Soil health and organic practices to be highlighted during Washtenaw Field Day
Photo from Washtenaw County Conservation District website.
submitted by Megan DeLeeuw, Washtenaw County Conservation District
On August 10, 2023, from 10am to 4pm, the Washtenaw County Conservation District (WCCD) will host a field day that will be focused on various aspects of soil health, precision agriculture, and organic certification. The field day will be held at Noble Organic Farm, LLC in Saline Township (6760 Noble Rd, Saline). Noble Organic is operated by Mike Cornell and produces nearly 150 acres of organic wheat and soybeans.
Brent Shettler of PondHill Sales will give an overview of the WeedZapper, an innovative machine that eliminates weeds without herbicide, and Mike Cornell will demonstrate the WeedZapper on-site. Glen Rabenberg of SoilWorks, LLC will discuss how electrical conductivity and soil respiration as well as soil/plant tissue tests can be used to assess and restore soil health. Chrissy Cannella of Integrity Crop Management, LLC and Todd Carlton of CropX will discuss irrigation and precision agriculture; Madelyn Celovsky of MSUE will discuss soil health, and, finally, Rachel Winter, Organic Program Manager at Perry Johnson Registers Food Safety Inc., will discuss organic production and the requirements to achieve organic certification.
The WCCD will also provide an overview of the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP), cost-share opportunities through the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and the local Farmer Cost Share Program through the WCCD. The field day will also serve as a Phase 1 educational event for MAEAP. Education is an essential component of the MAEAP verification process, and since 1999, MAEAP has been assisting farmers and landowners to conserve Michigan’s soil and water by identifying and reducing risks from agricultural runoff and pollution. Each year, Washtenaw has grown steadily in the number of farmers and landowners involved with and verified in MAEAP, ensuring a sustainable future for farming and forestry in Michigan. Attendees will also be eligible to receive Restricted Use Pesticide (RUP) credits.
Various vendors will be in attendance, and we would like to thank our generous sponsors: DS Landwork LLC, Ducks Unlimited, Michigan Farm Bureau, The Andersons Inc., and Quality Liquid Feed.
The event is free to the public, but registration is required at https://www.washtenawcd.org/washtenawfieldday.html. For more information about the field day, please contact Bridget Mitchell, Outreach Coordinator, at bridget@washtenawcd.org. For additional information on this event and others hosted by the WCCD, please visit our website at www.washtenawcd.org or contact info@washtenawcd.org or (734) 302-8715.
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