The Oklahoma Assn. of Conservation Districts is proud to welcome the public to attend a one day Soil Health Conference on February 28th. The Soil Health Track @ the OACD State Meeting is an opportunity for agriculture producers, conservation districts and other interested members of the public to hear from experts and each other about the soil health movement in conservation. The Soil Health Track @ the OACD State Meeting is also offering producers the chance to network with each other about what soil health practices they have tried on their own operations.

Those interested in attending should RSVP online at okconservation.org or by calling Sarah Blaney at 517.763.8609. The cost to attend is $40 and includes lunch.

The Soil Health Track @ the OACD State Meeting will feature speakers from around the U.S. including Russell Hedrick of JRH Grain Farms from Hickory, N.C.; Dr. Randy Anderson of Agriculture Research Services from Brookings, S.D.; Adam Daugherty of USDA-NRCS from Coffee County, Tennessee, and Dr. Rick Haney of Agriculture Research Services from Temple, Texas. The workshop will also feature Dr. Jason Warren from Oklahoma State University, Dr. Cait Rottler from the USDA-Southern Plains Climate Hub and Steve Glasgow from USDA-NRCS. Speakers will cover topics such as managing weeds with plant diversity, assessing the health of your soil, how soil health can increase your farm’s profits and how to apply soil health practices to grazing lands.

“The soil really is the key to an overall healthier ecosystem for all of us,” said Jimmy Emmons, OACD President-Elect and Oklahoma Soil Health advocate. “On my own operation, I have seen a dramatic difference in the resiliency of my soils over the last five years through implementing practices such as no-till and adding multi-species cover crops.”