A one-day, hands-on cover crop training will be held Thursday, April 23, at the Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension and Education Center near Mead, offering ag professionals a closer look at ongoing research and practical management strategies.
The training will showcase current studies on cover crop varieties, grazing systems and perennial cover crops, with both outdoor field tours and classroom sessions planned throughout the day.
The event begins at 9 a.m. at ENREEC headquarters, with guided tours of cover crop research plots starting at 9:30 a.m. Participants will return indoors for lunch, followed by an afternoon session focused on cover crop species identification and selection criteria. The program will conclude at 3 p.m.
Featured sessions will include:
- Cover Crop Variety Trial — Tauana Almeida, postdoctoral research associate, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
- Perennial Cover Crop Trial — Somdatta Achar, Ph.D. student, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
- Cover Crop Grazing Trial — Mary Drewnoski, professor, Department of Animal Science
- Cover Crop Identification and Species Selection — Katja Koehler-Cole, statewide soil health extension educator
Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) continuing education units will be available.
The training is open to farmers, extension educators, university researchers, graduate students, NRCS and NRD staff and other agricultural professionals interested in cover crop systems.
There is no cost to attend, thanks to support from the Midwest Cover Crops Council, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Iowa State University, University of Nebraska–Lincoln and the Center for Regenerative Agriculture.
If storms are forecast for the planned date, the training will be held Thursday, April 30. Registrants will be notified of any postponement by email.
Participants are encouraged to register in advance. For questions, email Ethan Thies. ENREEC is located at 1071 Co. Rd. G, Ithaca, NE 68033.
