SALINA – Farmers and ranchers interested in learning how soil health practices can boost profitability and productivity should attend Soil Health U and Trade Show, Jan. 23-24, at the Tony’s Pizza Event Center (formerly the Bicentennial Center) in Salina. 

This two-day educational program, hosted by High Plains Journal, is packed with farmer-speakers and industry experts, all of whom will help you learn how to adopt profitable and sustainable soil health practices on your operation. Soil Health U will feature two farmer panels. One will show you how your soil health can be improved without financial loss. How even in difficult times, soil health is still a viable alternative. The second farmer panel will show you how livestock can assist you in your soil health journey and how partnerships with livestock producers are possible. Giving you the benefit of livestock grazing your crops without the burden of ownership. There will be Certified Crop Advisor CEU credits available for attending this event.

Keynote speakers will include Del Ficke and Gabe Brown. Ficke of Pleasant Dale, Neb., has spent the last several years restoring the soils to their more natural state and has transformed commodity-driven cropland back into native pastures. He has also adopted a mob-grazing approach to cattle feeding.  

Brown of Bismarck, N.D., is one of the pioneers of the current soil health movement that focuses on the regeneration of our resources. Brown’s ranch focuses on farming and ranching in nature’s image and holistically integrates grazing and no-till cropping systems, which include a wide variety crops and livestock.

Breakout sessions will focus on: what is soil health; how to grow grass; adding diversity with crops and utilizing cover crops; perennial cover cropping; weed management; entomology; machinery setup and use; livestock integration; rainfall simulator; economics during challenging times and much more.

Soil Health U and Trade Show is for you—the producer seeking a long-term advantage in agriculture. Faced with challenging times, you need to gain a competitive advantage by furthering your education in cropping techniques; water infiltration into the soil; how to integrate livestock into the system; how to control pests and weeds using the most economically methods available and how to build soil health without breaking the bank.

Registration is $125 per person. Lunch on Day 2 and break refreshments are included. Register online at www.soilhealthu.net.