Why Soil Health Matters
2022-02-08 18:00 - 19:30 (America/Chicago) | WI
Join NCAT’s Felicia Bell and Mississippi farmer Jody Reyer for this virtual workshop. Jody will share ways he has improved the health of his soil through livestock management. Jody raises Piney Woods Cattle and utilizes rotational grazing to build soil health profitably. Hear from Jody why soil health is so important to his operation, and learn the wisdom he has gained from years of on-the-ground experience.
Info here.

Conversations About Conservation: Purple loosestrife bio-control
2022-02-08 18:30 - 19:30
The Upper Sugar River Watershed Association is involved in purple loosestrife control efforts. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has developed a program to engage citizens in this work, especially through rearing and releasing biological control insects. Conservationists have found this project to be a practical undertaking for communities and the basis for more effective teaching about plants, insects, invasive species, and wetland ecology. The project supplies a crucial step in turning the tide of an invasive while engaging environmentally active citizens.
Info here.

The Botany of Beverages
2022-02-08 18:30 - 2022-02-09 19:30
Plants and plant products are the basis for most of the beverages we drink. In “The Botany of Beverages,” Dr. Christopher Tyrrell (Milwaukee Public Museum) will share with us some of the ups and downs of why we wet our whistles with this plant gunk. So come imbibe some knowledge of familiar and not-so-familiar drinks and the botany within them.
Info here.

Organic Grain Conference
2022-02-09 - 2022-02-10
Shifting markets… Changing consumer preferences… Increased input prices… Unpredictable weather… What’s next?
Every hurdle encountered offers an opportunity. Join us as we explore challenges and opportunities across the organic grain value chain.
Info here.

NASECA Annual Conference & Trade Show
2022-02-09 - 2022-02-10
Each year, NASECA-WI hosts the state’s largest event focused solely on erosion control and stormwater management. NASECA-WI strives to offer topics that enhance attendees professional development including a mix of regulatory topics, best management practices, project reviews, and other industry information.
Info here.

2022 INDUSTRIAL HEMP FORUM
2022-02-09 09:00 - 12:00
Forum topics include updates on the MDA’s hemp licensing requirements, the new inspection requirements for those processing hemp into other products, and opportunities in fiber production.
Info here.

Soil Health Expo
2022-02-09 10:00 - 11:00
Registration for the Dodge County Farmers for Healthy Soil – Healthy Water Group’s 6th Annual Soil Health Expo is open! Please see the attached flyer for more information on the event. We will have Gabe Brown, soil health guru and farmer from North Dakota along with Dr. Rodrigo Werle from UW-Extension discussing how to make soil health practices a success on your farm. That along with some testimonies from local farmers and the successes they have had with cover crops and reduced tillage. Topics will include the benefits of soil health, using cover crops as a way to suppress weeds, as well as hearing how local farmers have found success with soil health on their farms.
Info here.

Growth Stages of Mid-Atlantic Grain Crops
2022-02-09 16:30 - 17:30
Grain crops in the Mid-Atlantic include corn, small grains, sorghum, and soybeans. The correct identification of their growth stages is important when scouting for disease, insect, and fertility issues. There is enough overlap in terminology and growth to quickly become an expert.
Info here.

Organic Confluences Conference: Equity and Access in AgTech
2022-02-10
The conferences will examine potential opportunities for technology to support the organic sector, pitfalls when it comes to access and equity in AgTech, historical and current examples of AgTech exacerbating the pre-existing structures of racism in the food system, and methods for analyzing AgTech’s fit within organic ideals.
Info here.

Producer-Led Watershed Protection Grants Annual Workshop
2022-02-10
The Producer-Led Watershed Protection Grants Annual Workshop is for Producer-Led grant recipients throughout the state to network, brainstorm, share success stories and learn from each other on what works and hasn’t in their watershed projects. This year, we will highlight topics including the financials of soil health systems and examples of conservation partnerships, in addition to an organized brainstorming and listening session.
Info here.

Smart Salting for WI Roads Workshop
2022-02-10 07:30 - 12:30
Free training for winter maintenance professionals who remove snow, apply road salt or maintain snow removal equipment used on roads.
Learn how using the right amount of salt can save time, budget and our waters.
The training will include: best management practices to keep paved areas safe, benefits of using a liquid salt system, guidance on how to determine the right amount of salt to use, and case studies from local applicators.
Info here.

Hedging Your Biochar Bet: Pairing Biochar Properties with Soil Deficiencies to Improve Agronomic Outcomes
2022-02-10 10:00 - 11:00
The US Forest Service in partnership with the US Biochar Initiative and the Southern Regional Extension Forestry will be presenting its next monthly Biochar Webinar titled: “Hedging Your Biochar Bet: Pairing Biochar Properties with Soil Deficiencies to Improve Agronomic Outcomes”.
Info here.

Top 10 Lessons about Soil Fertility
2022-02-10 10:00 - 11:00
One of the major challenges for the 2022 crop season is the higher cost and limited availability of commercial fertilizers. Many producers are looking at new and different ways to feed their crops while managing input costs, including the role of soil biology in managing fertility.
To learn more about the practical links between soil fertility and biology, join No-Till Farmer along with Midwest Bio-Tech’s Doug Miller for a free webinar.
Some of the most common questions Miller will answer regarding fertility efficiency and the role soil biology plays include:

How much nutrients can my soil microbes convert for use by my crop?
What if 2022 is a wet or dry year?
How quickly can I improve my soil health to enhance fertility?
What is the role of residue decay and organic matter?

Info here

Treaty Rights 101 w/ Jonathan Gilbert from GLIFWC
2022-02-10 10:00 - 11:00, 2022-02-10 18:00 - 19:00
Participants will learn about Treaty Rights including the history of the 4 cession treaties in the Great Lakes Region (Treaties of 1836, 1837, 1842 and 1854) from Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission expert Dr. Jonathan Gilbert. The presentation will also focus in on the LCO decision in Wisconsin. This talk will include topics such as co-management arrangements, tribal consultation, role of GLIFWC in relation to spearing, deer hunting and mai’ingan.
Info here.

All the Little Things
2022-02-10 10:00 - 11:30
Chris Helzer, Nebraska Director of Science, The Nature Conservancy. Helzer is dedicated to raising awareness about the value of prairies through photography, writing, and presentations. The complex interactions of plants and invertebrates keep prairie communities vibrant and resilient. Their stories are fascinating and will make you fall in love with them. Highlights include the beauty and diversity he found in a square meter of prairie.
Info here.

Clean Farm Families Presents: Improving Soil Health & Farm Profitability w/ Gabe Brown
2022-02-10 10:00 - 14:30
Topics Covered:
+No-till & Cover Crop System
+Economic Impact
+Return on Investment
+Planting Green
Gabe, along with his wife Shelly, and son Paul, own and operate Brown’s Ranch, a diversified 5,000 acre farm and ranch near Bismarck, North Dakota. The ranch consists of several thousand acres of native perennial rangeland along with perennial pastureland and cropland. Their ranch focuses on farming and ranching in nature’s image.
The Browns holistically integrate their grazing and no-till cropping systems, which include a wide variety of cash crops, multi-species cover crops along with all natural grass finished beef and lamb. They also raise pastured laying hens, broilers and swine. This diversity and integration has regenerated the natural resources on the ranch without the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and fungicides. The Browns are part owners of a state inspected abattoir which allows them to direct market their products. They believe that healthy soil leads to clean air, clean water, healthy plants, animals, and people.
Info here.

Climate Change & Urban Forest Policy & Action – International Perspectives
2022-02-10 10:30 - 11:30
In a time of climate emergency and a call for more climate action, cities play a leading role. This talk focuses on the role of urban forestry in delivering climate across, both in terms of climate change mitigation and adaptation. Drawing on examples from across the world, examples of urban forestry policy, programs, and actions with a strong climate focus will be discussed and analysed from a governance perspective. Opportunities and challenges within these will be highlighted, including potential synergies and trade-offs between different nature-based solutions delivered by urban forestry.
Info here.

Using Soil Microbes to Improve Fertilizer Efficiency and Soil Health
2022-02-10 11:00 - 12:00
Fertilizer is essential to crop production, yet studies show much of the fertilizer applied never goes to the intended crop. Nutrients are lost to runoff, erosion, and volatilization, as well as to chemical reactions in the soil that limit plant availability. Soil microbes are effective at unlocking and retaining nutrients in the root zone, resulting in more fertilizer going into the crop. Given high fertilizer prices and pressure to reduce the environmental impacts of lost fertilizer, microbes can be a powerful tool to reduce inputs and pollution while building soil health and grower profitability.
Info here.

Resiliency Forum - Alternative Land Access for Specialty Crop Growers
2022-02-10 11:00 - 12:30
Resiliency Forums for Specialty Crop Farmers: Alternative Land Access with Moses Momanyi of Dusk to Dawn Farm and Dayna Burtness of Nettle Valley Farm – 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. We will be bringing farmers together to collectively increase our resiliency through a series of 4 online forums this winter.
Info here.

WGF Climate Change Work Group Hosts Meeting
2022-02-10 17:00 - 18:00
Join our Climate Change Work Group Chair, Nancy Turyk, and WGF leaders for an hour-long meeting on February 10th from 5-6pm. We’ll share updates on our climate change work, gather your feedback, and invite your ideas for future work. Come learn more about the Monroe County Climate Readiness and Rural Economic Opportunity Assessment, updates from our Energy Policy Work Group, and provide feedback to our Student and Young Professional Work Group on climate communication graphics. We also invite attendees to propose topics for additional breakout groups.
Info here.

Women in Agriculture Regional Conference
2022-02-11
A Regional Women in Agriculture conference has been held annually since 2001. It is a combined effort of Extension Services at the University of Maryland, University of Delaware, Delaware State University, Virginia Tech, and Rutgers along with a planning committee consisting of organizations and private industry.
Info here.

Producer Discovery Workshop
2022-02-11 13:00 - 15:30
The first Producer Discovery Workshop: ‘Federal Orders: Their History and Their Future,’ features Dana Coale, the Deputy Administrator of Agricultural Marketing Services – Dairy Program with USDA. In her role, Ms. Coale leads programs impacting the dairy industry to facilitate the efficient marketing of milk and dairy products. She’ll provide a review of the structure of federal orders, how they operate, and their value to the industry. Ms. Coale will also discuss proposed changes to the orders that are being considered by the dairy industry.
The second workshop ‘Understanding the Milk Market & Your Management Tools,’ features Dr. Mark Stephenson, Director of Dairy Policy Analysis at UW-Madison and Travis Glaser, agent and co-owner of ARM Services, an ag risk management agency based in Barron, Wis. Mr. Stephenson will review the milk market forecast for 2022 while Mr. Glaser will share his insight on building a risk management strategy. With an in-depth knowledge of past dairy market trends and a passion for risk strategy, Mr. Glaser will discuss how to best prepare for what 2022 has to offer using the tools available to dairy farmers.
Info here.

Navigating Farm Production in Tight Quarters: Crops, Products, and Strategies for Farming on Limited Acreages and Operating Near Residential Communities
2022-02-11 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.

2022 NACD Annual Meeting
2022-02-12 - 2022-02-16
The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) is the nonprofit organization that represents America’s 3,000 conservation districts and the 17,000 men and women who serve on their governing boards. Conservation districts are local units of government established under state law to carry out natural resource management programs at the local level.
Info here.

Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference
2022-02-13 - 2022-02-16
Iowa has the most altered landscape in the country with 97 percent in private ownership and 85 percent being actively farmed. Here, Fish and Wildlife Stewardship in a Working Landscape is a challenge that we understand.
At the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, our mission is to conserve and enhance our natural resources in cooperation with individuals and organizations to improve the quality of life in Iowa and ensure a legacy for future generations.
As host of the 82nd Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference in 2022, the Iowa DNR and our partners understand the importance of working landscapes and how they can provide habitat for fish and wildlife and also recreational opportunities for people.
Info here.

Seeking a sustainable future: climate change and farming
2022-02-13 11:30 - 13:30
With climate change looming, farmers and the ag industry are exploring ways to adapt. Wisconsin policymakers and ag leaders are looking to make future farming more sustainable— from using biodigesters for managing animal waste to changing land tilling and animal feeding techniques to handle the effects of bigger rain events and higher temperatures.
Info here.

Top Producer Summit
2022-02-14 - 2022-02-16
You’ll hear speakers share advice and insights on:

The World After Covid-19
Succession Planning
The Outlook for Ag Lending
Team Building
Farmer-Lead Field Technology

Info here.

Agricultural Chemical Handling Facilities
2022-02-14 13:00 - 14:00
Tech Talks is an online training series organized by the Technical Training and Certification Program.
Info here.

International Erosion Control Association Annual Conference and Expo
2022-02-15 - 2022-02-18
The IECA Annual Conference and Expo brings together the industry’s most innovative minds in the erosion and sediment control and storm water industry. Attend this one-of-a-kind conference to connect with thousands of colleagues from over 25 countries, engage in cutting-edge educational sessions while earning professional development hours and access one of the largest expo halls in the industry.
Info here.
