Managing for Soil Health on an Organic Farm - A Farmer's Perspective

Presented by Klaas Martens, Lakeview Organic Grain, Penn Yan, NY

View the webinar at http://conservationwebinars.net to earn CEUs.

Our presenter, Klaas Martens, Penn Yan, NY, uses a diverse crop rotation to farm over 1,400 acres of organic corn, soybeans, small grains, a variety of peas, and cover crops. By adhering to one simple principle - every crop follows a suitable predecessor - Martens has improved soil health and function to cycle nutrients, increase water infiltration and availability, and eliminate both weed and disease pest problems. In this presentation, Martens will focus on the use of plants to change the soil and how soil biology can perform the services that are expected from tillage. He will also cover relay cropping, or starting one crop before the previous crop is harvested, and how this practice allows him to maintain a living root and cover on the soil all year. Can tillage be part of a soil health building system? Join the webinar to learn more.

The opinions expressed in this webinar are those of the producer and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of USDA.

• #science_technology
• #conservation
• #natural_resources
• #soil_health
• #organic_farming
• #cover_crops