Improving Crop Production, Soil Health & the Environment - see how they all work together

August 19, 2014


Five innovative grower speakers, a nationally recognized soil health expert, and local staff will show and describe the benefits of improving the soil health on your farm. There will be equipment and displays to see. 1.5 DEC recertification credits (categories 1a, 10, 21 and 23) and CCA credits will be available.

Featured speakers are Eric Kaiser, Farmer, Napanee, Ontario, Canada, and Frank Gibbs, Certified Soil Scientist, Rawson, Ohio. Eric will describe how and why he's adopted cover crops and modified no-till on his heavy soil, in a tough, Northern climate, to build up the soil health on his farm. Frank Gibbs will unlock the secrets in the soil, telling how you can improve your bottom line by improving soil health. He'll show how a healthy soil “smokes,” how smoke will rise from the tile lines through earthworm channels, all the way to the soil surface. Frank will also describe what you can tell about a soil from down in a soil pit.

Four experienced WNY cash crop, dairy and/or vegetable farmers will explain what it took to build up their soil's health, and the benefits they've seen from it. In addition, results of two years of work on several farms, using Adapt-N for fine-tuning nitrogen applications on corn, will be presented by Dave DeGolyer, WNY Crop Management. Carol MacNeil, Cornell Cooperative Extension Vegetable Program will explain what you can learn about your soil's physical, biological and chemical health from a Cornell Soil Health Test, and what management practices will be most effective in improving your soil health. Reduced tillage and cover crop seeding/interseeding equipment will be there, as well as sponsor displays and soil/water demonstrations.

Cost: $5 (pre-registered); $10 (walk-ins).

To pre-register, for sponsor info, or for special needs, email Dennis Kirby, Orleans SWCD or call 585-589-5959.

Organized by USDA-NRCS, County SWCD, Cornell Cooperative Extension, and WNY Crop Management.

Sponsored by Cummings & Bricker, Empire Tractor, Lakeland Equipment, Monroe Tractor, Carolina Eastern - Crocker, Seedway, BCA Ag Technologies and WNY Crop Management.   

Soil Workshop Full Agenda - 8/19/14 (PDF; 445KB)

Mail-In Pre-Registration Form (PDF; 466KB)

Flyer (PDF; 1236KB)