The California Farm Demonstration Network (CFDN) will be showcasing long-term goals for health soil during their May and June farm visits. The visits will highlight farmers using cover crops, conservation tillage and other soil health practices. Growers will discuss their soil management systems and experiences using them.
The Natural Resources Conservation Service, UC Cooperative Extension and Resource Conservation Districts, among others, will partner in the events. Representatives will attend to explain and answer questions.

“Soil health management systems show promise for maintaining and improving production, while reducing or eliminating many common resource concerns including soil erosion, nutrient loss, and soil degradation associated with the loss of soil organic carbon,” said CFDN coordinator Jeff Mitchell, UC Cooperative Extension specialist in the Department of Plant Sciences at UC Davis. “An important component of these on-farm demonstrations is monitoring to evaluate the effectiveness of conservation practices.”

Each event starts at 10:00 a.m. Dates and locations include:

Wednesday, May 4
Lone Willow Ranch
11356 Road 5 ½
Firebaugh, CA 93622

Tuesday, May 10
Bar-Vee Dairy North Ranch Dryland Cropping Site
Hwy 12 west of Hwy 113 and south of Dixon, CA just north of Rio Vista Train Museum

Wednesday, June 15
T&D Willey Farms
13886 Road 20
Madera, CA 93637

Friday, June 24
Sano Farms
44935-B West Shields Ave.
Firebaugh, CA 93622

Interested parties can see maps and flyers here.

“These visits are just the beginning of a series of similar demonstrations to be held throughout the state,” Mitchell said. For more information, contact Mitchell at jpmitchell@ucdavis.edu. 559-303-9689.