MARSHALL – Have you ever stopped to wonder what makes a soil “healthy?” Have you ever walked through your fields wondering what you can do to improve the quality of your soil? Take advantage of this opportunity and attend the Soil Health Workshop on March 12 or 13 to learn more about how cover crops and reduced tillage can build a healthier soil.

This half-day workshop will be held in two locations in Southwestern Minnesota. On March 12, the event will be held at the Minnesota West Community and Technical College campus in Worthington and on March 13, the same event will be held at the Southwest Minnesota State University campus in Marshall.

The event will begin at 10 a.m. and will conclude at 2:30 p.m. for both days. There will be a registration fee of $10. Lunch and informational handouts will be provided. An accurate count is needed for lunch and preregistration is encouraged.

To preregister, contact Barb Daly of the Rock County NRCS office at 507-283-9146 ext.3; she will be keeping registration information for both events. Please preregister by March 9.

The day will include a presentation on the on key basic principles and concepts of soil health from international speaker, Jay Fuhrer. Jay is a Soil Health Specialist working for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) out of Bismarck, ND. There will also be a farmer panel with experienced local farmers detailing the tools of soil health management and the changes they have made in their operation.

There will be soil health demonstrations and another presentation by Jay geared towards recognizing improvements to our agricultural landscape as soil health is improved.

This workshop is made possible by the cooperating effort of the local Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) offices throughout Southwest Minnesota. Other sponsors include the Okabena & Ocheda Watershed District, Minnesota West Community and Technical College and Southwest Minnesota State University.

In the event that you require special accommodations, including accessibility or dietary needs, please make that information known when you preregister for the event by calling 507-283-9146 ext.3 and speaking to Barb Daly. USDA is and Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer