News
Workshop to address conservation barriers, opportunities to improve profitability
Farmers will learn more about soil health, regenerative agriculture, and organic grain production during a Healthy Farms, Healthy Communities workshop tomorrow.
Ashley Hammac is the president and soil scientist for Geosmin Agricultural Solutions, the event presenter.
“In my time trying to move adoption of conservation practices forward, I’ve seen that a lot of times people don’t want to talk about mistakes they’ve made in public or don’t want to make mistakes on their land, which can be seen when people drive by,” he says. “The benefits of adopting conversation practices are endless and the first step is getting people to talk about it and share what mistakes they’ve made and then we can overcome those. I hope this workshop will give people the space to have those conversations and ask questions.”
He tells Brownfield farmers can be profitable while implementing conservation practices.
“I’d like to help farmers get over local barriers to adopting conservation practices,” he says. “…I pledge to help farmers transition to conservatoin practices while maintaining their profitability.”
The inaugural Midwest Regional Workshop is 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, March 23 at Hidden Hollow Farm near Crawfordsville, Indiana.
Speakers include: Dylan DeSutter, regenerative farmer from Attica, Indiana; Mike Stites, regenerative farmer from Kokomo, Indiana; Michelle Wander, professor of agroecology at University of Illinois; Chad Penn, soil scientist at USDA Agricultural Research Service National Soil Erosion Research Lab; Karla Gage, associate professor of weed science at Southern Illinois University; Ashley Adair, organic agriculture specialist at Purdue University Extension; and Lèa Vereecke, organic crop consultant at Rodale Institute.
Hammac says the workshop will also highlight the greater good of conservation practices.
“It starts with the soil and the individual farm but then there is a ripple effect outward from the farm into the community,” he says. “That’s why I had the idea to call the workshop Healthy Farms, Healthy Communities. What someone does on their farm impacts their neighbor. For example, their neighbor will have cleaner water and that creates a vibrant community, attracts economic development, and more.”
Click here to register and click here for more information.
Audio: Ashley Hammac
