Advancing Farming Field Day
September 16 @ 3:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Together with the Kansas Soil Health Alliance, Smith, Phillips, and Norton County Conservation Districts invite landowners, farmers, ranchers, gardeners, or anyone with an interest in learning more about improving soil productivity and profitability to the Advancing Farming Field Day on Monday, September 16th in Almena. Guests will meet at the Almena Community Center beginning at 3:30PM and depart for the field tours at 4:00PM. Following the tours, guests will return to the Almena Community Center for a free meal and presentation.
The field tours will stop at Kevin, Joy, and Riley Sides’ farm, Spring Creek Ranch, and Thompson Farm & Ranch. During the stops, guests will learn about grazing techniques and fencing technology, rotational grazing, alternative forages, implementing cover crops, and see how to grow low-input field crops. The tours will provide an opportunity to see how area farmers and ranchers have made small changes in management on their farm and ranch lands that have helped them to gain profitability, while restoring productivity to their soils.
The evening will conclude with a free meal and presentation at the Almena Community Center. Tyler Johnson of Levant, Kansas will discuss his recent transition from conventional tillage to a no-till system. He will show how he makes his own compost extract that has been used to replace starter fertilizer on his farm and has been a key component in restoring soil productivity on his farm.
Guests are asked to register online at www.kssoilhealth.com or call Joanna at 913-558-2363 by Monday, September 9th to ensure proper meal headcount.
Tentative Schedule and Tour Stop Locations:
4:30 – Spring Creek Ranch
Teff field – 1 mile north of Calvert 383 and Road E7
5:20 – Kevin, Joy, and Rily Sides’ farm
Rotational grazing on grass – west side of Road E11 and P south of Hwy 36 and Hwy 60 junction
Recovery of grazed pasture and cover crop in wheat stubble – Road E11 and Road S
6:00 – Thompson Farm & Ranch
Corn and warm season cover crops – Road E11 and Road C
7:00 – Dinner and Tyler Johson presentation