SOIL HEALTH FIELD DAY SET FOR JUNE 21 IN WINSIDE

Improving soil health through continuous no-till cropping systems is the focus of a field day on Tuesday, June 21, in Winside.  The event is hosted by No-till on the Plains. Producers, crop consultants, media and public are invited to attend.

The event begins at 8:30 a.m. at the farm, of Scott Heinemann 3 miles east and 3 miles south of Winside, 1/8 of a mile of the intersection of 571 Ave and 849 road. 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 Winside Auditorium, 424 Main St. in Winside. Afternoon presentations will feature producers and soil health experts, concluding with a question and answer session.

If you’re a member of No-till on the Plains, registration is $15 per person.  Registration is $30 per person for non-members.  Pre-register at notill.org by June 17.  Send your receipt to the Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District office in Norfolk for reimbursement of your registration fee.  Limited space is available for walk-ins, with meals not guaranteed.

Featured speakers 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. Dan Stelling will share his experience integrating livestock into the no-till system on his farms.

No-till farming systems offer several advantages to producers willing to implement the system. Fewer trips across fields without tillage passes will reduce fuel costs. Increasing crops in rotations breaks weed and insect pest cycles. Increased crop residue and root systems will increase soil organic matter and microbiological activity, thereby increasing the productiveness and fertility of the soil. Implemented in a site-specific systems approach, no-till will, over time, outperform conventional tillage.

This high-quality education event is funded through a grant from the Nebraska Environmental Trust with support from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resource Conservation Service and University of Nebraska Extension. Sponsorship is provided by Green Cover Seed, Arrow Seed and the Nebraska Environmental Trust.

To meet its mission, No-till on the Plains hosts field events, provides a networking opportunity for producers and the annual Winter Conference for producers to gain valuable no-till information.  Visit notill.org or call 785-210-4549 for more information. Pre-registration online is encouraged.

Dan Gillespie

No-till Specialist

Madison Co. NRCS

Norfolk Field Office

402-371-5350 ext 103

"People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."…Theodore Roosevelt’s advice to farmers.