After years of conventional farming, Ian and Diane Haggerty realized their system was vulnerable to dry seasons. Input costs were steadily increasing without corresponding increases in productivity. Soil tests showed adequate nutrient levels, but tissue tests revealed nutrients were not getting to plants in appropriate balance, despite a comprehensive fertilizer program. Maximizing crop production in dry years had become a real struggle and hard pans in their soils were severely restricting root growth.
Pennsylvania farmer Steve Groff has been interested in growing hemp for 20 years. It was legalized in his state for 2019 and he dove right in growing 70 acres of CBD hemp. Being 100% committed to no-till and cover crops for the past 2 decades, he utilized these regenerative ag practises to this new crop. Find out what worked in 2019 and what he'll change for 2020! He'll also share some of the dangers as well as the opportunities that growing hemp has to offer.
Brendon Rockey will explain how past destructive farming practices and drought were catalysts for adopting his biotic farming methods. The Rockey Farms journey includes the development of a systematic approach founded on carbon cycling and water efficiency. It demonstrates how synthetic inputs and the absence of life breakdown soil resiliency and, in turn, how a biological farming system supports not only soil health, but the overall farm’s health.
Adding livestock to graze crop residue or cover crops enhances soil health. Yet many farmers are reluctant to add livestock because they think it is too hard. When Lucinda Stuenkel's husband and his farm partner/brother died young in a vehicle accident nine years ago, she needed to learn about raising cattle and crops including extensive cover crops which are often grazed. Lucinda learned (and continues to learn) innovative methods that can help her farm with less effort and fewer expenses.
Adding livestock to a farming operation sounds simple enough, but is it? What are you trying to accomplish by adding livestock to your farm? Do you have the infrastructure needed? Do you have the management skill to do it? Join us as we try and help you answer these questions by taking a look at why livestock make difference, what type of infrastructure you will need and whether or not you have the skill to make it happen.
Veteran Pennsylvania No-tiller and cover cropper Steve Groff will talk about how to determine the value of your cover crops for your farm and the potential new values emerging for farmers who are committed to regenerative ag. What has driven soil health in the past has been primarily what has been good for the farmer and his fields. Now, the marketplace is providing opportunities to those who are doing these practises.
This lively exploration of soil biology and healthy plant metabolism will rouse every no-till farmer to think deeper. How mycorrhizal fungi enhance plant health is absolutely stunning. Nutrients are delivered by means of fungus-root synergy. A boost to green immune function helps keep disease at bay. Expansive fungal networks bring resiliency to ecosystems. Soil aggregate formation addresses carbon flow. Yet for the longest time, we have ignored basic soil biology and instead disturbed ecosystems at our own peril. Time to change all that, and fast!
Loran Steinlage, owner of FLOLO farms, will talk about the evolution of the system he has built and share some of the data he has started to collect hopefully verifying the system is working. Loran will touch bases on how they’ve evolved from Inner-seeding, which opened the door to companion/relay cropping, to now looking at organic No-till.
Jared Estes not only defied the medical odds by surviving a fiery car crash caused by a 3-time DUI offender that took his beautiful young wife, but his grueling recovery took him on a path that would either make or break him.
Despite enduring his incredible loss and the pain of more than 50 surgeries for his life-threatening injuries, Jared made the choice to not just get back up, but to FIRE BACK.
Healthy soils are not the engine that produce healthy plants. Rather, healthy plants are the engine that creates healthy soil.
Healthy plants send the majority of the photosynthate they produce into the soil as root exudates, unlike unhealthy plants which transmit only very small quantities. This larger quantity of photosynthates fuels soil microbial metabolism which releases carbon from photosynthate back into the soil environment, efficiently building soil organic matter.
