The Van Buren Conservation District is getting ready to host its annual Farming for the Future event Tuesday, March 7th at the Van Buren Conference Center in Lawrence.
Neal Kinsey, a soil fertility specialist and author of the book Hands-on Agronomy, will deliver the keynote speech. Kinsey has worked with growers since 1973 and works with all types of farms, from small to large, conventional to no-till.
He focuses on building and maintaining soil health for quality crop production and travels the world consulting and teaching soil fertility balancing. In addition to consulting on grain crops, he also works with specialty crops like vegetables, fruit and orchard crops, alfalfa, turf grass, and many other crops grown around the world.
“This year we’re going back to basics,” said Colleen Forestieri, Senior Conservation Specialist with the Van Buren Conservation District. “Soil health has been a hot topic recently but we believe that managing soil fertility is one of the key components that is easy to overlook. We’re excited to have Neal share his expertise and discuss traditional soil health practices like no-till, cover crops, and irrigation management.”
A MAEAP Phase 1 credit will be available for attendees along with RUP credits. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. with coffee and refreshments. Free lunch will also be provided. This event is free and open to the public but pre-registration is required and space is limited.
Farmers are asked to register by March 1st by calling the Van Buren Conservation District at (269) 657-4030 x3093 or visiting vanburencd.org
