Soil health is essential for productive and sustainable farming practices. Farmers and landowners are constantly seeking new and innovative ways to improve soil health on their farms. You can gain knowledge and skills in soil health management by attending the 2023 South Dakota Soil Health School.
The 2023 South Dakota Soil Health School will be held August 28-30 near Garretson, SD, on the farms of Anthony Bly and Bruce Carlson. The agenda will feature classroom-style presentations from producers and technical experts from across the state and region and hands-on experiences in the field.
The school will also include a discussion of area producers' challenges and successes with various methods for improving soil health. Farmers and landowners can learn about the latest research, tools, and strategies for improving soil health.
During the 2023 South Dakota Soil Health School, attendees will learn about the following:
Living organisms in the soil and how they contribute to soil health.
Attendees will learn about the physical structure of soil and how it affects soil health, as well as the chemical properties of soil and how they influence soil health. The school will teach attendees how to take soil samples and interpret soil test results.
Cover crops and crop rotations are essential in improving soil health
Instructors will cover how to select, plant, and manage cover crops to improve soil health. Attendees will also learn the benefits of crop rotations and how to plan a rotation to improve soil health. Both cover crops and crop rotations add to diversity, a key principle of soil health.
Tillage practices and nutrient management
Reduced tillage practices and nutrient management are important to improve soil health and crop productivity. Instructors will teach attendees the benefits of reduced tillage practices and how to implement them on the farm. They will also learn how to manage nutrients to improve soil health and crop productivity.
Grazing management
Attendees will learn how grazing management can affect soil health and how to implement grazing practices to improve soil health. Attendees will also learn how to assess soil health and track changes over time.
Registration for the 2023 Soil Health School is available online or by mail. The tuition fee is $150 for individuals and $75 for each additional person from the same operation. The cost includes lunch, dinner, and refreshments. A block of rooms has been reserved for a nightly rate of $100 at the Holiday Inn Express and Suites in Brandon, SD. For more information about the 2023 Soil Health School, contact Cindy Zenk at sdsoilhealth@gmail.com or 605-280-4190. This is an excellent way for farmers and landowners to learn about the latest research, tools, and strategies for improving soil health on their farms. Attendees will learn about soil biology, physical properties, chemistry, testing, cover crops, crop rotations, reduced tillage, nutrient management, grazing management, and soil health assessment. The 2023 South Dakota Soil Health School is a great opportunity to learn from experts and gain hands-on experience in the field.
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Visit these “Growing Resilience Through Our Soils” information pages:
1. Podcast page for drought planning fact sheets, Q&As, news, podcasts and more.
2. Video page to watch videos of other ranchers’ journeys toward improved rangeland/pasture.
3.Follow Growing Resilience on social media:
4. Our homepage: www.growingresiliencesd.com