MN Soil Health Coalition

Modifying Existing Farm Equipment
2020-03-06 10:00 - 14:00 (America/Chicago) | Harlan Spronk’s Shop, 1414 1st St, Edgerton, MN, 56128, United States
Need better field conditions? What can you upgrade on your equipment to help?
Join us for a local farmer-led workshop on modifying existing farm equipment for strip till, no-till, and cover crops including

Farmers showing modifications they made to their equipment
Equipment dealer experienced in modification
Soil health discussions

Lunch is free and provided when you sign up before February 28th. Contact Rock County SWCD 507-283-8862

Gardening with Climate Change 26th Annual Horticulture Day
2020-03-06 08:30 - 15:00 | University of Minnesota Southern Research and Outreach Center, 35838 120th St, Waseca, MN, 56093, United States
How do we adapt our gardening to remain successful with climate change? Join in and learn from several specialists to understand what is ahead and tools to trouble-shoot the dynamics.
8:30 Registration and light refreshments
9:00 Welcome – Charlie Rohwer, Scientist
9:10 Veggie Gardens in a Changing Minnesota Climate Charlie Rohwer, Scientist
Heavier rains, warmer minimum temperatures, longer growing seasons… How might we adjust our veggie gardening practices to deal with these changes? Charlie will explore issues relating to
veggie growth, insects and diseases, and variety selection, with suggestions for resilient vegetable gardening.
10:10 Adapting Gardening Practices to a Changing Climate – What Do We Need to Know?
Jessica Gutknecht, Assistant Professor, UMN Department of Soil, Water, and Climate Food systems are facing many challenges including a need to better enhance ecosystem services
and to cope with increasingly altered weather patterns and changing climatic conditions. This talk will provide an overview of climate change impacts on agricultural systems and pose potential options for adaptation that also lead to improved environmental quality in general.11:10 Break
11:30 Growing Season – Year in Review – Jurgen Peters Peters, a retired UM Extension Educator and ag education teacher will provide an update to events that had an effect on the growing season last year. Peters will also provide some potential things to watch for in the coming season.
12:00 Lunch
12:45 The New Plant Cold Hardiness Paradigm: It’s Not All About How Low It Goes Stan C. Hokanson, Professor, UMN Department of Horticultural Science Stan will talk about considerations for plant cold hardiness in the face of warmer Minnesota winters and a changing climate.
1:45 Zoo Horticulture – Plants vs Animals Kim Thomas, Horticulture Curator MN Zoo Kim will delight us with thirty-five years of observations of the exotic collection of animals at the Minnesota Zoo through the eyes of a Horticulturist.
2:45 Q & A / door prizes
Pre-Registration required by Monday, February 24
For more information or with questions, call (507) 835-3620 email nelso191@umn.edu.
*Weather-related announcements will be sent by email notification to registered participants & posted on the SROC website at sroc.cfans.umn.edu.
Gardening With Climate Change 26th Annual Horticulture Day

From Entomology to Economics
2020-03-05 18:00 - 21:00 | Riverland Community College, 1900 8th Ave NW, Austin, MN, 55912, United States
aromano@landstewardshipproject.org

The Land Stewardship Project (LSP), along with the Mower Soil and Water Conservation District, will host a workshop called, “From Entomology to Economics: Building Soil Health with Jonathan Lundgren from Blue Dasher Farm, South Dakota” on Thursday, March 5th, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Riverland Community College’s West Campus Cafeteria in Austin. Look for LSP signs. It will feature a presentation by Jonathan Lundgren. Registration and a lite supper will be provided at 5:15p.m. There is no entry fee for this event, however, we will be accepting free-will contribution to help us cover costs. To register by March 3rd, contact LSP’s Alex Romano at 507-523-3366 or via e-mail.
A challenging and provocative presenter, bound to make us think and see things in a new way… Jonathan Lundgren is an agroecologist, entomologist and beekeeper. He received his PhD in Entomology from the University of Illinois in 2004 and was a top scientist with USDA Agricultural Research Service for 11 years. Lundgren’s research and education programs focus on assessing the ecological risk of pest management strategies and developing long-term solutions for regenerative food systems. Together with his family and laboratory team, he began Blue Dasher Farm in 2016 in Deuel county South Dakota where a team of dedicated people raise livestock, crops, and keep bees. Lundgren will present on his team’s efforts to…
· Research ecologically based pest and farm management solutions that reduce disturbance and increase biodiversity,
· Educate farmers, the public and future scientists on regenerative farming practices, and
· Address the financial feasibility of regenerative agricultural practices on a working farm
According to Gabe Brown regenerative farmer from North Dakota, “Dr. Lundgren’s talk reinforced for me the importance of thinking of my farm as an ecosystem, and in so doing, providing a home for beneficial insects, both predators and pollinators.”
From Entomology To Economics

From Entomology to Economics
2020-03-05 10:00 - 15:00 | St John’s Lutheran Church, 650 N Kignston St, Caledonia, MN, 55921, United States
aromano@landstewardshipproject.org

The Land Stewardship Project (LSP) will host a workshop called, “From Entomology to Economics: Building Soil Health with Jonathan Lundgren” on Thursday, March 5, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Caledonia. It will feature presentations by Lundgren and a southeast Minnesota farm panel featuring farmers Jordan Meyer, Aaron Gillespie, and Connor McCormick. The cost is $15 per person ($10 for an additional farm partner, and $30/family), which includes a noon meal featuring a local foods lunch catered by Estelle’s. To register by March 3rd, contact LSP’s Alex Romano at 507-523-3366 or via e-mail.
This workshop will also be offered in Goodhue on March 6th.
A challenging and provocative presenter, bound to make us think and see things in a new way… Jonathan Lundgren is an agroecologist, entomologist and beekeeper. He received his PhD in Entomology from the University of Illinois in 2004 and was a top scientist with USDA Agricultural Research Service for 11 years. Lundgren’s research and education programs focus on assessing the ecological risk of pest management strategies and developing long-term solutions for regenerative food systems. Together with his family and laboratory team, he began Blue Dasher Farm in 2016 in Deuel county South Dakota where a team of dedicated people raise livestock, crops, and keep bees. Lundgren will present on his team’s efforts to…
· Research ecologically based pest and farm management solutions that reduce disturbance and increase biodiversity,
· Educate farmers, the public and future scientists on regenerative farming practices, and
· Address the financial feasibility of regenerative agricultural practices on a working farm
According to Gabe Brown, regenerative farmer from North Dakota, “Dr. Lundgren’s talk reinforced for me the importance of thinking of my farm as an ecosystem, and in so doing, providing a home for beneficial insects, both predators and pollinators.”
Caledonia Farmer Panel: Jordan & Rachelle Meyer, Caledonia — grass-fed beef, pastured pigs and poultry, incorporating goats, organic row crops, small grains, managed rotational grazing, graze multi-species covers, Aaron Gillespie, Fountain — conventional/organic row crops, small grains, cover crops, hay, canning peas, beef, built an interseeder & interseeds covers on last cultivation pass into organic corn, managed rotational grazing, experimenting with interseeding covers into 60 inch corn, Connor McCormick, Caledonia — row crops, beef, broadcasting cover crop with fertilizer on 50 acres, working towards all no-till, incorporating spring calving on covers
From Entomology To Economics

Midwest Soil Health Summit
2020-03-05 08:00 - 17:00 | Oliver Kelley Farm, 15788 Kelly Farm Rd NW, Elk River, MN, 55330, United States
The Midwest Soil Health Summit will be March 5, 2020, at Oliver Kelley Farm in Elk River, Minn.
Registration is now open. Cost is $50/SFA members and $75/nonmembers.
Speaker slate and other details coming soon!

Success in Your Soil: Realistic Management & Profitability
2020-03-04 09:00 - 12:00 | Franklin Community Center, 320 2nd Ave, Franklin, 55333, United States
Hear from local farmers and specialists about how soil health practices have been implemented successfully in the Renville County area and have a chance to ask them questions. We’ll also provide Farm Bill updates that can financially help with implementing practices on your farm and some options to make those decisions including:
• SWCD Programs
• CSP, EQIP, & CRP
• Middle MN Watershed program
• MAWQCP
Refreshments provided
Questions & More information:
Melissa Edmondson
Melissa.edmondson@mn.nacdnet.net
320-523-1559

I90 Soil Health Tour - Economics of Soil Health & Cover Crops: What's the Bottom Line?
2020-02-28 08:30 - 15:00 | Stewartville Civic Center, 106 City Center Pl, Stewartville, MN, 55976, United States
Hear from Rick Clark and two local area farmers about how htey are making cover crops work economically in their operation. Hear data on how cover crops have increase the profitability for their farms and how their focus has changed from yield to ROI and net profit per acre.
$15 registration that includes lunch, RSVP by February 26th to SWCD@co.olmsted.mn.us or 507-328-7070
CEU credits available
Also this event is part of the I-90 Soil Health Tour. The tour is as follows,
Monday February 24th – Heron Lake, MN
Tuesday February 25th – Fairmont, MN
Wednesday February 26th – Albert Lea, MN
Thursday February 27th – Waseca, MN
Friday February 28th – Stewartville, MN
Each event is going to have Rick Clark speaking along with local farmers speaking on the economics of their farming operations. Not every event will be the same. If you are interested in attending another event or more than 1 event please view the attached flyer for the contact information specific to each event.

Lunch & Learn - Irrigation Water Management
2020-02-27 11:30 - 14:30 | Sherburne History Center, 10775 27th Ave SE, Becker, MN, 55308, United States
Don’t miss out on this excellent opportunity to learn more about how to make high level irrigation water management work for your farm. Vasudha Sharma, Ph.D. will be joining the Sherburne SWCD this year to speak about her work at the Sand Plain Research Farm. Valley and Reinke Irrigation will also be present on advanced irrigation technology. A free hot dinner will be provided for all attendees.
Please register by 2/21 to Miranda Wagner 763-220-3434 x 105 or mwagner@sherburneswcd.org
Sherburne History Center
10775 27th Ave SE
Becker, MN 55308

I90 Soil Health Tour - Show Me the Green! Economics of Soil Health
2020-02-27 09:00 - 15:00 | Farmamerica, 7367 360th Ave, Waseca, MN, 56093, United States
Come and hear from local farmer Matt Alford who will share insights in researching soil health changes on his farm including economic impacts. Farmer Rick Clark from Indiana will also be talking about “farming green” and the benefits of farming green along with the economic impact of regenerative farming.
3 Soil and Water Management CEU’s
Lunch is free and provided
RSVP by Feb 21 to 507-835-4800 x 3 or mark.schaetzke@mn.nacdnet.net
This event is part of the I-90 Soil Health Tour, check out the flyer for more info!

2020 Moses Organic Farming Conference
2020-02-27 - 2020-03-29 | La Crosse Center, 300 Harborview Plz, La Crosse, WI, 54601, United States
People from around the country will gather in La Crosse, Wisconsin, Feb. 27-29 to learn the latest organic production practices, find the best resources to support their farms, and make the right connections for success.
Whether you’re certified organic, using organic practices on your sustainable farm, or considering the switch to organic, you’ll find the information and support you need here—where farmers grow.
What to expect at MOSES 2020:
60 Workshops | 6 Sessions
Crops, Livestock, Market Farming, Soils, Business, & More
Learn from experienced organic farmers, researchers, and ag professionals.
10 Organic University™ Courses
Dig deeply into a farming topic with a full-day class before the conference.
Two-Floor Trade Show
Find buyers, suppliers, ag agencies, seeds, tools & more.
3,000 Participants
Network with farming peers from around the country!

Dirt & Doughnuts
2020-02-26 09:00 - 11:00 | Wilkin County Recycling Center, 505 South 8th St, Breckenridge, MN, 56520, United States
Farmers attending this workshop will learn from other farmers who are willing to share their experiences using soil health practices with you. Lessons learned by these farmers are vital and can get you on the right foot faster.
• Hear firsthand from local farmers Doug Toussaint, Ken Packer & Ryan Hough as they discuss tillage, cover crops, crop rotations, ect….
• Learn from other Minnesota farmers how these practices have benefited their soil, farming opera-tions and bottom line.
• The Wilkin SWCD and NRCS will provide program information that can help with implementing practices.
If you need any accommodations to participate in this activity or event, please contact Kim Melton at 218-643-2933 or by e-mail at Kimberly.melton@mn.nacdnet.net. RSVP appreciated but not required.

I90 Soil Health Tour - Economics of Soil Health & Cover Crops: What's the Bottom Line?
2020-02-26 08:30 - 15:30 | Wedgewood Cove, 220 West 9th St, Albert Lea, MN, 56007, United States
The Freeborn Area Soil Health Team invites you to our 6th annual soil health winter workshop. This year we are focusing on economics of soil health and cover crops. The event will be Wednesday February 26th, 2020 at Wedgewood Cove 2200 West 9th Street, Albert Lea, MN 56007 from 8:30 am – 3:30 pm. The keynote speaker on the day will be Rick Clark, an Indiana farmer and also speaking will be two local (Faribault County) farmers Andy Linder and Matt Alford. All 3 will share their experiences with cover crops and soil health and how they are making them work economically in their operations.
This event is FREE of charge with a lunch included. There will be CEU credits available as well. If you are interested in attending this event, please RSVP by Monday February 17th by emailing lindsey.Zeitler@mn.nacdnet.net or by calling 507-373-5607 Ext. 3. See more event details on the attached flyer.
Also this event is part of the I-90 Soil Health Tour. The tour is as follows,
Monday February 24th – Heron Lake, MN
Tuesday February 25th – Fairmont, MN
Wednesday February 26th – Albert Lea, MN
Thursday February 27th – Waseca, MN
Friday February 28th – Stewartville, MN
Each event is going to have Rick Clark speaking along with local farmers speaking on the economics of their farming operations. Not every event will be the same. If you are interested in attending another event or more than 1 event please view the attached flyer for the contact information specific to each event.

I90 Soil Health Tour - Economics of Soil Health
2020-02-25 09:00 - 14:30 | Knights of Columbus Hall, 920 E 10th St, Fairmont, MN, 56031, United States
Join the Faribault and Martin SWCD to hear from farmers Rick Clark, Matt Alford, and Andy Linder talk about the economics of soil health practices. Lunch provided by RSVPing by February 18th to 507-235-6680 Ext 118 or jesse.walters11@gmail.com

Farming and Ranching for the Bottom Line
2020-02-25 08:00 - 2020-02-26 17:00 | National Energy Center for Excellence, 1200 Schafer St, Bismarck, ND, 58501, United States
Dr. Fred Provenza will speak on both days of the Feb. 25 and 26, 2020, “Farming and Ranching for the Bottom Line” conference. The theme for this year’s annual conference is “Discover the Triple Bottom Line: Economics, Ecology and Sociology.”
Provenza is a professor emeritus of behavioral ecology in the Department of Wildland Resources at Utah State University. There, he has directed an award-winning research group that pioneered understanding of how learning influences foraging behavior and how behavior links soil and plants with herbivores and humans.
Along with colleagues, Provenza has authored more than 250 publications in scientific journals and books. His first book was “Foraging Behavior.” He co-authored a second book with Michel Meuret, “The Art & Science of Shepherding: Tapping the Wisdom of French Herders.” His latest book, “Nourishment: What Animals Can Teach Us About Rediscovering Our Nutritional Wisdom,” was published in November 2018.
Other featured speakers include Dr. Tom Rabey, General Mills; Dr. Mark Liebig; Dr. Andrea Clemensen; Dr. Mike Grusak; Dr. David Toledo; Dr. Jerry Hatfield; and many more. Please see the attached flyer for the entire list of speakers and their presentation titles.
The two-day event will be held at the National Energy Center of Excellence in Bismarck, N.D. There is no cost to attend, but registration is required on or before Feb. 18.
You can either register online, by telephone or by e-mail at:

Eventbrite: To register online, go to https://triple-bottom-line.eventbrite.com
Telephone: Call Cindy at 701-250-4518, ext. 3 and leave your name and e-mail address
E-mail: E-mail Cindy at lucinda.makedonski@nd.nacdnet.net and include your name and e-mail address

Please feel free to pass this information along to your colleagues, friends and neighbors.
For any questions or more information, contact any of the following:
Darrell Oswald, Cindy Makedonski, Chad Thorson and Nolan Swenson, Burleigh County SCD (701-250-4518, ext. 3)
Chet Zapzalka,Valerie Frohlich and Ryan Kobilansky, Morton County SCD (701-667-1163, ext. 3)
Farming & Ranching For Bottom Line Flyer (1)

I90 Soil Health Tour - Farm Economics and Soil Health Winter Workshop
2020-02-24 08:30 - 12:30 | Heron Lake Community Center, 312 10th St, Heron Lake, MN, 56137, United States
Join us to hear from Farmers Rick Clark and Matt Alford about the economics of soil health implementation!
Lunch is provided by RSVPing by February 17th at https://covercrop2020.eventbrite.com or call Jackson SWCD at 507-662-6685 Ext 3
Soil and water management CEU credits available
For more information visit www.hlwdonline.org or call Catherine Wegehaupt at 507-376-9150 Ext 111
Also this event is part of the I-90 Soil Health Tour. The tour is as follows,
Monday February 24th – Heron Lake, MN
Tuesday February 25th – Fairmont, MN
Wednesday February 26th – Albert Lea, MN
Thursday February 27th – Waseca, MN
Friday February 28th – Stewartville, MN
Each event is going to have Rick Clark speaking along with local farmers speaking on the economics of their farming operations. Not every event will be the same. If you are interested in attending another event or more than 1 event please view the attached flyer for the contact information specific to each event.

Renting it Out Right Workshop
2020-02-21 09:00 - 15:00 | School Sisters of Notre Dame Central Pacific Province, 170 Good Counsel Drive, Mankato, MN, 56001, United States
Are you a farmland owner who values good stewardship practices? Are you a farmer looking to invest in soil building on rented land? A workshop to help you act on your conservation values will be held Friday, Feb. 21, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at School Sisters of Notre Dame in Mankato (170 Good Counsel Drive). This workshop, which is being offered by the Land Stewardship Project (LSP), in partnership with the Living Earth Center, is for farmland owners, those inheriting a farmland investment and farmers who would like ways to invest in soil building on rented land. Participants are encouraged to bring their landowner/renter or attend independently. A suggested donation for the workshop is $20, which includes a noon meal and toolkit. You can register online or by contacting LSP’s Robin Moore at 320-269-2105, rmoore@landstewardshipproject.org.
The keynote speaker will be Kristin Brennan, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service assistant state soil scientist for Minnesota. The workshop will feature a fun tutorial on the basics of soil health, and details about resources as well as state and federal programs available that support conservation. There will also be a panel discussion involving farmers, landowners and Soil and Water Conservation District staff, who will field questions from workshop participants. Attendees will receive a toolkit of resources and ideas for farmland owners, tips for improving communication between owners and renters, and information on the Minnesota tax credit for selling/renting to beginning farmers.
Key discussion points include:

What is the farmland legacy you will leave for the next generation?
How do we enhance the productive value of farmland?
Balancing short-term returns with investing in farmland as a productive asset.
What’s the relationship between soil health, water quality and climate change?
Creating opportunities for young farmers on the land.

Can’t make the workshops? Check out LSP’s Conservation Leases Toolkit at www.landstewardshipproject.org/conservationleasestoolkit.

Making Lemonade from Last Falls Lemons
2020-02-20 10:00 - 12:00 | Oak Inn, 5896 Old Main St, North Branch, MN, 55056, United States
Information provided by farmers to farmers is especially vital – talking with others that have planned, implemented, and witnessed the results.
• Get experienced trouble shooting, learning about logistics, and first-hand knowledge of practices.
• Join us for comfortable discussions with local farmers about how they’ve used soil health practices to benefit their operation and economics.
• The Chisago County SWCD and NRCS will provide program information that can help with implementing practices.
If you need an accommodation to participate in this event, please contact Jennifer Hahn at 651-485-7848 or by e-mail at coordinator@mnsoilhealth.org by 2/17/20.

Trees & Shrubs, Soil, Climate Change - What's the Connection?
2020-02-18 18:00 - 19:00 | Bremer Bank, Linden Hills, MN, United States
AJ Lange, Forester, MPRB Forestry Department will be speaking on the connection of our vegetation, management, soils, and climate change. Also come and learn about spring planting plans of trees and shrubs on the trolley path!

Grow Your Bottom Line
2020-02-18 09:00 - 15:30 | Renville Community Center, 221 Main St N, Renville, MN, 56284, United States
9:00 – 9:30 Registration, Coffee, and Rolls
9:30 Managing Farm Stress – Ted Matthews
10:30 Break, Vendor Booths
10:45 Water Quality & the Interaction with Ag Practices and the Weather – Dr. Jerry Hatfield
11:45 Lunch
12:30 Local Farmers Implementing Reduced Tillage and Cover Crops Presentations
1:30 Break, Vendor Booths
1:45 Small Table Discussions with Presenters – rotate every 20 minutes four times
3:20 Closing Remarks
Please RSVP with Melissa by calling 320-523-1550 Ext. 116 or email Melissa.Edmondson@mn.nacdnet.net
Grow Your Bottom Line Mtg Agenda

Nitrogen: MN's Grand Challenge & Compelling Opportunity Conference
2020-02-18 08:30 - 15:30 | Arrowwood Resort and Conference Center, 2100 Arrowwood Lane NW, Alexandria, MN, 56308, United States
University of Minnesota Extension and the Minnesota Agricultural Water Resource Center (MAWRC)’s Nitrogen: Minnesota’s Grand Challenge and Compelling Opportunity Conference brings experts together to focus entirely on this valuable input. Current topics in crop production and environmental stewardship will be relevant and informative for today’s agricultural producers and professionals and anyone else who appreciates high-quality, research-based information.
Register now for the 6th annual Nitrogen Conference, which will be held on February 18th, 2020, at the Arrowwood Conference Center in Alexandria, MN.
Certified Crop Adviser credits
Certified crop advisers (CCA) will be able to earn continuing education credits (CEUs) in soil and water and nutrient management.
https://extension.umn.edu/courses-and-events/nitrogen-conference

Soil Your Undies at Pheasant Fest
2020-02-14 - 2020-02-16 | Minneapolis Convention Center, 1301 2nd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN, 55403, United States
The Minnesota Soil Health Coalition will be showing attendees how to soil their undies at Pheasant Fest 2020! Stop by our booth and pick a pair up to soil in the comfort of your own field.

SFA's Annual Conference
2020-02-08 09:00 - 17:00 | Gorecki Center at the College of Saint Benedict in St Joseph, 37 College Ave S, St Joseph, MN, 56374, United States
Session Schedule: Session schedule is now being compiled. Watch the Annual Conference ‘Sessions and Features’ page for updates. Sessions already announced include:
Capturing Carbon for Soil Health
Bumblebees in High Tunnels: An Underutilized Strategy for Improving Production
Untapped Potential: A Landscape View of the Minnesota Halal and Kosher Meat Market
What’s the Next Brussels Sprouts: How to be on Top of Local Food Trends
REGISTER HERE https://sfamn.z2systems.com/np/clients/sfamn/eventRegistration.jsp?event=983&
You must be logged in to your member record to receive the discount. Questions? Email jason@sfa-mn.org or visit our FAQs page
Sponsor/Exhibitors: Registration is also now open for sponsors and exhibitors for SFA’s 2020 conferences.

Cover Crops 101
2020-02-06 18:30 - 20:30 | Forest Township Hall, 3625 Millersburg Blvd, Faribault, MN, 55021, United States
Want to try cover crops? Attend this beginning class about how to plant cover crops on your farm. Southeast Minnesota farmer Tom Cotter (a 2017 Cover Crop Champion) and TJ Kartes, of Saddle Butte seed company will talk about cover crop seed origination, species and establishment before giving a “Year One’ cover crop plan. Alan Krause from the Cannon River Watershed Partnership will share results of a nitrate-sampling project in Rice County.
Download the event flyer here:
http://www.riceswcd.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/cover-crop-101-feb-2020.pdf

Nutrient Management Conference
2020-02-04 08:30 - 15:30 | Verizon Center, 1 Civic Center Plaza, Mankato, MN, 56001, United States
The 12th annual Nutrient Management Conference, hosted by University of Minnesota Extension, the Minnesota Agricultural Water Resource Center, and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, will include updates on Minnesota efforts, planned and underway, to reduce nutrient loads in surface water and protect groundwater. Researchers will present findings on nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium management. A farmer panel will discuss on-farm conservation practices. $20
Contact
Fabián Fernández, Extension nutrient management specialist
fabiangf@umn.edu, 612-625-7460
Warren Formo, Executive director, MAWRC
warren@mawrc.org, (952) 237-9822

What Makes MAWQCP Different?
2020-01-30 12:00 - 14:00 | Rice County Government Services, 320 3rd St NW, Ste 9, Faribault, MN, 55021, United States
Join us for a discussion about the Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program (MAWQCP). A pizza lunch will be provided following the presentation.
Join the growing number of Rice County farmers who have become MAWQCP certified! (Twenty-eight and counting.)
Download the event flyer here:
http://www.riceswcd.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/MAWQCP-January-Meeting-1.pdf
Please RSVP to travis.hirman@riceswcd.org or call 507-332-5408. Thanks!

Cover Crops: Matching Your Management Strategies & Goals
2020-01-29 12:00 - 13:00 | Webinar
How can you match cover crops to meet your cropping system goals? Have you wondered if cover crops can support your nutrient needs? Learn about U of MN cover crop research addressing these questions and more.
Speakers: Axel Garcia y Garcia, Agronomist – Sustainable cropping systems and Paulo Pagliari, Nutrient management specialist
If this time doesn’t work out for you, no problem! Registration gives you access to the live webinar and a recording afterward if you are not able to attend during the designated time.
How the webinar series works
Once you register for a webinar in the Strategic Farming series, you’ll receive a confirmation email.
You’ll also receive reminder emails with a link to the webinar prior to the event. There’s no need to download any apps or programs to join. Simply click on “Launch from my browser” in the “Join the webinar” window.
You are welcome to register for any and all of the Strategic Farming webinars in the series. There is no fee to join the webinars, but you will need to register for each webinar you wish to attend individually. Visit the Strategic Farming: Optimizing management for 2020 webpage for more information and to register: z.umn.edu/strategic-farming. The primary target audience for the series is farmers, but all interested agricultural professionals, agency personnel, educators, etc. are welcome to participate as well.

Cover Crops, No-Till & Grazing: Evaluation the Economics & First Steps to Improving Soil
2020-01-29 10:00 - 15:00 | Peace United Methodist Church, 52497 275th Ave, Elgin, MN, 55932, United States
A Land Stewardship Project workshop called, “Cover Crops, No-Till & Grazing: Evaluating the Economics and First Steps to Improving Soil,” will be held Wednesday, Jan. 29, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Peace United Methodist Church between Plainview and Elgin (52497 275th Ave., Elgin, MN 55932). It will feature presentations by southwestern Minnesota farmers Grant and Dawn Breitkreutz, along with southeastern Minnesota farmers Tom Cotter and Myron Sylling. The cost is $20 per person, which includes a lunch featuring local foods. To register by Jan. 27, contact LSP’s Liana Nichols at 507-523-3366 or via e-mail.
Directions: From U.S. Highway 14, turn north onto MN-42 just west of Eyota. Follow MN-42 for 20 miles into Elgin. Continue on MN-42 for 2 miles northeast out of Elgin and then turn south on 275th Ave. The church is ¼ mile down on your right.
This workshop will also be offered in Ridgeway, Iowa (10 miles west of Decorah), on Jan. 30.
Between the testimonials of pioneering farmers like Gabe Brown, the media buzz and new research around the benefits of soil health and farm profitability, area farmers are looking to take steps to build soil through practices like no-till, cover cropping, and rotational grazing. Yet, new practices bring their share of challenges, successes, and even failures. The farmers presenting at the Jan. 29 workshop will address this learning curve with stories from their own operations.
In their 20 years of farming in Redwood County, the Breitkreutzes have put forth a massive effort to regenerate their soils by practicing no-till row cropping and managed rotational grazing, as well as diversified cover cropping. They believe that soil health and regenerative agriculture should not be considered an expense — everything they do on their land has an economic return plus a soil health benefit.
Their presentation will be followed up by a group discussion and presentations from Cotter and Sylling on their own experiences with soil building methods such as cover cropping, reduced tillage, and rotational grazing. Cotter, from Austin, raises no-till and strip-till conventional corn and soybeans, as well as sweet corn and peas, and is transitioning some land to organic. His family also raises beef cattle and they incorporate practices such as cover crop grazing, interseeding covers into corn, and growing a warm season cover crop. Sylling, who farms near Spring Grove, is a long-time cash grain producer who has been no-tilling for 20 years and using cover crops intensively for the past seven years.
RSVP to Liana Nichols, 507-523-3366, lnichols@landstewardshipproject.org

Winter Forage Tour - Lewiston
2020-01-28 13:00 - 16:00 | Lewiston Community Center, 75 Rice St, Lewiston, MN, 55952, United States
The Winter Forage Tour is here! At these meetings we will go in depth into many different forages and their use, planting date, and more. This will include mainly pasture grasses and blends, but also alfalfa, summer annuals, and cover crops as forage.

Mitigating Damage to Water & Soil
2020-01-25 09:00 - 13:30 | Albert F. Reding Environmental Education Center, 1546 58th St SW, Owatonna, MN, 55060, United States
Farmers, landowners, and anglers can learn how to buck the damage caused by extreme weather to soil and water during a program on Saturday, Jan. 25, being hosted by the Izaak Walton League’s (Ikes) Owatonna chapter and the Upper Mississippi River Initiative (UMRI). The program begins with registration at 9 a.m. at the Albert F. Reding Environmental Education Center (1546 58th St. SW, Owatonna), and runs until 1:30 p.m. Please RSVP for lunch to Gary Schwartz, presike1@live.com. A $5 donation will help offset the cost of the meal.
Confirmed speakers include cover crop farmer-experts Tom Cotter and Myron Sylling, along with George Boody of the Land Stewardship Project, which is also a co-sponsor. Additional co-sponsors include University of Minnesota Extension and the Cannon River Watershed Partnership.
RSVP to Caroline van Schaik, caroline.ikesumri@gmail.com

Emerging Farmers Conference
2020-01-24 - 2020-01-25 | University of Minnesota, 1890 Buford Ave, St Paul, MN, 55108, United States
The annual Emerging Farmers Conference (formerly the Immigrant & Minority Farmers Conference) serves to advance the success and sustainability of farmers who traditionally face barriers to the education and resources necessary to build profitable agricultural businesses, including immigrant farmers and farmers of color.
This innovative conference focuses primarily on the needs and interests of these farmers, and supports their contributions to local economic development and building healthy communities. It does so by connecting farmers, farm advocates, educators, professionals, experts, and agency officials.
