Fields of Sinsinawa’s first annual Soul of the Soil conference, held September 23-24, is in the books! It was a fantastic event, with plenty of learning, sharing, and networking between farmers, conservationists, landowners, and others interested in understanding the connections between functioning soils and healthy crops, people, and communities.
By holding our event in September, attendees were able to touch the cover crops that were planted after wheat harvest, feel the softness of the soil beneath the covers, see how the grazing cattle are knocking back weeds and allowing desirable grasses to flourish, witness the water infiltration of different farm management practices, and hear directly from the tenant farmers who are nurturing crops at Sinsinawa Mound.Thanks to everyone who joined us, and thanks especially to our sponsors who made the event possible. It was a fantastic experience and we’re incredibly grateful that we had the opportunity to spend time with everyone who attended and introduce them to the soil care practices being implemented at the Mound.
Speakers
Dawn & Grant Breitkreutz:
Becoming Unconventional
As former conventional crop and cow/calf operators, Dawn and Grant Breitkreutz now call themselves “farmers of life for life” and run a multi-enterprise family farm. The Redwood Falls, MN, couple explained how they are healing the land with practices such as cover crops and intensive grazing.
Watch this video from Farmer’s Footprint featuring Dawn and Grant.
Zach Smith
Growing Farmoniously
The creative force behind the Stock Cropper, a company offering a new line of autonomous livestock barns, Zack Smith of Buffalo Center, Iowa, explained why he left a promising agronomy career to design and produce these mobile barns and how they can reinvigorate soil, soul, and rural communities.
Listen to Zack on John Kempf’s Regenerative Agriculture podcast.
Tom Cotter
Farming for Quality, Not Quantity
Balancing conventional and organic practices on his Austin, MN, farm and ranch, Tom Cotter says he strives for quality, not quantity. He discussed his practices and the ripple effects of his approach, including becoming Water Quality Certified, reducing synthetic inputs, and adopting healthier habits.
Learn more about Tom on the Minnesota Soil Health Coalition website.
Adam Lasch
Reviving Rural America with Biological Capital
With a focus on family, faith, and farming, first-generation dairy- and cattleman Adam Lasch of Lake Geneva, WI strives to improve the soil while boosting milk and beef quality. He talked about the trajectory of ag policies and demographics – and what can be done to alter the course.
Listen to Adam talk about interseeding on this Cover Crop Strategies podcast.
William Thiele
Investing in the Land for Better Outcomes
Farming in a high-rainfall area in Pennsylvania, William Thiele says a 2015 switch to no-till with cover crops has resulted in greatly reduced ponding and run-off during wet periods. He discussed the benefits his family dairy farm has seen from planting green and why he keeps experimenting with new practices.
Learn more about William with this case study from American Farmland Trust.
Rick Bieber
Connecting U and I
A soil care taker from Trail City, South Dakota, Rick Bieber was recruited to be the “eyes and ears” of the soil at Fields of Sinsinawa this spring. He discussed the deep interrelationship and how Fields of Sinsinawa is seeking to illuminate and support the connection between U and I.
Learn more about Rick in this video from the Utah Soil Health Partnership.
