Two Bow Creek Watershed events to be held in late June

CROFTON – Two Bow Creek Watershed events are scheduled to be held at the end of June in Crofton.

The third annual Bow Creek Field Day has been set for June 29 at the Crofton City Auditorium. Dr. Elaine Ingham, a microbiologist and the founder of Soil Food Web Inc., and regenerative farmer Jimmy Emmons will be featured speakers.

The day will include an introduction to the soil food web, how it provides all of the essential nutrients for healthy crops and how producers can change management practices to develop the soil food web in their fields and pastures.

Practical application strategies for improving the soil food web will be provided by regenerative producers, including Emmons.

In addition to farming, Emmons has served as a U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Production and Conservation liaison, the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts president and as a board member for conservation nonprofits and his local soil conservation district.

Registration is open for local and regional attendees. Lewis & Clark Natural Resources District residents may register at no cost using the promo code of “Bowcreek”; all other attendees will be charged a fee to cover meal costs.

Walk-in registrations will be accepted, but pre-registration for meal planning is appreciated online at lcnrd.nebraska.gov/bow-creek.

The Bow Creek Watershed Project is set to host a compost and microscopy soil learning lab June 30-July 1 at the Crofton American Legion Hall.

This two-day hands-on lab will be taught by Ingham. The focus will be on composting and evaluating the soil food web under a microscope.

Identifying good composting materials and gauging the nitrogen and carbon of each material is important in making great compost.

Ingham will walk attendees through the process of evaluating materials and building custom compost recipes.

Working in groups, compost piles will be made and sent home with a few lucky attendees.

During the microscopy lessons, attendees will be split into small groups and use microscopes to analyze soil and compost.

Anyone with their own microscope or compost sample is encouraged to bring them along.

There is no charge for attendance for anyone living or working in the Lewis & Clark NRD area; they may use the promo code of “Bowcreek” at registration for the discount.

For everyone else, there is a fee to cover meal costs. Limited space is available for the learning lab, with preference being given to Bow Creek Watershed producers, so pre-registration for the event is required online at lcnrd. nebraska.gov/bow-creek.