Be among the first to sign up to attend the nation’s most popular soil health event. Online registration begins today, May 15, for growers, industry partners and soil health enthusiasts to attend the popular No-till on the Plains Winter Conference. The event, hosted by No-till on the Plains will run Tuesday, January 30, through Wednesday, January 31, 2018 at the Hyatt Regency and Century II Convention Center, Wichita, Kan.
The soil health conference is in its 22nd year and continues to offer international, national and state experts on topics designed to promote soil health. The 2018 Winter Conference features a line-up of no-till experts and top line producers presenting 42 breakout sessions and a special question and answer session with speakers. For the second year a one-day Beginner’s Workshop will precede the Winter Conference. The Agriculture’s Innovative Minds (AIM) Symposium returns again post Winter Conference to cater to the advanced crowd of growers and producers.
Registration for the No-till on the Plains Conference is available now online at notill.org/events/22nd-annual-winter-conference. The Winter Conference registration price is $275 through November 30. Registration rates are also available in packages for those who want to attend the Beginner’s Session and the Winter Conference together or the Winter Conference and AIM Symposium in tandem.
World-renowned soil health and grazing expert, Alan Savory, founder and president of the Savory Institute, headlines the conference on January 30. Savory began his career as a research biologist and game ranger in the British Colonial Service, Zambia, South Africa then became a farmer and game rancher in Zimbabwe. In the 1960s he became known for research on the cause of degradation and desertification of the world’s grassland ecosystems. He worked as a resource management consultant, and helped numerous managers on four continents to develop sustainable solutions.
While Savory will provide the keynote and several workshop presentations throughout the Winter Conference, other top producer speakers will present information about soil biology, livestock integration, cropping systems and holistic management. Speakers include; Jimmy Emmons producer from Leedey, Okla; Ray Archuleta, soil specialist with NRCS; Jake Miller, producer from Culbertson, Neb; Jill Clapperton, principal scientist and soils expert from Spokane, Wash. Kan.; Josh Lloyd, producer from Oak Hill, Kan. and Jonathan Lundren, agroecologist from Brookings, S. Dakota. International speakers include Sarah Singla, producer from France and Derek Axten, producer from Saskatchewan, Canada. Biographies for speakers can be found on the No-till on the Plains website, http://notill.org/conference/2018-speakers.
Sponsors for the 2018 Conference are Green Cover Seed, Exapta Solutions and Shellbourne-Reynolds Co.
To meet its mission, No-till on the Plains hosts field events, provides a networking opportunity for producers and manages the annual Winter Conference for producers to gain valuable no-till information. No-till farming systems offer several advantages to producers willing to implement the system. Fewer trips across fields without tillage passes will reduce fuel costs. Increasing crops in rotations breaks weed and insect pest cycles. Increased crop residue and root systems will increase soil organic matter and microbiological activity, thereby increasing the productiveness and fertility of the soil. Implemented in a site-specific systems approach, no-till will, over time, outperform conventional tillage.
Visit notill.org or call (785) 307-0433 for registration information. Pre-registration online is encouraged.
