The Stearns County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) and the Sauk River Watershed District (SRWD) are partnering to conduct a tour of no-till fields and equipment, cover crops and buffers on Wednesday, Aug. 29. The goal of the tour is to bring people directly out to farms where these systems are being successfully applied. Participants will be able to see the equipment, look at the crops, and visit with farmers about ins and outs of their soil health conservation practices.
“There is no one-size-fits-all soil health practice” says Dennis Fuchs, Administrator of the Stearns County SWCD. No-till and cover crops are two of the most well-known soil health practices, but adoption of these practices is not widespread. “We have several farmers who have figured out how to plant, fertilize, and manage weeds in a no-till system or including cover crops, and the best way to get this information out there is to bring producers together so they can learn from each other.”
The tour is intended for producers, crop advisors, and others who want to learn how to adopt conservation practices that promote soil health. The tour will include the following stops:
• Bechtold Dairy LLC’s no-till system and comparison to their minimal till acres. Learn about their journey of converting to no-till and hear suggestions on how to find the right tillage balance for your acres.
• Lee Zabinski uses cover crops to improve soil health. Learn about Lee’s unique dormant seeding system.
• The Sauk River Watershed District will highlight their Hayed Buffer Program by visiting Alvin Olmscheid’s “hayable buffer.”
• Francis Krippner’s streambank buffer and cattle crossing are unique and the group won’t even need to set foot outside of the bus to take in this conservation practice.
• Luxemburg Feed Services, Inc. cover crop plots showcase a variety of cover crops, not just your typical yield and variety demonstrations. Participants can learn about a wide range of cover crop options in one place.
A detailed description of the farm, soils, and harvest-to-harvest operation will be presented. An important topic will be how manure is managed with these systems.
The bus will leave the north entrance of Marketplace Mall (110 2nd Street South) in Waite Park at 9 a.m. (registration begins at 8:30 a.m.), Wednesday,
Aug. 29, and arrive back at approximately 4:30 p.m. Marketplace Mall houses the USDA Service Center which includes the Stearns County SWCD, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Farm Service Agency (FSA). There is no charge and lunch will be provided. Tour sponsors include: Stearns County SWCD, Sauk River Watershed District, and Cold Spring Co-op.
Please call the Stearns County SWCD at (320) 251-7800, ext. 3, by Wednesday, Aug. 22, to reserve your seat on the bus. Feel free to contact Katie Breth at the SWCD if you have any questions. You can also visit the SWCD website at: www.StearnsCountySWCD.net, for more information.