From the Executive Director: Dirt Rich Shows Northwest Minnesota Farmers Eager to Adopt Soil Health Principles
“As to methods, there may be a million and then some, but principles are few. The person who grasps principles can successfully select their own methods. The person who tries methods, ignoring principles, is sure to have trouble.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
Justin Morris, NRCS Regional Soil Health Specialist, shared this quote last week at SFA’s “Dirt Rich” field days, held in Red Lake Falls at the David Miller farm and the next day in Lake Park at the Travis Schauer farm. The programs were held there because farmers in the area, the Northwest Stockgrowers Association, Soil and Water Conservation Districts of West Polk, Pennington, Marshall and Becker counties and Buffalo-Red River Watershed District were eager to hear about soil health practices and learn from hands on demonstrations.
What they heard first and foremost were soil health principles and the biological processes that ensure regenerative agriculture. These were outstanding, well-attended programs held in a part of the state that is sometimes viewed as inhospitable to cover crops and soil health practices. You could have fooled me. The attendance and farmer engagement and the presence of ag professionals and businesses made for excellent questions and discussion.
In addition to NRCS’s Morris, SFA Livestock and Grazing Specialist Kent Solberg, NRCS Grazing Lands Specialist Jeff Duchene and SWCD professionals from Pennington, Marshall, West Polk and Becker Counties made presentations or shared information.
Ag Week recapped the sessions here.
SFA has been intentional in hosting soil health field days, workshops and meetings around the state and in more remote areas. The outcome of this year’s “Dirt Rich” suggests this is a positive consideration in our soil health education journey. As SFA’s soil health program plans for the next few years are created, we’ll keep that in mind, along with Ralph Waldo Emerson’s quote – embracing the principle is the key.
- Don’t miss SFA’s many upcoming field days and festivals yet this fall. Topping off my week will be the 25th Harvest Festival celebration of the Lake Superior SFA Chapter, set for this Sat., Sept. 8, at Bayfront Park in Duluth. Cheers to the founders and supporters of LSSFA’s Harvest Festival on this amazing milepost.
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