Resource District in Nebaska.

The full agenda, registration, and lodging information are available at www.farmingevolution2018.eventbrite.com