Speakers Educate On Soil Health, Conservation Practices At Farmer Breakfast
Speakers Educate On Soil Health, Conservation Practices At Farmer Breakfast
Posted
Staff Report-
Speakers Educate On Soil Health, Conservation Practices At Farmer BreakfastLEESBURG - After a long hiatus, the annual Farmer Breakfast, an educational event for area agriculture professionals, returned on Feb. 16.
About 70 people gathered at Clunette Elevator in Leesburg to enjoy breakfast and learn how practices like cover crops, no-till planting and nutrient management can improve soil health and productivity, according to a news release provided.
Speakers included Barry Fisher (Fisher Soil Health LLC), Chad Schotter (Natural Resources Conservation Service) and Russell Anderson (Anderson Farms).
Fisher kicked off the event.
“Soil health is all about soil function that increases resilience,” he said. Healthy soil is a living ecosystem that includes many different nutrients and microorganisms. While some farming strategies capitalize on that living ecosystem, Fisher explained, others strategies tend to destroy it. Practices like cover crops and no-till planting can help protect soil structure, conserve nutrients and minimize erosion. They also promote moisture and temperature control, protecting against extreme weather conditions like heavy spring rains and midsummer drought.
Fisher spoke about the challenging decisions farmers face every season, including which equipment to invest in. Using a six-row planter custom-built by Clunette Elevator, he showed attendees how modern technologies can help farmers control seed depth, fertilize effectively and reduce soil compaction, among other benefits.
“The bottom line? Know your soil,” said Fisher, encouraging farmers to learn which equipment and strategies work best for their operation’s needs and goals.
Schotter, Kosciusko County NRCS district conservationist, followed with a rainfall simulator demonstration. The simulator showed how heavy rainfall interacts with different ground surfaces, including asphalt and soil samples containing grass, tilled soil and untilled soil planted with cover crops. Participants watched as the “rain” drained off each surface, filling their respective containers with different amounts of water and, in some cases, sediment.
“Biology helps create stability in the soil,” explained Schotter. “You can ruin soil much quicker than you can build it.” Practices like cover cropping and no-till planting leave living roots intact, promoting moisture infiltration and protecting against runoff and nutrient loss, the release stated.
Finally, local farmer Russell Anderson spoke about his experience with various conservation farming techniques. Anderson farms close to 2,000 acres of corn and soybeans in Kosciusko, Elkhart and Noble counties every year. His operation has always been “conservation-minded,” he explained, including no-till planting for almost 30 years. But that effort has taken a great deal of trial, error and learning.
“I’ve made a lot of mistakes,” said Anderson. He recalled one season when he tried to create the right conditions for spring planting, only to realize he had overworked the ground and weakened his soil structure.
Like his colleagues in the room, Anderson researches and consults with other experts in the field, weighing the needs of his operation against the potential risks and rewards of different farming strategies.
“We don’t farm in a classroom or in theory. We farm in the real world. Everything we do has to have a reason,” Anderson said. “It’s about more than soil conservation. It’s about soil health and regeneration.”
In the end, after years of pursuing healthy soil, Anderson believes his efforts have led to greater success and resilience for his family’s farm.
This event was co-hosted by The Watershed Foundation, Kosciusko Soil and Water Conservation District, Indiana Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative, and the Wawasee Area Conservancy Foundation. Crossroads Bank and Ferguson Farms provided sponsorship, and Clunette Elevator hosted.
Through their Soil Health Initiative, The Watershed Foundation provides experienced conservationists, technical assistance and cost-share funding to support conservation agricultural practices in the Upper Tippecanoe River watershed.
For more information, contact Brad Clayton by phone at 574-528-0968 or email at brad.clayton4077@gmail.com.
