Grazing, cover crop workshops scheduled across the state
CHADRON — Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition, Nebraska Extension and Green Cover Seed are teaming up to host the 2019 Grazing Cover Crops Workshops, Nov. 11-14.
The workshops, entitled “Observing and Thinking:
One Man’s Journey to Regenerative Agriculture,” feather Shane New, a stockman and entrepreneur from Holton, Kan. New is a graduate of Kansas State University. He was a civil contractor and sod producer for 20 years prior to completely focusing on regenerative agriculture. Despite doing various things, he has been doing soil health practices for many years. Some of these practices include no-tilling, cover crops, rotational grazing, and adaptive grazing. New is also one of the principles in Soil Health Academy.
New and his wife, Kelli, have three children. They own and operate New Family Farms located in Holton, Kan. The farm consists of cover crops, cattle, and free range chickens. They currently market their meat and eggs directly to consumers. New and New Family Farms received the Soil Health Award in 2017 by the Jackson County Conservation District. This was awarded for outstanding accomplishments in the management of soil health and related sources. New also completed Dr. Elaine Ingham’s Life in the Soils courses. His passion is production agriculture, and he believes that the future for agriculture and human health has to come from regenerative agricultural practices.
Topics will include: Knowing how to take economic values from your operations; Why are you doing it if you are losing money?; Do we really know what foods should taste like; and how to change the way you see.
The program also includes presentations from local farmers/ ranchers that have experience grazing cover crops on row crop acres and a summary of the three-year NET funded NGLC Grazing Cover Crops Project.
4 Nebraska locations in 4 days
Monday, November 11, 2019
9:30 AM – 4 PM (Central time), United Methodist Church Hall, Verdigre, contact Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension in Cedar County, 402 254 6821
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
9:30 AM - 4 PM (Central time, Valley County Fairgrounds, Ord, contact Steve Niemeyer, Nebraska Extension in GLW counties, 308 346 4200
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
9:30 AM – 4 PM (Mountain time), Chadron State College, Student Center, Chadron, contact Jack Arterburn, Nebraska Extension in Sioux, Box Butte, Dawes and Sheridan counties, 308 327 2312
9:30 AM– 4 PM (Central time), Community Center, Blue Hill, contact Green Cover Seed, 402 469 6784
There is no cost and meal will be provided. Students and local FFA chapters area encouraged to attend. Must preregister by Nov. 6 to reserve a meal by pre-registering at the NGLC website (https://nebraskagrazinglands.org/Grazing-Cover-Crop-Workshop) or calling the UNL Extension office indicated or Green Cover Seed. For more information, contact Ron Bolze, Coordinator, NGLC, 402 321 0067 (cell) or ron@nebraskagrazinglands.org.
The Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition is an independent organization of ranchers, interest groups, and agencies whose mission is to collaborate on projects that improve the management and health of Nebraska grazing lands and ensure long-term stability of rangeland resources. The NGLC is funded through grants from the Nebraska Environmental Trust, the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA and the World Wildlife Fund-US.
Green Cover Seed owned by Brothers, Keith and Brian Berns utilized their farming experience to begin experimenting with new farming practices growing their business into a 2000+ acre farm in South Central Nebraska that has used 100% no-till methods for over 12 years. The Berns brothers research and incorporate their methods in their own fields and help others do the same resulting in efficient methods that can offer an increase in soil structure, organic matter, biological life, water infiltration rate, nutrient cycling, and wildlife.