Parks and Rec meets Berry and Leopold: Nick Offerman’s Growing Conservation Ethic
2022-03-10 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago)
How do we “comprehend, protect, and truly experience the outdoors,” even in fields outside of conservation? Actor, author, humorist and woodworker Nick Offerman explores this question in his latest book, Where the Deer and the Antelope Play. Join the Aldo Leopold Foundation, led by Buddy Huffaker, for an evening in conversation with Offerman as we search together for answers.
Info here.

Resiliency Forum - Whole Farm Resiliency Planning for Specialty Crop Growers
2022-03-10 19:00 - 20:30
Resiliency Forums for Specialty Crop Farmers: Whole Farm Resiliency Planning with Farmers TBA! Join us for a series of online forums this winter to address resiliency on our farms. From the changing climate to the external and internal pressures impacting our farms, our strength lies in coming together collectively to support one another and to provide inspiration for addressing these challenges.
Info here.

Sustainable Intensification of the Rural Landscape: Protecting Soil Health, Water Quality and Farm Profitability
2022-03-11
Rural landscapes are complex physical and biological systems integrating cropland, forestland and riparian zones, crop rotations and nutrient cycling, a balance of pests and pathogens, and other interactions. Many producers seek to redesign their cropping systems guided by agro-ecological principles whereby soil health and ecological services accumulate in mutually supportive ways. They are actively involved in devising, testing, and evaluating new and innovative practices on their farms to enhance biodiversity and beneficial interactions, improve resilience and mitigate risk. Attendees at this Michigan Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society Seminar will discover practical and sustainable ways to manage the rural landscape through five presentations.
Info here.

Living a Land Ethic in Leopold’s Sand County: A Reflection with the 2022 Leopold Fellows
2022-03-11 12:00 - 13:00
Future conservation leaders connect to the same land the Leopold family loved and cared for through the Aldo Leopold Foundation’s Future Leaders Fellowship Program. Join the class of 2022 Leopold Fellows Jack Jennetta, Kei Kohmoto, Jackson Newman, and Eric Snyder as they share stories of how they are connecting to the land and developing their own land ethic.
Info here.

Navigating Competing Community Interests and Policies: Long-term Sustenance and Collective Support Strategies for Peri-urban Farmers and Agricultural Economies
2022-03-11 16:30 - 19:30
Washington State University in partnership with Oregon State University announces “Farming on the Urban Edge”, a series of online Conferences starting throughout winter 2021 through Spring 20-22 that will launch the new Peri-Urban Agriculture Network. The mission of this initiative is for farmers, policy-makers, educators, and food system stakeholders to learn strategies to improve the viability of farming in urbanizing areas, and ways that communities can sustain and enhance the growth of peri-urban farms and food economies.
Info here.

AgriAbility
2022-03-14 - 2022-03-17
2022 AgrAbility National Training Workshop, the premier training event addressing issues of disability in agriculture.
Professionals and consumers from all over the country will participate in four days of plenary sessions, breakouts, tours, networking, and special events.
Info here.

Pasture and Hay Planting - Species Selection
2022-03-14 13:00 - 14:00
Tech Talks is a online training series organized by the Technical Training and Certification Program.
Info here.

Wisconsin Rural Water Association Annual Conference
2022-03-15 - 2022-03-18
Save the date for the WRWA Annual Conference.

Info here.

2022 Soil Health Innovations Conference Registration
2022-03-15 - 2022-03-16
Soil health has emerged as a central theme in conversations about the future of American agriculture. Soils have become a focal topic due to new scientific understanding, the application of emerging technologies, and a growing interest among producers and policymakers in improving climate resilience and mitigating emissions.
The 2022 Soil Health Innovations Conference: Soil for Water will bring together producers, industry professionals, educators, and researchers who are at the cutting edge of soil health across the country, including on-farm practices, soil biology, and public policy. Join us for a far-reaching look at the possibilities for sustainable agriculture’s future.
Info here.

National Cover Crop Summit
2022-03-15 - 2022-03-16
With a batch of fresh topics, this free online event will bring today’s top leaders and innovators in cover crop management together for two days of virtual learning — allowing you to gain new strategies and takeaways to implement into your operation in 2022.
Info here.

Midwest Cover Crop Training
2022-03-15 09:00 - 10:00
Info here.

Irrigation Water Management
2022-03-16 09:00 - 11:00
This training will introduce NRCS and NRCS partner employees to basic irrigation water management. Topics will include:

CPS 449 Overview
Irrigation Water Management in Wisconsin
Writing an Irrigation Water Management Plan
ISoil Moisture Sensors
Introduce WISP and WISS
Scheduling for small plots and hoop houses
How to get technical help

Info here.

SnapPlus and Nutrient Management 101
2022-03-16 10:00 - 11:30
This webinar will be an introduction to Nutrient Management Planning and SnapPlus. During this webinar you will learn the “Why” behind nutrient management, requirements for writing a plan, and how to use SnapPlus to write a nutrient management plan. From the first time SnapPlus user to the seasoned user, this webinar will be a great overview of the Wisconsin Nutrient Management Program. 1.5 Nutrient Management CEUs will be offered.
Info here.

Effective Cover Cropping - Maximizing Benefits, Minimizing Risk
2022-03-16 11:00 - 12:00
Bringing forward information and data from several years and data from assorted research locations, Dr. Gruver discusses both gains and hurdles in cover crops and soil health. Reducing Cost of Failure and Quickly Learning From Failure. “Fail Fast, Succeed Faster”
Dr. Joel Gruver, Professor of Soil Science at Western Illinois University brings new soil health discussion forward regarding reducing cost of failure and quickly learning from failure in cover crops; Precision Cover Cropping; Water Quality; presentation of data from several years and locations of research.
Info here.

Treating Tile Drainage with Farm-Scale Constructed Wetlands
2022-03-16 12:00 - 13:00
In the webinar, “Tile Flows, Backhoes and Microbes: Constructed Wetlands for Subsurface Drainage Treatment,” Kostel will discuss the siting, design and implementation of constructed tile-treatment wetlands that use the naturally occurring wetland functions and processes to capture and remove nutrients from tile flow. Showcasing farm-based Illinois NRCS 656 constructed wetlands, she will discuss how appropriately sited and designed wetlands serve a key role in supporting profitable farming operations while addressing nitrogen loss. In addition, Kostel will highlight the nutrient reductions observed through research conducted on two constructed wetlands in Illinois.
“Reducing nitrogen loads in water leaving tile drainage systems is of critical importance to water quality efforts and often the use of constructed wetlands is underutilized practice,” said Kostel. “The implementation of these structures has not only proven to leverage the natural and sustainable removal of nutrients, but they also provide other benefits such as climate resiliency, wildlife habitat and recreation opportunities. I hope to participants in this webinar will leave with a better understanding of this effective practice and will take constructed wetlands into consideration as a part of their conservation planning.”
Info here.

Farmer Angel Network - Bend Don't Break: Staying Mentally Healthy Even In Difficult Times
2022-03-16 12:00 - 13:00
The March Farmer Angel Network Lunch & Learn will feature Monica Kramer McConkey speaking on the topic: “Bend Don’t Break: Staying Mentally Healthy Even In Difficult Times. She will share strategies for sustaining long term mental wellness – managing the ups and downs and recognizing plateaus in recovery.
Info here.

Equipping Municipalities with Climate Change Data to Inform Stormwater Management
2022-03-17 10:00 - 11:00
To appropriately size infrastructure, stormwater managers use estimates of precipitation amount over a range of durations and recurrence intervals (e.g., 100-year 24-hour storms). These estimates are created for every location in the United States by NOAA in their Atlas-14 publication. While Atlas-14 is an important guidance document, a limitation is that it does not account for climate change, even though some of its estimates include data from the late 1800’s. Recent federal infrastructure spending has dedicated funding for updating Atlas-14, but the process could take years and the demand is already high. To address this gap, we created a proof-of-concept application of NOAA’s Atlas-14 methods to dynamically down-scaled climate change projections. This work documents the challenges of combining the methods; and created tools and techniques that can be applied to future iterations climate change projections.
Info here.

Water Advocacy in Wisconsin: Watershed and Statewide Approaches
2022-03-17 10:00 - 11:30
Allison Madison, sustainability and development coordinator, Wisconsin Salt Wise, and Alli Wenman, WATER Project outreach coordinator, UW–Madison Arboretum. Wisconsin needs action at different scales to protect freshwater resources. The Arboretum’s Water Action to Encourage Responsibility (WATER) Project and the Wisconsin Salt Wise Partnership work to address water quality issues at watershed and statewide scales. The WATER Project supports local nonprofits with grants, training, and outreach materials to implement stormwater initiatives. Wisconsin Salt Wise began as a local coalition in Dane County and now works statewide to reduce salt pollution into lakes, streams, and drinking water by providing training and promoting best practices. Learn about their work and how you can be a freshwater advocate.
Info here.

Supporting Mental Health: Southeast WI
2022-03-17 10:00 - 12:00
As women farmers, landowners and conservationists, we wear multiple hats and juggle various responsibilities and commitments, including a strong vision of increasing stewardship practices on our land. And we all live in a vulnerable space at one time or another – and for one reason or another. How can we as a community best support each other in cultivating strong mental health by consciously caring for each other and identifying when one is in need?
Info here.

Getting Started with Backyard Swine
2022-03-17 12:00 - 13:00
Whether you are looking to raise your own meat or diversify your farming income, pigs can be a great way to get started raising livestock. Swine are fairly low cost to purchase, quick return on investment, and require limited equipment to get started. Through this presentation we will discuss the basics of swine care, selection of animals, nutrition, and fencing. Find out if swine fit into your farming operation or backyard.
Info here.

Suckers - Swimming Superheroes of the Great Lakes
2022-03-17 19:00 - 20:00
Dr. Karen Murchie, Director of Freshwater Research at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, will present “Suckers – Swimming Superheroes of the Great Lakes.” She will describe the ecology and importance of suckers in the Great Lakes, especially in the Sturgeon Bay and Door County tributaries.
Info here.

More great info about how to effectively control invasive plants in wetlands
2022-03-18 10:30 - 11:30
Craig Annen earned his bachelor’s of science in environmental science and plant molecular cell biology from Edgewood College in 1998 and his master’s of science in aquatic botany from the UW-LaCrosse in 2001. His research interests include invasive species management, economical ecology, and mathematical ecology. Craig is senior ecologist and operations manager of the firm Integrated Restorations, LLC. He speaks fluent German, is a New York Yankees fan, and is a gourmet cook of Middle Eastern and German cuisine.
Info here.

Bumble Bee Biology, Part 1 - Bumble Bee Short Course for Community Scientists
2022-03-18 12:00 - 13:30
Free, weekly webinars to build skills of community scientists interested in bumble bee biodiversity, ecology and conservation.
Info here.

Organic Disease Management for Grain Crops (including tar spot and white mold)
2022-03-18 12:00 - 13:30
OGRAIN Online workshop will again be hosting virtual workshops over Zoom to connect farmers around topics important to organic grain production!
Info here.

Plastics in the Great Lakes: An Update on the Science and Discussions on Future Cleanup Efforts
2022-03-18 13:00 - 14:00
Dr. Sherri Mason, a professor of chemistry and leading researcher on plastic pollution, continues to conduct groundbreaking research on the prevalence of plastics and micro-plastics in the Great Lakes. She will join the GLLC for this web session on plastic pollution, its impact on the Great Lakes ecosystem and human health, and strategies to clean up the lakes. Mason serves as director of sustainability at Penn State Behrend.
Info here.

Healthy Soil Healthy Food Healthy People
2022-03-19 13:00 - 14:00
Join the Village of Egg Harbor and Rodale Institute Organic Consultants for a program focused on orchard growing and regenerative organic farming practices for Door County’s largest exports: cherries and apples. They will also touch on other local crops.
Info here.

Northern Hardwood Timber Marking
2022-03-20 - 2022-03-24
Immerse yourself in a weeklong, intensive forest marking camp. Through a combination of field trips, field activities, and mentored marking you will gain the knowledge and field skills needed to mark timber for multiple objectives. Specifically, you will come away with the skills needed to mark for financial/quality, wildlife, restoration, and ecological objectives.
Upon completion of this training you will be able to:

Demonstrate basic log grading and scaling, tree grading, and log and tree species identification.
Discuss silvicultural techniques to create old growth forest conditions.
Exhibit the ability to select crop trees and high risk trees.
Demonstrate the ability to mark a northern hardwood forest to meet landowner goals.

Info here.

Black Gold – Maximizing Manure Nutrient Utilization - Manure Mondays
2022-03-21 13:00 - 14:00
Boost the value of manure by maximizing nutrient availability and minimizing environmental losses with liquid and solid manures safely.
Info here.

Tree/Shrub Site Prep and Planting Methods
2022-03-21 13:00 - 14:00
On Monday, March 21st, the Tech Talk topics will be tree/shrub site preparation (CPS 490) and tree/shrub planting methods. Join this Tech Talk session for a discussion of planning considerations for site preparation and matching the site preparation techniques to the site conditions. Different types of tree stock and planting methods will be discussed along with planning considerations for successful tree/shrub establishment. Available web soil survey reports will be demonstrated and other resources for practice planning will be provided.
Info here.

Improve your Soil & Reduce your Inputs
2022-03-22 10:00 - 14:00
10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Location: Manitowoc, WI

Join the Manitowoc County Forage Council at the Farm WI Discovery Center.
10:00 Welcome and Introductions
Soil Health: How to measure it, Why it’s important, & How it ties to profitability with the Manitowoc County Soil and Water Conservation Department
Balancing Phosphorus Trade-Offs & Timing with Chelsea Zegler Ag Water Quality Outreach Specialist from Discovery Farms/Agriculture Water Quality Program
Interseeding: The Good, The Bad, The Money with Greg Gries from Libertyland Farms & Steve Hoffman from InDepth Agronomy
Saving $ with Cover Crops: How to Know Your Nitrogen Credits
Local Farmer Panel: Ah-ha! Moments: What’s working with Cover Crops, No-Till, and Soil Health on Manitowoc County Farms
Info here.
