MN Soil Health Coalition

2020 SW MN Field Day
2020-09-17 14:00 - 17:00 (America/Chicago) | Nancy and Jerry Ackermann’s, 39750 820th St, Lakefield, MN, 56150, United States
Nancy and Jerry Ackermann are partnering with the Heron Lake Watershed District and Minnesota Department of Agriculture to host a field day! Data and testing have been collected over a three-year period to help measure and determine the benefits of using cover crop strip-till management versus conventional tillage. The field day will consist of:
1. Various cover crop seed mix demonstrations by Jerry Ackermann
2. A demonstration of the rainfall simulator showing runoff and infiltration rates for various management types by Jennifer Hahn, Minnesota Soil Health Coalition
3. Soil temperature and moisture results from the grant period of using cover crop strip-till management versus a conventional tillage management by Catherine Wegehaupt, Heron Lake Watershed District
4. Soil test results from the grant using various managements
When: Thursday, September 17 th , 2020 at 2:00 PM
Where: Nancy and Jerry Ackermann’s 39750 820 th Street Lakefield, MN 56150

NCAT Webinar Series - Federal Assistance for Natural Resource Conservation on Working Lands
2020-09-17 13:30 - 14:30
Webinar Series Explains Access to Federal Assistance for Natural Resource Conservation on Working Lands
Webinar Part 1: The Overview – Thursday, September 17
Webinar Part 2: The Process – Thursday, September 24
Webinar Part 3: Deep Dive – Thursday, October 8
This is a webinar series supported by the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) and its ATTRA Sustainable Agriculture Program.
Farmers and ranchers nationwide will have access to billions of dollars in federal assistance through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS) to maintain and begin critical conservation efforts on their farms and ranches that benefit us all. How is access to these resources determined?
In 2020 a new tool called the Conservation Assessment Ranking Tool (CART) was introduced by NRCS. It uses a conservation program neutral method to assess the existing condition and planned conservation activities on a client’s operation and provides an efficient ranking tool to rank single applications into multiple applicable ranking pools for funding consideration. A three-part webinar series on CART will take place during September and October to provide interested farmers and ranchers with an overview of the tool, as well as a deeper look into how it works.
Presenters:

Aaron Lauster, Conservation Planning Branch Chief, NRCS
Eric McTaggart, Natural Resources Specialist, NRCS

Moderator:

Jeff Schahczenski, Agricultural and Natural Resources Economist, NCAT

Webinar 1: Conservation Assessment Ranking Tool (CART): Overview

Thursday, September 17, 1:30 p.m. EDT
Presented by: Aaron Lauster, Conservation Planning Branch Chief, NRCS
This webinar is intended to give farmers and ranchers a basic understanding and familiarity with CART, including how CART can be used to evaluate their operations for conservation assistance and funding consideration, and how they can request an assessment.
Register for Part 1 here: https://attra.ncat.org/cart-part-1/

Webinar 2: Conservation Assessment Ranking Tool (CART): The Process

Thursday, September 24, 3:00 p.m. EDT
Presented by: Eric McTaggart, Natural Resources Specialist, NRCS, and Aaron Lauster, Conservation Planning Branch Chief, NRCS
This webinar will walk through an example of a farmer or rancher who is interested in applying for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) with NRCS. It will start with completing a CART assessment on the client’s operation and then explain how that application is considered for funding.
Register for Part 2 here: https://attra.ncat.org/cart-part-2/

Webinar 3: Conservation Assessment Ranking Tool (CART): Deep Dive

Thursday, October 8, 2:00 p.m. EDT
Presented by: Aaron Lauster, Conservation Planning Branch Chief, NRCS, and Eric McTaggart, Natural Resources Specialist, NRCS
This webinar will build on the previous two by taking a deeper look at the science behind CART and the methodology the ranking tool uses to rank different applications across multiple ranking pools for funding consideration.
Register for Part 3 here: https://attra.ncat.org/cart-part-3/

All three webinars will be recorded and posted online at a later date.
About the Presenters:
Aaron Lauster, Conservation Planning Branch Chief, NRCS
Aaron has worked the last two years leading the development of CART. Prior to working on CART, Aaron was the National Sustainable Agriculture Lead at NRCS
and led development of the Resource Stewardship Evaluation Tool (RSET). Aaron has worked with the Department of Commerce as the Senior Conservation Policy Advisor for the RESTORE Council and lead writer for the development of the Comprehensive Plan for Restoring the Gulf Coast’s Ecosystem and Economy. He has provided leadership on a number of national initiatives including the Air Quality Initiative, Organic Initiative, Mississippi River Healthy Watershed Initiative, Sage Grouse Initiative, and Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Aaron was previously an NRCS Area Conservationist in Michigan and a District Conservationist in Indiana. He also has experience with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and Astbury Environmental Consulting and Private Forestry Consulting.
Eric McTaggart, Natural Resource Specialist, NRCS
Eric McTaggart has worked for NRCS since 2002. He began his career as an intern in his home county of Iroquois County, Illinois, and began his full-time career with

NRCS in 2003 as a Soil Conservationist. From 2005 to 2018, he served in multiple counties throughout Illinois as a District Conservationist. He also successfully implemented the Indian Creek Watershed project and the Headwaters of the Vermilion project, with the goal of improved water and soil quality. In 2018, Eric became a Natural Resource Specialist in the Financial Assistance Program Division based in Washington, D.C., where he developed Farm Bill Financial Assistance Program policy and provided training and support to the state branches of the agency. He also served six months as the project coordinator for the development of CART. In 2019, he joined the Conservation Planning and Technical Assistance Division where he provides CART training, guidance, and support to states while continuing his work on the development of enhancements and new functionalities for future versions of CART.

Since 1976, the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) has been helping people build resilient communities through local and sustainable solutions that reduce poverty, strengthen self-reliance, and protect natural resources. More information about its programs and services is available at www.ncat.org or by calling 1-800-ASK-NCAT.

NCAT Headquarters:
3040 Continental Drive
Butte, MT 59701
1-800-ASK-NCAT

THE NCAT MISSION
Helping people by championing small-scale, local, and sustainable solutions to reduce poverty, promote healthy communities, and protect natural resources.

Preparing Your Poultry Coop for Winter
2020-09-17 13:00 - 14:00
The number of Minnesotans raising backyard and small flock poultry has grown immensely during the pandemic. And the care of livestock and poultry in winter can be challenging.
Join us for a lunch-time webinar on how to prepare your coop for winter and provide your birds with a successful winter experience.
Cost-Free
Registration-Registration is required. Zoom will send you the link to the webinar along with calendar invitations and event reminders.
Event information
Date- Thursday, September 17, 2020
Time-12 – 1 p.m.
Location-Webinar
ContactAbby Schuft, Extension educator
neux0012@umn.edu or 320-235-0726

Register at:
https://extension.umn.edu/event/preparing-your-poultry-coop-winter

Measures of Soil Nitrogen Cycling
2020-09-17 10:00 - 11:00 | Virtual
Thursday, September 17, 2020
12:00 Noon – 1:00 PM Eastern/11:00 AM – 12:00 Noon Central/10:00 – 11:00 AM Mountain/9:00 – 10:00 AM Pacific
Measuring and assessing soil health are critical for understanding how changes in agronomic management practices affect the capability of soil to support cropping systems. In this presentation, the Soil Health Institute will focus on explaining measurements and assessments of soil health associated with soil-nitrogen dynamics. Soil scientists have been working to estimate rates of nitrogen mineralization for use in soil fertility recommendations for generations. The Soil Health Institute has investigated various means of measuring the microbially mediated process of nitrogen cycling and will discuss: soil organic carbon and nitrogen, potentially mineralizable nitrogen, microbial respiration, inorganic and organic nitrogen extractions, N-Acetyl-β-D-Glucosaminidase (NAG enzyme), and autoclaved-citrate extractable soil protein (ACE protein). For each measurement, the method or methods will be described and the meaning of the measurement will be discussed, especially as it pertains to on-farm advisers and farmers. Insights and examples from the North American Project to Evaluate Soil Health Measurements will be shared to provide contextual understanding of each measurement.
CCAs and CPAgs will receive 1.0 Soil and Water Management CEU. CPSS and CPSC will receive 1.0 Professional Meetings CEU.
Free to all registrants. Register now!
Registration for the live webinar provides free access to the recording for 30 days.

Solar United Neighbors Webinar: Grants & Financing Opportunities for Farms & Rural Businesses to go Solar
2020-09-16 12:00 - 13:00
Webinar to feature grants and financing opportunities for farms and rural businesses to go solar
The webinar is Wed., September 16 p.m. at noon. You can register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_HpUJY1R-Qd66bvZUVjimdw
Solar United Neighbors is working to help farmers and rural small business owners tap into grants and financing available to install solar. Solar power has grown in popularity as the costs of installing solar have dropped while at the same time solar panel technology has dramatically improved.
For farmers and rural business owners there is financing and grants available to go solar. A federal tax credit that covers 26% of the cost of solar installations on businesses goes down to 22% in 2021 and then continues at 10% from 2022 onward. Two experts on the issue will be featured on a Solar United Neighbors webinar on May 19 at 6:30 p.m.:

Fritz Ebinger, Clean Energy Resource Team, Rural Energy Development Program Manager
Autumn Long, Solar United Neighbors Regional Director

You can also contact Bobby King at Solar United Neighbors at 507-450-7258 or bking@solarunitedneighbors.org.
In addition farmers and small business owners in southwest Minnesota may want to enroll in Solar United Neighbors Morris and Southwest Prairie solar co-op to tap into additional resources for going solar.

Temporary Fence Techniques for Managed Silvopasture: Sauk Centre
2020-09-15 13:00 - 16:00 | Sauk Centre
SFA’s ongoing Dirt Rich work continues this summer with four in-person events that, like our corresponding podcast, feature expert knowledge and farm information focused on the Five Principles of Soil Health and especially, in the case of these events, livestock integration.

Each event will be led by SFA Senior Technical Advisor Kent Solberg and the accompanying SFA staff farmer host. These in-person events will be limited to 10 participants each to follow appropriate social distancing guidelines. Registration is free for current SFA members and $40/nonmembers. SFA recommends bringing face masks to its events.

This workshop, “Temporary Fence Techniques for Managing Silvopasture,” is set for 1-4 p.m. Sept. 15 at Tyler Carlson’s Early Boots Farm, 20232 Balsam Dr, Sauk Centre.

Info: kent@sfa-mn.org.

Inter-Seeding Covers, Grazing and 60" Corn
2020-09-10 10:00 - 11:30 | Virtual
Zoom online video event.
RSVP to Shona Snater, LSP, ssnater@landstewardshipproject.org

Aaron Gillespie farms near Fountain, Minn., and raises conventional/organic row crops, small grains, cover crops, hay, and canning peas. He also rotationally grazes beef. Gillespie built his own interseeder to incorporate cover into his 30” and 60” corn.
This Land Stewardship Project presentation will take place online over a Zoom conference call. You can video conference or just phone in. Those who call in will not be able to see images of the presentation. Small group discussions and Q & A will be a part of the program. Join the meeting 10 minutes early for music and socialization!
For more information, contact LSP’s Shona Snater at ssnater@landstewardshipproject.org.
To view the flier for this and other LSP soil health events, click here.

Soil Health School
2020-09-10 09:00 - 2020-09-11 16:00 | Jamie Labat’s Farm, 3055 260th St, Marshall, MN, 56258, United States
A two day training designed to provide introduction to intermediate effective information on how to get started implementing soil health practices as well as a deeper look into management options and integrating regenerative practices. Classroom and field learning will be provided, hear from Minnesota farmers implementing soil health practices as well as technical experts from the state. Discussion sessions will be provided to hear from and ask questions from farmers to learn about their successes and challenges as they’ve implemented soil health practices. Who Should Attend? Farmers, agronomists, technical staff, those interested in learning more.
Register below or complete and mail in the hard copy
SH School Brochure

Soil Health Expo
2020-09-09 09:00 - 14:30
The Rollofson family is holding a unique and educational Soil Health Expo on Wednesday, Sept. 9th from 9:00 am to 2:30 pm near Barrett, MN to discuss and demonstrate soil health management tactics being implemented in west-central Minnesota.
Learn how to economically integrate no-till, strip-till, and cover crops into your system from experienced farmers. Topics include:
Soil fertility
Nutrient management
How to integrate cover crops into reduced till operations
True cost of field erosion
A farmer panel will discuss the challenges that local producers face when striving to improve soil health. Lastly, watch some equipment get dirty in the side–by–side equipment demonstrations presented by regional and national manufacturers of cover crop interseeders, strip-till implements, and no-till planters.
There is no cost to attend the event. However, pre-registration is requested to help with meals, grounds planning, and updates concerning changes in the agenda.
The planning committee is closely monitoring the evolving COVID-19 situation and the impact it may have on this event. Registrants will continue to receive updates about the event throughout the summer and we will communicate any changes to format as soon as possible.
Register now for the Soil Health Expo https://extension.umn.edu/event/soil-health-expo
The Expo is a collaboration between the Rollofson family, Grant Soil and Water Conservation District, the University of Minnesota – Extension, the Natural Resource Conservation Service, and the Pomme de Terre River Association.
The Soil Health Expo is located two miles west of Barrett, Minnesota on County Road #2. The latitude/longitude is 45.901546, -95.826897.

Fridays on the Farm September 4th
2020-09-04 11:00 - 12:00 | Facebook Live
Join us on our series of virtual field days this summer, every other Friday, to hear from farmers around the state with how they’re using soil health practices!
Events will be on the Minnesota Soil Health Coalition’s Facebook page using Facebook like to allow you to participate from anywhere and ask questions! Find it HERE

Park the Plow: Tillage, Cover Crops, and Clean Water
2020-09-02 19:00 - 21:00 | Dave and Mark Legvold Farm, 5103 315th Street W, Northfield, Minnesota, 55057
Discover how area farmers are improving soil health, farm profitability, and water quality by using Strip-till, No-till, and cover crops. View reduced tillage and interseeding equipment and talk to farmers and company representatives.
The event is free, but registration is required. To register visit www.crwp.net and click the “Register Now Here”. Registration deadline is Thursday, Aug. 27 th. Attendees will be in their vehicles to hear presenters with slides projected on Dave’s shed wall. Space allows for about 25 vehicles, register early. You only need to register once for all of the people in your car.
Minnesota Department of Health COVID-19 Guidelines will be followed, including the wearing of cloth masks and maintaining a 6-foot distance from non-family members. Sponsors will provide reusable cloth masks, bottled water and popcorn, and the first 25 attendees will receive a water nitrate test kit free.
Schedule
7:00 pm View Equipment and Strip-till discussion led by Environmental Tillage Systems
7:40 Using the Nitrate Test Kit – Professor Paul Jackson, St. Olaf College
7:50 “About Groundwater” – Jill Trescott, Dakota County Environmental Specialist
8:10 Farmers Dave & Mark Legvold, Tim Little & John Becker

MN BWSR Tech Talks: Nutrient Management Module 5: Nitrogen
2020-08-31 13:00 - 14:00
Tech Talks is a online training series hosted by the MN Board of Water & Soil Resources and organized by the Technical Training and Certification Program. Rotating speakers cover a wide variety of technical topics every Monday at 1:00. On occasion additional sessions may be scheduled at 9:00 in the morning to accommodate our presenters.
Miss a session you were interested in? We record every presentation and make replays available in the Online Learning section of the TTCP website.
Follow these instructions to access the webinars:
1. Go to https://minnesota.webex.com/minnesota/k2/j.php?MTID=t4cff36c965dd6296bae80dfbe43cb361
2. Enter your name and email address (or registration ID).
3. Enter the session password: [REDACTED]
4. Click “Join Now”.
5. Follow the instructions that appear on your screen.
If you are joining to the audio by phone, dial 1-415-655-0003 after connecting above. The session code is 968 039 336, and your participant ID will be displayed on the Webex screen.
You may log-in up to 30 minutes in advance to establish your connection.

August 10
Evaluating Herbicide Plans in a Soil Health System
What can we do to help ensure our herbicide program matches up with our cover crop goals in a corn-soybean rotation? Join Liz Stahl, UMN Extension, for a discussion on the the latest research and information regarding the impacts of weed management decisions on the potential for successful establishment of cover crops, cover crop end uses, and the tradeoffs we can expect in our weed management program.

9:00 amAugust 17
Equipment Modifications for Cover Crops
NRCS State Soil Health Specialist Kristin Brennan will host a farmer panel including Brady Wulf of Starbuck, Ryan Hough of Barnesville and David Miller of Red Lake to discuss equipment modifications they have made to facilitate the integration of a soil health system into their farming operations.

1:00 pmAugust 17
Wild Turkey Habitat and Management Considerations
Join Matt Weegman (NWTF), Nathan Paul (NWTF), and Jeff Kalin (NRCS) to learn about wild turkey habitat requirements and beneficial management.

August 24
Fertilization in a Soil Health System
Dr. Dan Kaiser (UMN Extension), Amy Robak-Bruce, and Dorian Gatchel will discuss fertilizer considerations in soil health systems.

August 31
Nutrient Management Module 5: Nitrogen
Larry Gunerson, Travis Hirman, and Kevin Hauth from MDA will review the nitrogen considerations for nutrient management planning. This session will cover current impairments, loss pathways, ground water protection rules, nitrogen loss assessments, and practices to reduce movement.

Film on the Farm - Rice County SWCD/NRCS
2020-08-27 20:00 - 21:30 | Larry Conrad Farm, 10214 Baseline Road, Dundas, Minnesota, 55019
The Rice Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) are partnering together to host a “drive-in” movie night for area farmers to view several short films showcasing the use of conservation tillage and cover crops by producers in southern Minnesota. The event, Film on the Farm, will take place on Thursday, August 27th from 8:00 – 9:30 pm on the Larry Conrad Farm, 10214 Baseline Road, Dundas.
Films to be shown during Film on the Farm include Hugh Hammond Bennett: The Story of America’s Private Land Conservation Movement by NRCS, No-Till Farming with Corn and Cover Crops in Southeastern Minnesota by Minnesota NRCS, High Clearance Cover Crop Seeder with Andy Linder by Minnesota NRCS, Growing No-Till Corn Silage and Cover Crops for Dairy in Southeastern Minnesota by Minnesota NRCS and Studying My Soil: A Continuous Education through Trial and Error (featuring Dave Legvold, Rice County farmer) by Strip-Till Farmer Magazine.
The films will be projected onto a large machine shed door and the audio for the movies will be broadcast to each vehicle using an FM transmitter.
The Film on the Farm event is made possible by grant funding from the Minnesota Office For Soil Health, Minnesota Board of Soil and Water Resources, Minnesota NRCS, and the Tri-Lakes Sportsman Club.
Attendees are asked to bring their own beverage. A bag of popcorn will be provided. There will be no restrooms on sight, so attendees should plan accordingly.
Due to limited space, reservations are required. Reserve a parking spot ticket by registering online at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/film-on-the-farm-tickets-115233117356 or by contacting the Rice SWCD at 507-332-5408.

SPRF Irrigation and Nutrient Management Virtual Field Day
2020-08-27 12:00 - 13:30
This upcoming virtual field day will give farmers and agronomists the opportunity to learn about the latest agronomic research in central Minnesota from the comfort of their own home. U of M scientists will join other presenters to deliver timely information about ongoing research at the Sand Plain Research Farm (SPRF) in Becker, Minnesota.
This field day will be held online so participants can join from their computer, tablet, or phone. Pre-registration is required. Pre-register by clicking here. Participants will be able to ask the researchers questions after their presentations.
Learn about these five research projects taking place at the Sand Plain Research Farm (SPRF) in Becker, Minnesota:

Irrigation and Nitrogen management research projects for profitable corn production and groundwater quality protection – Vasudha Sharma, Assistant Extension Professor – Irrigation Specialist
GEMS Informatics: Soil to Satellite and Sensor to Supercomputer – Bryan Runck, Geocomputing scientist
Enhancing soil health in irrigated potato cropping systems – Carl Rosen, Professor and Extension nutrient management specialist
Lessons from current nitrogen management research projects in irrigated corn – Fabian Fernandez, Associate Professor and Extension soil fertility specialist
Advancing Intensive Management of Continuous Corn on Irrigated Sands – Jeffrey Coulter, Professor and Extension agronomist

MN BWSR Tech Talks: Fertilization in a Soil Health System
2020-08-24 13:00 - 14:00

Fridays on the Farm August 21st
2020-08-21 11:00 - 12:00 | Facebook Live
The Minnesota Soil Health Coalition is hosting the Fridays on the Farm series this summer starting this Friday, July 10th! We will visit with farmers around the state hearing about their soil health management on a variety of operations.
The events will be on the Coalition’s Facebook Page using Facebook live found HERE
MN NRCS, Redwood SWCD, Renville SWCD, MOSH, and University of Minnesota Extension

2nd Annual Soil Health Field Day
2020-08-21 09:00 - 16:00 | Maple Grove Farms, 10815 555th St, Rush City, MN, 55069, United States
Join us at Maple Grove Farms to learn how Jon Stevens has used soil health practices to reduce stress and improve economics on his diverse Pine County farm. We will have the rainfall simulator, “soil your undies,” equipment modifications, and many more demonstrations. This year will include a cover crop species test plot and more livestock discussion. Learn how soil health farming can work in eastcentral Minnesota.
GUEST SPEAKERS FROM:
LOCAL FARMERS
NRCS
UMN
SUSTAINABLE FARMING ASSOCIATION
LUNCH AND REFRESHMENTS PROVIDED RAIN OR SHINE RSVP REQUIRED: CALL/TEXT 218-451-6118

Rosholt Research Farm Virtual Field Day
2020-08-20 12:00 - 13:15
This upcoming virtual field day will give farmers and agronomists the opportunity to learn about the latest agronomic research in central Minnesota from the comfort of their own home. U of M scientists will join other presenters to deliver timely information about ongoing research at the Rosholt Research Farm in Westport, Minnesota.
This field day will be held online so participants can join from their computer, tablet, or phone. Pre-registration is required; participants are encouraged to pre-register by August 18th. Pre-register by clicking here. Participants will be able to ask the researchers questions after their presentations.
This webinar will look at results from ongoing research at the Rosholt Research Farm. MDA Commissioner Thom Peterson will give the opening remarks. Topics will include:

Nitrogen rate and cover crop study – Fabian Fernandez, Extension soil fertility specialist
Irrigation scheduling study & irrigation and nitrogen management study – Vasudha Sharma, Assistant Extension irrigation professor
Forever Green Initiative – Jake Jungers

40 Plus Years of Cover Crop Experience with David Brandt
2020-08-18 19:00 - 21:00
*FREE WEBINAR*
David Brandt will share his extensive knowledge of how to integrate cover crops into a corn-soybean rotation. Do not miss the chance to learn from one of the most experienced farmers in the world!

David Brandt farms 1,150 acres in central Ohio’s Fairfield County. He began no-till farming in 1971 and has been using cover crops since 1978. David has participated in yield plots for corn, soybeans and wheat into various covers. This information has been used by seed growers as well as county agents and universities to encourage other farmers to adapt no-till practices in their farming operations. He has also been planting various blends of cover crops to find out what benefits they provide to improve soil. At present David is working with Ohio State University’s Randall Reeder and Rafiq Islam on reducing input costs of fertilizers and herbicides using various cover crops, which improve soil health. He is also working with the regional Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) soils lab in Greensboro, N.C., on the benefits of cover crops to improve soil health. David has received numerous awards for conservation practices, including the Ohio Conservation Educator Award from the Ohio No-Till Council, Ohio State University South Center’s Supporter of the Year, Ohio Agriculture’s Man of the Year, the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award, and Ohio NRCS Soil Conservationist Partnership and State Volunteer Awards.
To register, visit: https://understandingag.com/webinars

Setting Up for Success
2020-08-18 13:00 - 14:30 | Online
On August 18 at 1:00, U of MN Extension will host a virtual Cover Crop Field Day: Setting up for Success. Through this live webinar, researchers and educators will highlight U of MN research that provides management tips and considerations to help farmers and ag professionals successfully incorporate cover crops into Minnesota cropping systems.
The program will run from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m., with presentations from 1:00 to 2:00 followed by a cover crop roundtable from 2:00 to 2:30. Although there will be time for questions and answers after each presentation, the roundtable will provide an opportunity for additional open discussion with attendees. Registration is free, thanks to support from the Minnesota Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (MN SARE) program.
Topics & speakers include:
Cover crops as a tool in waterhemp management? Gregg Johnson, Associate Professor, Biomass Cropping Systems, Southern Research and Outreach Center, Waseca
Balancing the pros and cons of planting green in Minnesota Lizabeth Stahl, Extension Educator – Crops, Worthington Regional Extension Office, Worthington
Strategies for interseeding cover crops into corn Axel Garcia y Garcia, Associate Professor, Cropping Systems, Southwest Research and Outreach Center, Lamberton
Cover crop roundtable Anna Cates, Extension Soil Health Specialist, Department of Soil Health, Water, and Climate, St. Paul (in addition to our speakers above)
We hope you will join us! For more information and to register, go to: https://extension.umn.edu/event/cover-crop-virtual-field-day-setting-success If you cannot attend in person, a recording of the session will be made available through the above website at a later date.

MN BWSR Tech Talks: Wild Turkey Habitat and Management Considerations
2020-08-17 13:00 - 14:00

MN BWSR Tech Talks: Equipment Modifications for Cover Crops
2020-08-17 09:00 - 10:00

Cover Crop Production Field Day
2020-08-15 09:00 - 14:30 | Ed & Jane McNamara Farm, 37299 171 Avenue, Goodhue, Minnesota
Rain or shine – save the date! Join our Coalition Coordinator, Jennifer Hahn, and the Goodhue SWCD for an information-packed Cover Crop Production Field Day. This event will be hosted at Ed & Jane McNamara’s farm in Goodhue, MN. Topics will include:

Local Producer Panel discussion – Plant Green & Stay Clean – Planting soybeans into standing cover, Kevin Connelly, Olmstead Co & Tom Pyfferoen, Dodge Co
Cover Crop Crimping: Mandako Crimper Demonstration
Planting 60″ Rows for Inter-seeding Cover Crops – Cedar Valley Innovations, Bob Recker – Waterloo, IA and a 60″ Row Local Producer Panel
Inter-seeding Cover Crop Demonstration – Hi-Clearance Cover Crop Seeding, Joe Jirik – Le Sueur County & Andy Linder – Blue Earth County
Managing Manure with Cover Crop Demonstration – Low Disturbance Manure Applicator into cover crop.

Note: COVID-19 health and safety measures will be in place during the field day event. In an effort to keep attendees safe, we are limiting registration numbers. Registration for this event will be online only via Goodhue SWCD website: www.goodhueswcd.org
Registration fee of $10 includes a box lunch from Meatheads Meat & Deli of Red Wing, proceedings, refreshments, and required facemask.
For more information, please call the Goodhue SWCD Office at 651-923-5286

7th Soil and Water Management Field Day
2020-08-13 09:00 - 12:00
Soil and water management and conservation are the focus of the 7th Soil and Water Management Field Day being held virtually on Thursday, August 13. This program will run from 9:00 a.m. to noon, and include presentations and question and answer sessions. The webinar is free, but participants must pre-register online. An email address is required to register, and participants can join the webinar from a computer, tablet or phone. Registration includes proceedings of field day presentations.
The 7th Soil and Water Management Field Day is an inter-institutional event designed to highlight progress on soil and water management research. The objective of this field day is to convene farmers, researchers, stakeholders, and practitioners to interact on issues related to soil and water management for productivity and environmental enhancement. The proceedings from the program will include eight papers discussing collaborative research projects conducted throughout Minnesota and South Dakota.

Presenters and their discussion topics include:

Jeff Strock, Professor in the UMN Dept. of Soil, Water and Climate – Drainage ditch management and constructed wetlands
Andry Ranaivoson, UMN Researcher – Bioreactors
Ali Rashid Niaghi, UMN Researcher – Supplemental irrigation
Lindsay Pease, Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist in Nutrient and Water Management – NW MN drainage and phosphorus issues in drainage
Fabian Fernandez, Associate Professor in the UMN Dept. of Soil, Water and Climate – Split N applications and drainage
Brent Dalzell, UMN Researcher – Cottonwood Watershed Modeling and MDA Certified Farmers
Axel Garcia y Garcia, Associate Professor in the UMN Dept. of Agronomy and Plant Genetics and Extension Cropping Systems Specialist – Cover cropping

Event sponsors include: University of Minnesota Southwest Research and Outreach Center and College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences; the Transforming Drainage Project; Minnesota Department of Agriculture Clean Water Fund; Minnesota Corn Research & Promotion Council; Minnesota Water Resources Center; and US Geological Survey

Groundwater Protection Rule Webinar
2020-08-12 10:00 - 11:00
Beginning September 1, the application of nitrogen fertilizer in the fall and on frozen soil will be restricted in areas vulnerable to groundwater contamination. This will also apply to Drinking Water Supply Management Areas (DWSMAs) with elevated nitrate levels.
MDA staff have prepared a presentation to explain the purpose of the Groundwater Protection Rule, where the nitrogen fertilizer restrictions apply, and the exceptions to the rule. View the prerecorded presentation or join us for a live webinar through WebEx on August 12, 2020 (details below).
Live Virtual Webinar
Join us for the live webinar presentation on August 12, 2020 from 10:00-11:00 am (CST).
Check back here for the WebEx link and other options to join the webinar.
Questions
Staff are available to answer questions by email or phone, or you can submit questions during the live webinar. Contact information for this webinar is as follows:
Larry Gunderson Pesticide & Fertilizer Management
651-201-6168
Larry.Gunderson@state.mn.us

Margaret Wagner

Pesticide & Fertilizer Management
651-201-6488
Margaret.Wagner@state.mn.us

MN BWSR Tech Talks: Evaluating Herbicide Plans in a Soil Health System
2020-08-10 13:00 - 14:00
Tech Talks is a online training series hosted by the MN Board of Water & Soil Resources and organized by the Technical Training and Certification Program. Rotating speakers cover a wide variety of technical topics every Monday at 1:00. On occasion additional sessions may be scheduled at 9:00 in the morning to accommodate our presenters.
Miss a session you were interested in? We record every presentation and make replays available in the Online Learning section of the TTCP website.
Follow these instructions to access the webinars:
1. Go to https://minnesota.webex.com/minnesota/k2/j.php?MTID=t4cff36c965dd6296bae80dfbe43cb361
2. Enter your name and email address (or registration ID).
3. Enter the session password: [REDACTED]
4. Click “Join Now”.
5. Follow the instructions that appear on your screen.
If you are joining to the audio by phone, dial 1-415-655-0003 after connecting above. The session code is 968 039 336, and your participant ID will be displayed on the Webex screen.
You may log-in up to 30 minutes in advance to establish your connection.

August 10
Evaluating Herbicide Plans in a Soil Health System
What can we do to help ensure our herbicide program matches up with our cover crop goals in a corn-soybean rotation? Join Liz Stahl, UMN Extension, for a discussion on the the latest research and information regarding the impacts of weed management decisions on the potential for successful establishment of cover crops, cover crop end uses, and the tradeoffs we can expect in our weed management program.

9:00 am
August 17
Equipment Modifications for Cover Crops
NRCS State Soil Health Specialist Kristin Brennan will host a farmer panel including Brady Wulf of Starbuck, Ryan Hough of Barnesville and David Miller of Red Lake to discuss equipment modifications they have made to facilitate the integration of a soil health system into their farming operations.

1:00 pm
August 17
Wild Turkey Habitat and Management Considerations
Join Matt Weegman (NWTF), Nathan Paul (NWTF), and Jeff Kalin (NRCS) to learn about wild turkey habitat requirements and beneficial management.

August 24
Fertilization in a Soil Health System
Dr. Dan Kaiser (UMN Extension), Amy Robak-Bruce, and Dorian Gatchel will discuss fertilizer considerations in soil health systems.

August 31
Nutrient Management Module 5: Nitrogen
Larry Gunerson, Travis Hirman, and Kevin Hauth from MDA will review the nitrogen considerations for nutrient management planning. This session will cover current impairments, loss pathways, ground water protection rules, nitrogen loss assessments, and practices to reduce movement.

Nutritional Farming: Health from the ground up
2020-08-08 14:00 - 18:00 | 46958 188th Street, Estelline, SD 57234, 46958 188th Street,, Estelline, 57234, United States
A field day in regenerative agriculture
Human physical and mental health face new challenges that are reshaping our society, and agriculture is the solution to these problems. The concept of food as medicine is gaining new life as we realize how important the soil is for increasing the nutrient diversity of our food. Learn how regenerative farming can help with the health of your family.
Speakers will include:
Dr. Daphne Miller
University of California
Kalie Rider, RD
North Dakota Grazing Lands Coalition
Seth Watkins
Regenerative Farmer and Rancher
Free locally catered supper to follow for 150 attendees.
A guided Prairie Walk will follow supper
On the Northeast Corner of exit 157 on I-29 (the Brandt exit; wood house with a purple roof). 46958 188th Street, Estelline, SD, 57234

Fridays on the Farm August 7th
2020-08-07 11:00 - 12:00 | Facebook Live
The Minnesota Soil Health Coalition is hosting the Fridays on the Farm series this summer starting this Friday, July 10th! We will visit with farmers around the state hearing about their soil health management on a variety of operations.
The events will be on the Coalition’s Facebook Page using Facebook live found Here to enable you to view from anywhere and ask questions! Collaboration with the Minnesota NRCS, Redwood SWCD, Renville SWCD, MN Extension, and MOSH to provide this series.

Organic Transition Training Workshop #3
2020-08-04 10:00 - 15:00 | Ramkota Inn, 1901 9th Ave SW, Watertown, SD, 57201
You are invited to a FREE training hosted by Dakota’s Best Seed LLC to learn more about the process of transitioning to organic production. Learn from certification experts and industry partners. Visit with experienced organic growers from the region. Lunch will be provided.
This is the third of a three-session series; to see details for the other two sessions, select them on our events page (dates: 7/23 and 7/30).

Tuesday, August 4 – Watertown, SD. 10 am– 3 pm. Lunch provided.
Ramkota Inn, 1901 9th Ave SW

Agenda between the three sessions to cover the following topics:

State of organic: Markets, Demand, Trends
Organic: An investment that can pay dividends over time.
Certification basics and record keeping 101 w/ examples & materials for home study.
What is an Organic System Plan and how does it work?
Laying the foundation for organic fertility. What kinds of inputs can I use?
Overview of ‘Transitional Toolkit’ service options available.
Panel discussion with certified organic growers who also manage conventional acres.
Insurance & Lending. Q&A with regional providers experienced with organic.
Seed and Agronomy Considerations for Organic Systems with Dakotas Best Seed.

Contact Mae Petrehn with questions; mae@securcrop.com or cell (605) 682-0006
Please click here to RSVP. Space is limited to 25 total attendees at each location, so register now!

Organic Transition Training Workshop #2
2020-07-30 10:00 - 15:00 | Archery Shak, 217 S Main St, Lennox, SD, 57039
You are invited to a FREE training hosted by Dakota’s Best Seed LLC to learn more about the process of transitioning to organic production. Learn from certification experts and industry partners. Visit with experienced organic growers from the region. Lunch will be provided.
This is the second of a three-session series; to see details for the other two sessions, select them on our events page (dates: 7/23 and 8/4).

Thursday, July 30 – Lennox, SD. 10 am– 3 pm. Lunch provided.
Archery Shak (O So Good Catering), 217 S Main St.

Agenda between the three sessions to cover the following topics:

State of organic: Markets, Demand, Trends
Organic: An investment that can pay dividends over time.
Certification basics and record keeping 101 w/ examples & materials for home study.
What is an Organic System Plan and how does it work?
Laying the foundation for organic fertility. What kinds of inputs can I use?
Overview of ‘Transitional Toolkit’ service options available.
Panel discussion with certified organic growers who also manage conventional acres.
Insurance & Lending. Q&A with regional providers experienced with organic.
Seed and Agronomy Considerations for Organic Systems with Dakotas Best Seed.

Contact Mae Petrehn with questions; mae@securcrop.com or cell (605) 682-0006
Please click here to RSVP. Space is limited to 25 total attendees at each location, so register now!
