With summer in full swing, the Soil Health Partnership (SHP) has kicked off its field days with a focus on how changing nutrient management and tillage strategies, along with cover crop adoption, can create long-term environmental and economic benefits. The field days began in June and will continue through September with a focus on the Midwest, specifically Iowa and Illinois.
“We ask a lot of our nation’s farmers: To safely feed a growing world, grow more with less, and perform these tasks with continuous improvement,” said Nick Goeser, director of the Soil Health Partnership. “Time and again, they rise to the challenge with innovation and industriousness. Soil health is the next frontier, and more farmers are realizing that every day.”
Practices that protect and improve soil, such as cover crops and minimum tillage, are some of the most effective options for building organic matter and capturing carbon, Goeser added. “Through a meaningful agricultural transformation, farmers are working to mitigate greenhouse gases by rejuvenating soil, which helps it store carbon more effectively.”
Although each field day will be unique to its region, farmers enrolled in the SHP will host the majority. Working with field managers and agronomists, the farmers adopt agricultural practices that are right for them, then carefully measure the difference in how their farms perform over time. Farmers, land owners and community members can engage in hands-on learning at the field days. Featured topics may include:
- Cover crop management and machinery set-up
- Conservation tillage methods
- Advanced nutrient management
- A soil pit to observe cover crop root growth and soil properties
- Water quality news
For more information about the field days, including locations and dates, click here. Additional events will be posted as they are confirmed.