TNC Presents June Lunch & Learn Events – And Other Updates

The Nature Conservancy is excited to offer a series of Agriculture Lunch and Learn Webinars this summer.  The webinars will take place on Thursdays from 12-12:30 PM.  Please see the topics below and register to join!

• June 11– Learn about the Farmer Advocate projects including the application process and details on the program
• June 18– Learn about an Elevated Phosphorus Fields project highlighting solutions.
• June 25– Learn about Fertilizer Placement Equipment available through your local Soil and Water Conservation District
• July 9, 16 & 23– You pick the topic!  Use this link to share your vote for topics!

Register for the June series HERE.

Other events in the Western Lake Erie Basin:

• June 4  Cover Crop Champions.  Webinar.  7:00 PM.  Les Siler, Ron Snyder, and Kent Sonnerburg.  Discuss challenges and work through ideas for fall seeding.
• June 10  How to Treat Your Cover Crop Like a Cash Crop. Webinar. 3:00-4:00 PM. Dr. Andrea Basche will discuss strategies to boost cover crop benefits, such as ideas for maximizing biomass growth for grazing. Tune in to learn more about why treating your cover crop like your cash crop can pay dividends! Registration Required
• June 17. Updates on Soil Health and Water Quality under Contrasting Farming Systems.  Webinar. 2:00-3:00 PM.   The Rodale Institute’s will share their updates on the Watershed Impact Trial and discuss preliminary results on the 6-year collaborative project.

SAVE the DATE:

• August 4.  Field to Lake Twilight Open House.  6-8 pm.  Don Johnson Farm, Paulding County.  Learn about drainage water management.
• August 19. Ohio No-till Field Evening, Nathan Brown Farm, Hillsboro, OH
• August 20. Ohio No-till Field Morning, Fred Yoder Farm, Plain City,OH
• August 20. Ohio No-till Field Evening, Keith Kemp Farm, W. Manchester, OH
• September 2.  Understanding Algal Blooms: State of the Science Conference. Toledo, OH
• December 3. Ohio No-Till Conference, Der Dutchman, Plain City, OH

Farmers Helping Farmers

Would you like to share your experience with cover crops and soil health with other farmers?  If so, please consider applying to be part of this exciting farmer led outreach project.  Complete the online Farmer Advocate for Conservation Application- Click Here!

The Nature Conservancy will work with multiple partners including the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, American Farmland Trust, National Wildlife Federation, and the Ohio State University to train farmers in the Maumee River Watershed to become technical experts and community leaders for sustainable agriculture. The project will train 60 farmers, 20 a year over a 3 year period, in the Maumee River Watershed to engage another 3,000 farmers in education and outreach activities, which may lead to wider adoption of new best management practices aimed at improving soil health and water quality management at the farm level.

The application window for the first round of advocate selection is open from the beginning of May till the end of July.  The top 20 candidates will be notified of their acceptance as Farmer Advocates for Conservation in the fall when they will be given a complete schedule of training sessions to begin in January of 2021.  This project is funded by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative which will allow Farmers Advocates to be compensated for their time.

Need more information?  Please join us for a lunch time webinar on June 11 by registering HERE.  You can also email stephanie.singer@tnc.org to learn more.

Connect with Us and Other Farmers 

In this time of uncertainty we want to be sure to connect with our farmer base to say thank you for your sacrifice as essential workers, and that we are here for you.  Please connect with us and other farmers through our Ohio TNC Agriculture Facebook Group where we strive to foster a community of support,  discussion, and information and experience sharing.

Also know that the Ohio Department of Agriculture has “Got Your Back.” The ODA maintains a site full of helpful resources for farmers and their families experiencing stress or crisis any time of the year.  Here is a Link to the resource page, that is available year round.