The Soil Health Partnership (SHP) field days are coming to an end for this growing season after the series hosted 40 different events in eight states throughout the summer. The events were mainly hosted by farmers enrolled in the program and had regular cooperation from local groups, and were held with the intention of spreading the word about cover crops, reduced tillage and advanced nutrient management to more than 1,500 attendees this year.

“I’m so encouraged to see the interest from farmers taking time to attend these events and learn from their peers about advanced agriculture practices,” said SHP Director Nick Goeser. “Next year, we hope to add even more field days, while still keeping them informative and relevant for every level of interest.”

Subjects covered varied by event, but often included discussion on practical methods to improving soil, precision business management, cover crops-termination, early season vigor, herbicide interactions and what is working locally, strip-till demonstrations and equipment, and late-season nutrient management.

A soil pit was also used regularly to observe cover crop root growth and soil properties.

Goeser noted that winter and spring field days will occur occasionally in select locations, and that the dates for those events will be released on the SHP website, through social media and the newsletter.