Mark your calendar for Thursday, January 28, 2016, and register today for the Conservation Cropping Seminar at the Camden Centre, 2701 1st Street East, Milan, IL. The cost of only $20 will help you gain knowledge, insight, and skills that can improve your farm and your bottom line.
Local agricultural producers and resource experts will share information and personal experiences on soil health improvement options, cover crop success, and wise nutrient management techniques.
To register, visit www.ccswcd.com and click on the IDOA Conservation Cropping Seminar, listed on the right, to access the website. The fee is payable by check or credit card.
These new Conservation Cropping Seminars grew out of the old Tillage Seminars, which producers, Ag industry representatives, certified crop advisers, and others attended for years. The new events start at 8:00 a.m. and end at 3:30 p.m., with time to meet and visit speakers, sponsors, and attendees in an informal networking atmosphere.
Here are details:
• Landscape Vision for Pollinators, Kraig McPeek, U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service
• Soil Biology: Unraveling the Mysterious World Beneath Your Feet, Dr. Jennifer Moore-Kucera, Soil Health Division, USDA-NRCS
• Cover Crop Establishment, Management & Varieties, Mike Plummer, Agronomist, Cover Crop Specialist
• Transitioning to Cover Crops in a No-Till System, Chad Bell, Mercer County Producer
• Profit Building Agronomic Tips, Marion Calmer, Calmer Agronomic Research Center
• Comparing Nitrogen Sources and Timing, Jerry Snodgrass, Henry County Farmer
• Growing Cereal Rye, Keith Kindelsperger, Mercer County Producer
• Utilizing Your Nitrogen Needs, John Witter, Private Agronomist
• Protecting Your Farming Heritage, Lauren Lurkins, IL Farm Bureau
“This is the third year for these seminars, and I’ve heard that attendance keeps climbing….I’m so glad they’ve scheduled one right here, so we can tell more farmers about their options and have them use more of these sustainable solutions that really work,” said Joe Gates, District Conservationist at the Rock Island Service Center.
SWCD Resource Conservationist Rich Stewart, agrees. “Let’s take full advantage of this opportunity and learn all we can and then put it to work for next year’s crops.”
To learn more or register, call Marty McManus at 309-738-7227 or visit the Champaign County Soil and Water Conservation District website www.ccswcd.com. Click on the calendar item.
Sessions sponsored by Illinois Department of Agriculture, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), American Farmland Trust, the Illinois Stewardship Alliance, the Illinois Council on Best Management Practices, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, and local Soil and Water Conservation Districts.