MN Soil Health Coalition

Northern MN small grain plot tours - Oklee
2021-07-13 09:00 - 11:00 (America/Chicago) | Minnesota
The Small Grain Summer Plot Tours provide farmers and crop consultants with the tools to make small grain production successful and profitable. University of Minnesota Extension small grain specialists and educators will present information on:

Production agronomics
Variety selection
Pest identification and management
Fungicide use

These programs are interactive with hands-on demonstrations of genetics, pests and growth stages. They feature tours of current research plots as well as discussions of on-farm experiences. Feel free to bring any field samples for diagnosis or discussion!
For information on plot tours at other locations, visit Small grain summer plot tours.

Cost
There is no cost to attend the plot tour.
Registration
Pre-registration is not required.
Contact
Jared Goplen, University of Minnesota Extension crops educator
gople007@umn.edu
Jochum Wiersma, University of Minnesota Extension small grains agronomist
wiers002@umn.edu

Central Minnesota weed management field day
2021-07-13 09:45 - 12:00 | Minnesota
The weed management field day will address corn and soybean weed management concerns facing growers in Central Minnesota.
Topics and tour

Weed identification
Herbicide best management practices
Tours of both the corn and soybean management plots

Presenters
Debalin Sarangi, UMN Extension weed scientist, David Nicolai and Nathan Drewitz Extension educators for crops

Audience
Growers and crop advisors

Cost
Free
Registration
Pre-registration is not required but is helpful. Contact Nathan Drewitz at 608-515-4414 or ndrewitz@umn.edu to pre-register.
Registration will begin at 9:45 a.m. with the event starting at 10 a.m.

Email ndrewitz@umn.edu to Register

FARMING FOR THE FUTURE: ECOSYSTEM MARKET SUMMER SERIES
2021-07-13 11:00 - 12:30, 2021-07-15 11:00 - 12:30 | Minnesota
Join the Illinois Sustainable Ag Partnership and organizations from Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, and Wisconsin for a free four-part webinar series exploring new management options and financial opportunities for Midwest farmers. The series will provide farmers and their advisors with practical and straightforward information on innovative incentives.
Each webinar has been approved for 1.5 hrs CEU in Soil & Water Management.

Tuesday, June 22nd features programs available from input providers (Bayer, Corteva, and Nutrien)
Thursday, June 24th explores innovative markets and data platforms available from CIBO, Gradable by Farmers Business Network, and Land O’Lakes
Tuesday, July 13th examines market opportunities through the lens of grain buyers and consumer packaged goods companies with Cargill, General Mills, and PepsiCo
Thursday, July 15th highlights water quality markets and additional potential revenue streams for ecosystem services

Regenerative Agriculture: What Every Agricultural Professional Needs to Know
2021-07-13 11:00 - 17:00 | Minnesota
An American Society of Agronomy webinar sponsored by the Kellogg Company.
Date: Tuesday, July 13, 2021
Time: 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
Regenerative agriculture is more than a buzzword. Agricultural professionals may be called upon to help clients implement regenerative agriculture practices, including to meet requests from important buyers of crop and livestock products. Key elements of regenerative agriculture include a focus on farmer bottom line rather than maximum yields and a reduced reliance on purchased fertilizers and crop protectants through natural nutrient cycling and the biological controls of weeds, insects, and diseases. If called upon to help a client implement regenerative agriculture systems, agricultural professionals should be prepared to answer questions from clients and others about regenerative agriculture, and they should have a plan for accessing expertise, pursuing professional development, and minimizing client risk. Business models may need to be adjusted to ensure healthy revenue from expertise and services to replace reduced input sales revenue.
Speaker Information:
Thomas Green
President
IPM Institute of North America
Thomas Green is co-founder and current board president of the IPM Institute of North America, where he has worked with farmers, food companies, and communities since 1998 to improve sustainability. His accomplishments include leading the transition of more than 70 Vietnamese black pepper farmers to certified organic production practices. He also founded an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) supply business (which is now part of Gempler’s), the Green Shield Certified program (a rigorous third-party certification for pest control companies and facilities), and the Partnership for Ag Resource Management (which works with more than 126 farm supply retail locations to increase sales of products and services that reduce agricultural input losses from cropland). He holds a Ph.D. in Entomology, is a Certified Crop Adviser (CCA), and operates Green Pest and Tick Control, which serves residential, multi-family, and sensitive environments in Wisconsin with natural and low-risk solutions to structural and landscape pest problems. After 22 years, he stepped down from his role directing the IPM Institute of North America in 2020, but he still remains on the board. He also serves on the boards of the Maryland Pesticide Education Network, Heartland Health Alliance, and Protected Harvest and is on the Science Advisory Council for Field to Market.
CEUs:
CCA/CPAg: 1.0 Pest Management
CPSS/CPSC: 1.0 Professional Meetings
FREE to all registrants.
Registration for the webinar includes access to the live webinar and a link to a recording of the webinar.
The live webinar broadcast will be delivered via GoToWebinar. After registering, you will receive an email with a link to register with GoToWebinar to receive the connection information.
The recording link will be emailed to you and will be available approximately one week from the scheduled date. This link will be valid for 30 days and can only be used by the registrant.

Live

CEUs

Integrated Pest Management

1.0

Professional Meetings (PM)

1.0

If you are enrolled in this class, please log in to see the class materials.
Class cost: $ 0.00

Northern MN small grain plot tours - Humboldt
2021-07-14 09:00 - 11:00 | Minnesota

Wilkin County Soil Health Demonstration Site
2021-07-14 09:30 - 14:00 | Minnesota
https://www.co.wilkin.mn.us/index.asp?SEC=63331EB0-BFA5-4D84-9E33-CA2991D1BE22&Type=B_BASIC

Goals & Objectives

Goal 1 (Management Systems): Establish a minimum of six demonstration plots to compare the impacts of conventional tillage, strip-tillage and no-tillage, with and without cover crops, on soil health.
Goal 2 (Monitor & Measure): Annually monitor the physical, chemical, and biological properties of the soil, along with the soil moisture within every plot to measure soil health changes/trends.
Goal 3 (Economics): Quantify and communicate the risks and returns, for each management system, to help farmers better understand input costs and profits for each.
Goal 4 (Education): Hold a minimum of one field day annually for the public to increase adoption of soil health promoting practices.
Goal 5 (Information Gaps): Work with soil health researchers and agency partners to identify research gaps and incorporate activities/measures where practical and feasible.

Overview of the Demo Site

This field has been farmed by the Johnson family for 40+ years using conventional tillage
This will be a 5 year demonstration site

The 60 acre field will be split into 3 – 20ac. Tillage Treatments

1) No-Till
2) Strip-Till
3) Conventional Tillage

Each tillage treatment will be split in half with cover crops vs no cover crops, giving us a total of 6 different plots to analyze
Current Crop Rotation

Year 1) 2021 Corn
Year 2) 2022 Sugar Beets
Year 3) 2023 Corn
Year 4) 2024 Soybeans
Year 5) 2025 Wheat

How Drone Mapping Is Used in Trial Management and Statistical Analysis
2021-07-14 11:00 - 12:00 | Minnesota
How Drone Mapping Is Used in Trial Management and Statistical Analysis
July 14, 2021 | 11:00 am CT

FREE to all registrants!

Speakers:
Nathan Stein, Senior Business Development Manager, Pix4D
Timothy Reinbott, Director of Field Operations, University of Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station

The use of quantitative analytics for agricultural rating processes is crucial for many disciplines in agriculture. For example, agronomists, crop breeders, and agrochemical companies rely on precise and accurate statistical data to evaluate methods and technologies and gauge product performance in research and on-farm field trials. Field trials and plot-level statistics make agriculture efficient, profitable, and sustainable, ensuring that new products are proven to work. Scientific evidence is crucial for insuring effective agricultural techniques are developed for and adopted by the mass market. In this webinar, speakers from academia and industry will share how drone mapping can be used for field trial management and statistical analyses. This will be done using one of the oldest experimental fields in the United States—Sanborn Field.

1 CEU Crop Management OR 1 CEU in Precision Ag (CCA/CPAg)
1 CEU Professional Meetings (CPSS/CPSC)

JULY CORN & SOYBEAN OUTLOOK UPDATE WEBINAR
2021-07-14 12:30 - 13:30 | Minnesota
Each month the Center will host a free webinar providing an update on the corn and soybean outlook following release of USDA’s monthly Crop Production and World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) reports. The webinars will review the USDA reports and provide implications for the current and upcoming crop year. Corn and soybean exports, ethanol demand, corn and soybean basis, and farm income projections will also be regular topics.
The next outlook webinar is at 12:30 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, July 14, 2021. Purdue ag economists Michael Langemeier, Nathanael Thompson and James Mintert will discuss the July Crop Production and World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) USDA reports.
Registration is free and can be completed by submitting the form on this page. Participants can opt to register for the upcoming single webinar or the entire series by checking the respective box on the registration form. Once registered, participants will receive a confirmation email with a link to view the webinar live at its scheduled time. Participants who opt into the entire series of webinars can expect a monthly email reminder with the webinar date, time and login information and will not need to register each month. Those unable to join live can register to receive a follow-up email after the webinar to download the slides and view the recording.

Webinar Each Month Following USDA’s Release Of The Updated World Agricultural Supply And Demand Estimates (WASDE).
Webinars will usually take place the following day after the WASDE report release; however, the official date and time of each webinar will be published at least one month in advance. WASDE report release dates are as follows:

July 12, 2021 – Webinar will be July 14, 2021 at 12:30 p.m. EDT

August 12, 2021
September 10, 2021
October 12, 2021
November 9, 2021
December 9, 2021

Minnesota Soil Health Series
2021-07-14 18:00 - 20:00 | Minnesota
For three crop years, Minnesota Office for Soil Health and SFA have been
collecting, analyzing and sharing on-farm soil health data across Minnesota
to help us better interpret and use soil health measurements. Five field days
are planned to share research, discuss soil health practices and network:
Wed., July 14 – 6-8 p.m. Wed., July 14, Noreen Thomas and Doubting Thomas Farm, 12506 20th
St S, Moorhead. This field day offers learning stations with Hava Blair and Zach Paige of North
Circle Seeds and SFA Lake Agassiz Chapter demonstrating soil health practices. Brent Hulke will
present on perennial flax and perennial sunflowers and Noreen will describe NRCS programs
supporting soil health. Free. Registration appreciated to noreen.jo.thomas@gmail.com but
walkups welcome. Co-sponsored by Renewing the Countryside.

Corn-soybean weed management field day - Rosemount
2021-07-15 08:30 - 12:30 | Minnesota
Learn about new herbicides and technologies, corn and soybean weed management, and cover crops at the Rosemount Research and Outreach Center!

Cost
There is no cost to attend. Lunch is included.
Registration
Please register by 5:00 p.m. July 14 using the link below
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfesQ-A4wCrWxL8H6PRNWq-DUppiWFAcqd7hhKUnrR_1Gi9Mg/viewform

Directions

Soil Health Field Day - Lamberton & Redwood Falls
2021-07-15 09:00 - 16:30 | Minnesota
Visit two farms at this Soil Health Field Day in Redwood County!
For three crop years, Minnesota Office for Soil Health and SFA have been collecting, analyzing and sharing on-farm soil health data across Minnesota to help us better interpret and use soil health measurements. This is the third of five field days planned to share research, discuss soil health practices and network.
Meet at U of M Southwest Research, 23669 130th St, Lamberton. Presenters include Brian Pfarr, Redwood County SWCD; Kent Solberg, SFA Senior Technical Advisor; Ann Marcelle Lewandowski, Minnesota Office For Soil Health; and Dr. Nic Jelinski, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Soil Water and Climate.
Tour the Pfarrs’ neighboring fields and then Grant and Dawn Breitkreutz’s Stoney Creek Farm, 38270 Kenwood Ave, Redwood Falls.
9 AM – Noon: Meet at Brian and Bill Pfarr’s farm (Lamberton).
Boxed lunch provided.
1:30 – 4 PM: Meet at Grant & Dawn Breitkreutz’s Stoney Creek Farm (Redwood Falls). The afternoon session will feature the Conservation Innovation Grant program research.
Address: 38270 Kenwood Ave Redwood Falls, MN 56283
Presenters:
Brian Pfarr
Grant & Dawn Breitkreutz
Kent Solberg, Senior Technical Advisor, SFA
Ann Lewandowski, MN Water Resource Center and MN Office of Soil Health (MOSH)
This event is co-sponsored by SFA, MOSH, Redwood and Renville City Soil Water Conservation Districts, and the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS).

2021 Kernza® Field Days - Cold Spring, MN
2021-07-17 09:30 - 13:00 | Minnesota
The ROCORI FFA along with the ROCORI FFA Alumni and Supporters is holding a Plot Day/Community Day at the ROCORI ball fields on 7/17 to introduce the community to Kernza that was planted in a partnership with the ROCORI school ag program.
There will be local speakers from the community and soil and water conservation programs, along with business and U of M teams to highlight why we planted the Kernza plot and all the benefits that the new emerging crop has on the environment and ground water in the area. There will be food utilizing the Kernza flour along with many hands on activities from kids to adults throughout the event running from 9:30-1 with door prizes throughout the event. All ages welcome to learn more about Kernza and the plot that the school and the FFA are working on along with a fun and interactive agricultural community day.
Read More: Plot Day/Community Day Hosted by ROCORI FFA | https://wjon.com/events-st-cloud/plot-daycommunity-day-hosted-by-rocori-ffa/17-july-2021-rocori-high-school/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral

ROCORI High School
534 N. 5th Ave E, Cold Spring, MN 56320 United States

Contact:

Phone
(320)249-6993

Email:
bob.sabo1027@gmail.com

Field School for Ag Professionals
2021-07-20 - 2021-07-21 | Minnesota
The Field School program focuses on core principles in agronomy, entomology, weed and soil sciences on the first day to build a strong foundation of skills and knowledge. The 2nd day builds on this foundation with timely, cutting-edge topics that participants can select.

Field School both days
$349.00

Field School Wednesday only
$199.00

Register for Field School Tuesday only
$199.00

Crop Insurance 101
2021-07-20 12:00 - 13:00 | Minnesota
Join Center for Rural Affairs Policy Associate Kate Hansen and she talks with Joe Toillion of Toillion Consulting Services Inc., an Iowa crop insurance agent with experience in conventional, organic, and livestock policies. This webinar will be helpful for a wide range of audiences—from those just exploring federal crop insurance, to those who have been buying it for years and want to brush up on the options available to them. Topics to be discussed include Multi-Peril Crop Insurance, insuring by written agreement, options for certified organic operations, livestock coverage, and Whole Farm Revenue Protection. Zoom information will be provided upon successful registration.

Silvopasture Field Day - Red Lake Falls
2021-07-21 09:00 - 15:00 | Minnesota
Mikayla and Ben Tabert will host this silvopasture field day at their farm in Red Lake Falls (Trinity Creek Ranch). They will be presenting, as will Callie Bertsch (NRCS State Forester), Jeff Duschene (NRCS) and Tyler Carlson (SFA Agroforestry and Silvopasture Project Lead). Boxed lunches will be provided.

Registration is free to SFA members, and $25 to nonmembers. Members must be logged into their SFA account to see the free registration option. Become a member here.
Scholarships will be available to natural resource and ag professionals who seek professional development opportunities and aim to share information with other farmers and landowners. Apply here or reach out to Wayne Monsen at wayne@sfa-mn.org with questions.

Address: Trinity Creek Ranch, 15885 200th St SE Red Lake Falls, MN 56750

SFA’s COVID-19 Preparedness Plan will be implemented at this event. Registration strongly encouraged for planning purposes. Walk ups welcome but cannot be guaranteed lunch.

This workshop is funded by a grant from the NCR-SARE’s Professional Development Program.

No-Till Farmer and Meristem Crop Performance
2021-07-21 10:00 - 11:00 | Minnesota
Interested in increasing planter speed and efficiency? Join No-Till Farmer and Meristem Crop Performance™ for a live product demo webinar at 10 a.m. CDT on Wednesday, July 21, to learn about Meristem’s crop residue breakdown and nutrient release aid EXCAVATOR™.
Larry Fiene, CEO of Planet Earth Agronomy out of Wisconsin, will be joining us. A renowned industry expert in the area of biologicals and the promise they hold for improving yields and soil health, Fiene has 30-plus years of experience in providing agronomic answers to grower challenges.
Decades of research have proven that rapid, uniform crop emergence can improve yields by 3-6%. EXCAVATOR™ is specifically designed to break down crop residue in the field, improve planter performance and release valuable nutrients to feed your crops.
When: July 21 at 10am Central
Click here to register.
Some of the things you’ll learn regarding the impact of EXCAVATOR™ on crop yields include:

The science behind speeding up the breakdown of crop residue and creating the ideal environment for today’s high-speed planters.
How microbes and the high-carbon formulation of EXCAVATOR™ demolishes residue so consistent planting depth and seed spacing can be achieved.
The way it increases stand counts in reduced-tillage environments by improving seed-to-soil contact, giving every seed the best chance for even emergence.
How EXCAVATOR™ brings field-available nutrients to your crop with a high-carbon source and blend of 6 proprietary microbes, releasing up to 30-40 lbs. N, 5-10 lbs. P and 35-40 lbs. K.

Sign up now for free so you don’t miss this insightful product demo. If you don’t think you will be able to join us live, sign up now and we’ll send you a link to replay the presentation after it has concluded.

About the Speaker
Larry Fiene, CEO of Planet Earth Agronomy out of Wisconsin, has 30-plus years of experience in providing agronomic answers to grower challenges. Fiene is a renowned industry expert in biologicals and the promise they hold for improving yields and soil health. In an alliance with Meristem Crop Performance, he works to position performance-oriented microbial solutions into the marketplace faster and extend the reach of Planet Earth Agronomy to more new farmers and independent, locally controlled retailers.

Guiding Resilience: A Legal Workshop for Ag Service Providers
2021-07-21 14:00 - 15:00, 2021-07-28 14:00 - 15:00 | Minnesota
Guiding Resilience

Soil Corridors for Soil Health
2021-07-21 14:00 - 15:00 | Minnesota
Join the Soil Health Nexus next Wednesday, July 21st at 2pm CT to hear from Joel Gruver, Associate Professor of Soil Science at Western Illinois University about solar corridor planting systems.

Solar corridor planting systems create new opportunities for using cover crops to enhance soil health on conventional and organic farms. Joel’s presentation will summarize lessons learned from 3 years of investigation on solar corridor planting systems at the WIU Organic Research farm and other farms experimenting with the practice. Discussion will explore how strategic adjustment of crop spacing, both in-row and between rows, and complementary practices like carefully designed cover crop mixes and banding of N can greatly increase cover crop benefits while minimizing loss of crop productivity.

Organic Row Crops plus Prairie Restoration
2021-07-22 08:30 - 13:00 | Minnesota
We hope you can join us to learn about large-acre organic row crops when we visit Johnson Farms, home of 2013 Organic Farmer of the Year Charlie Johnson and his family. Here are the details:

Organic Row Crops plus Prairie Restoration
Johnson Farms, Madison, South Dakota
Thursday, July 22 | 8:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. | Free

Topics include:

Organic cropping systems
Crop rotation
Weed control
Fertility
Grain storage
Marketing
SDSU’s organic oat variety trials
Native grassland restoration project

Enjoy an air-conditioned coach bus tour of the fields followed by a free lunch!

Click here to learn more and register.

Cover Crops for Forage Production and Pasture Management
2021-07-22 09:30 - 15:30 | Minnesota
July 22 nd , Registration 9:30, Program 10:00-3:30
 9:30- Registration
 10:00-Basics of Carbon Credits – Jamie Ridgely, Truterra
 10:45-Cover Crops and Pasture Management – Kent Solberg,
SFA
 12:00-Lunch
 12:30-Experiences of Local Farmers – Ben Dwire & Blac X Farms
 1:00-Programs for Financial and Technical Assistance – Pat
Toomey and Nicole Schwebach
 1:30-Pasture Demonstration Kent Solberg & Ben Dwire
Sponsored by: Rock County SWCD/Land Mgt, Pipestone Conservation and Zoning,
Sustainable Farming Assc., NRCS, Rock County Cattlemans, National Wildlife
Federation.

For RVSP & Questions, call the Rock Land Management Office at 507-283-8862 or the Pipestone Conservation
Office at 507-825-1185

Catching Carbon
2021-07-22 13:00 - 16:00 | Minnesota
Carbon credits are just one component of an emerging market for agriculture collectively known as “ecosystem services markets.” New opportunities may be on the horizon in terms of low carbon fuel standards, credits for biofuels production, direct carbon credit sales between farmers and buyers, water quantity and quality programs, and much more.
LEARN MORE about the science behind carbon, practices for carbon capture, and take a look at emerging opportunities for North Dakota corn producers during this FREE workshop.
The North Dakota Corn Utilization Council is proud to bring North Dakota corn producers a free workshop at Hagge’s in Mapleton, ND on July 22, 2021 from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm CDT that will provide timely and valuable content regarding the science of carbon from experts in their field.

FEATURING
// Dr. Abbey Wick, NDSU
// Dr. Caley Gasch, NDSU
// Susan Samson-Liebig, USDA-NRCS
// Dr. Mark Liebig, USDA-ARS
// Dr. David Archer, USDA-ARS

Catching Carbon: Improving Soil, Navigating Markets is a hybrid event. Feel free to join us in person, or virtually! Virtual attendees will have the opportunity to engage with presenters and ask questions in real-time.
To attend this event virtually, click the button below.

JOIN CATCHING CARBON VIRTUALLY!

‌Catching Carbon
2021-07-22 13:00 - 16:00 | Minnesota
Carbon credits are just one component of an emerging market for agriculture collectively known as “ecosystem services markets.” New opportunities may be on the horizon in terms of low carbon fuel standards, credits for biofuels production, direct carbon credit sales between farmers and buyers, water quantity and quality programs, and much more.
LEARN MORE about the science behind carbon, practices for carbon capture, and take a look at emerging opportunities for North Dakota corn producers during this FREE workshop.
The North Dakota Corn Utilization Council is proud to bring North Dakota corn producers a free workshop at Hagge’s in Mapleton, ND on July 22, 2021 from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm CDT that will provide timely and valuable content regarding the science of carbon from experts in their field. Or Join Virtually at https://www.hbsound.com/ndcorncarbon

Community Resilience Community Foods
2021-07-22 18:00 - 20:00 | Minnesota
Join Big River Farms in Stillwater next Thursday, July 22nd from 6-8pm at a free outdoor market!
During this “Community Resilience, Community Foods” event, come learn about the importance of seed saving, food sovereignty, and culturally connected crops.
BRF farmers in attendance will include:

Mallory & Lucas of Awlyahsi·yó Farm
Farmer, educator, and food justice activist Tiffany LaShae of Blackeyed Peace
May Lee of Mhonpaj’s Garden (and BRF’s Farm Operations Specialist)
Farmer Kristin of Tuttie Frutties (she’ll be serving free samples of her delicious cold-pressed juices!)

Event partner River Market Co-op will provide free recipes featuring local produce and Our Community Kitchen will showcase their local foods work and a kid-friendly activity. Plus, enjoy live jazz music by local musician Lila Ammons.
This free event is being held at Ascension Episcopal Church – 214 3rd Street, Stillwater, MN 55082
Hope to see you there! More details in the attached event flyer.

Coffee w/ Gabe Brown in Ivanhoe - How to apply Regenerative Agriculture in Lincoln County
2021-07-24 09:30 - 11:30 | 19 & 75 Cafe, 2792 US-75, Ivanhoe, MN 56142
In partnership with the Minnesota Soil Health Coalition and Regenquity, we welcome Gabe Brown, author of ‘Dirt to Soil’ and featured in the documentary ‘Kiss the Ground’ to Ivanhoe to talk with local producers this Saturday.

Location: 19 & 75 Cafe, 2792 US-75, Ivanhoe, MN 56142
Contact Jason at 701-371-9973 or Mark at 505-980-1360 with questions.

Gabe started farming 300 acres near Bismarck, ND in the early 90’s. After being hailed out 4 years in a row, he sought a new approach to save the farm and get out of $1.5 million in debt. After much study and testing, Gabe began making an emphasis on soil health in his operation. He was able to rapidly repair his farm’s soils which began supporting a healthy ecosystem. Allowing him to all but eliminate expensive inputs, free up his time, and increase their per acre productivity 30X. The family’s operation has grown to 5,000 acres with a multitude of enterprises including cash crops, cover crops, cattle, hogs, sheep, chickens, eggs, honey, herding dogs, pet food, vegetables, wildlife, fruits, nuts, and other value-add products. Gabe has testified at two federal House Agricultural Committee hearings regarding farm policy. Now he travels the country consulting for his company Understanding Ag and his non-profit, Soil Health Academy.

Come grab a coffee to learn more. Also visit:
www.understandingag.com
www.soilhealthacademy.org
www.mnsoilhealth.org

Strip-Till, No-Till, Animal Integration and Solar Field Day Chris Gunderson
2021-07-27 10:30 - 12:30 | Minnesota
July 27, 10 am-12:30 pm

Chris Gunderson farm, 15818 304th Street
Spring Valley, MN 55975
Google Map »
RSVP to Barb Sogn-Frank, LSP, bsognfrank@landstewardshipproject.org

Join Member-Farmer Chris Gunderson at his rolling 1,600 acre farm to learn about his approach to controlling erosion and filtering and storing water with regenerative agriculture methods such as strip-tilling, no-till and animal integration grazing cattle after corn harvest on his row crop fields.
Lunch will be served after the presentation and tour.
The Farm:
Chris Gunderson is a fourth-generation farmer using strip-till and no-till cropping practices to grow conventional corn and soybeans near Spring Valley, Minnesota. Chris manages his 1,600 acres on his own, including grazing cattle, corn, soybeans, hay and CRP land. He’s adopted soil health practices that are manageable without additional crew to control erosion and build healthier, more water-retaining soil. He’s participated with the Preston MN LSP Soil Health Hub to share and learn from other farmers looking to build their soil’s health and better their bottom lines.
Topics:

Strip-till of conventional corn and soybeans
No-till
Pastured cattle
Integration of cattle on row crop acres
Solar array to power the farm operation and dwelling

For more information, contact LSP’s Barb Sogn-Frank via e-mail.
Register below for this event: https://landstewardshipproject.org/events/item/1648

2021 SUSTAINABLE AGRONOMY CONFERENCE VIRTUAL EVENT & CONSERVATION IN ACTION TOUR SERIES
2021-07-27 11:00 - 13:00 | Minnesota
TUESDAY, JULY 27, 2021

Measuring and Improving Soil Health
11:00 AM-1:00 PM CT
CEU Category: 2.0 in Soil & Water Management or 2.0 in Sustainability
Part 1: Exploring Recent Technologies for Soil Health Assessment and Improvement
Moderator – Donnie Taylor, Senior Vice President of Member Services and Corporate Relationships, Agricultural Retailers Association
Speakers – Karl Wyant, Vice President of Agricultural Science, Heliae and Sarah Lepp, Research Scientist, SoilOptix
Part 2: Boosting Soil Health Through Organic Amendments and Biologicals
Moderator – Brent Brueland, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Environmental Tillage Systems
Speakers – Jason Ellsworth, Organic Portfolio Manager, Wilbur-Ellis and Ernie Sanders, Vice President of Product Development, Pivot Bio

Silvopasture Field Day - Faribault
2021-07-28 09:00 - 15:00 | Minnesota
il and Carly Crombie will host this silvopasture field day at their farm in Faribault, the Organic Compound. The Crombies will present, as will Keefe Keeley (Savanna Institute), Callie Bertsch (NRCS), and Wayne Monsen (SFA). Jared Luhman (SFA) will also present on NRCS programs and the Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program. A boxed lunch will be provided.

Registration is free to SFA members, and $25 to nonmembers. Members must be logged into their SFA account to see the free registration option. Become a member here.
Scholarships will be available to natural resource and ag professionals who seek professional development opportunities and aim to share information with other farmers and landowners. Apply here or reach out to Wayne Monsen at wayne@sfa-mn.org with questions.

Address: The Organic Compound, 18157 Eiler Ave Faribault, MN 55021

SFA’s COVID-19 Preparedness Plan will be implemented at this event. Registration strongly encouraged for planning purposes. Walk ups welcome but cannot be guaranteed lunch.

This workshop is funded by a grant from the NCR-SARE’s Professional Development Program.

Northern MN small grain plot tours - Strathcona
2021-07-28 12:00 - 15:00 | Minnesota
The Small Grain Summer Plot Tours provide farmers and crop consultants with the tools to make small grain production successful and profitable. University of Minnesota Extension small grain specialists and educators will present information on:

Production agronomics
Variety selection
Pest identification and management
Fungicide use

These programs are interactive with hands-on demonstrations of genetics, pests and growth stages. They feature tours of current research plots as well as discussions of on-farm experiences. Feel free to bring any field samples for diagnosis or discussion!
For information on plot tours at other locations, visit Small grain summer plot tours.

Cost
There is no cost to attend the plot tour.
Registration
Pre-registration is not required.
Jared Goplen, University of Minnesota Extension crops educator
gople007@umn.edu
Jochum Wiersma, University of Minnesota Extension small grains agronomist
wiers002@umn.edu
