Soil Health Workshops Scheduled for July 8 and 9
Contact: Richard Kersbergen, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Educator, 1-800-287-1426
ORONO, Maine — Farmers, educators and technical service providers are invited to a workshop on soil health and crop performance, quality and profit planned for July 8 in Corinna and on July 9 in Dresden. The workshop is sponsored by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension and the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS).
Many farmers utilize soil tests for making fertility and crop production decisions, says Richard Kersbergen of the Waldo County Extension office in Belfast. While this is important information, assessing the quality of soil through physical characteristics can help make decisions that can influence production for years to come, he adds.
The workshop, Managing Soil for Today and Tomorrow, is for farmers and support service providers to learn new tools and practices to make choices concerning fertility, rotations and soil amendments. It will be held in Corinna at the Roger Whitney Farm and in Dresden, at the Goranson Farm.
Roger Whitney works with Ron Simpson (dairy farm) and other potato growers to develop rotations to improve organic matter and crop health. This workshop will feature talks by Eric Gallandt and Erin Haramoto, UMaine researchers, on the use of cover crops for soil health; Stewart Smith, UMaine resource economist, discussing integrated crop and livestock operations; and U.S. Department of Agriculture researcher Tim Griffin discussing new field tools to help make soil health decisions.
In the afternoon, Lisa Krall of NRCS will evaluate soil resources utilizing various tools and guides. A soil “judging” will also take place in the afternoon. Farmers will be encouraged to bring samples!
On Wednesday, July 9, the workshop will move to Goranson Farm in Dresden. During this workshop, Marianne Sarrantonio of UMaine, author of The Northeast Cover Crop Handbook, will discuss cover crops, weed control and soil health. UMaine Extension faculty member Mark Hutchinson will talk about his research on organic nitrogen sources. Tim Griffin and Lisa Krall will give their presentations from the previous day workshop. Another presentations will focus a new amino sugar nitrogen test.
The workshops include a lunch and run from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Participants are asked to pre-register and pay $5 to cover lunch.
Certified Crop Advisor (American Society of Agronomy) Re-certification credits and Maine Pesticide Re-certification credits will be offered for attendance.
More information and registration materials are available from Kersbergen at 1-800-287-1426 (in Maine) and 207-342-5971 (outside of Maine).
This workshop is supported by the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, under Agreement NO. 2001-52101-11308, “Re-Integrating Crop and Livestock Enterprises in the Three Northern States,” an IFAFS project.