Soil health field day set
Greene County and Washington County farmers and landowners who want to understand how to build more naturally fertile soil while requiring fewer inputs to produce a profitable crop are invited to attend a soil health field day at the Rich Burd farm, 143 Shady Side Road, Uniontown, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 10. Rich will present an overview of his farm, as well as his planting and harvesting practices. A soil scientist from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service will be on hand to discuss soil health and an on-site soil pit, while staff from the Fayette County Conservation Service and NRCS will demonstrate a rainfall simulator showing how soil management and soil health play a major role in runoff and infiltration during rainfall events. Runoff, infiltration, soil aggregate stability, soil porosity, residue cover, soil management history and other factors will be discussed to show their relationship to soil health.
The event is sponsored by the Pennsylvania No-Till Alliance, the Fayette County Conservation District and USDA NRCS; lunch is provided. For additional information or to RSVP by July 1, contact Pierce Willson, agricultural coordinator, Fayette County Conservation District at 724-438-4497.