Soil Management Summit to be held in Alexandria Dec. 7-8

Detroit Lakes, Minn. (KDLM) – The 19th annual Soil Management Summit (SMS), formerly known as the Conservation Tillage Conference (CTC) is going to be held in Alexandria at Arrowwood Resort on December 7-8.

The summit is the longest-running, farmer-oriented event dedicated to practical soil management in Minnesota.  

In a news release, the UMN Extension Office stated the summit is known in the Upper Midwest for its emphasis on proven farmer experience complemented by applied science. 

Attendees of the event will hear from long-time no-till, reduced tillage, and cover crop farmers as they share their experiences, so their peers might be spared the same hard-earned lessons.

This year’s keynote speaker will be the Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Thom Petersen.

Commissioner Petersen is expected to deliver remarks on the challenges and opportunities in soil management as it relates to agricultural production. 

Focus is also expected to be paid to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s soil conservation initiatives, including soil health equipment grants available to producers, as well as the Minnesota Ag Water Quality Certification Program. 

Attendees at this year’s event will have the opportunity to participate in one of the 15 different sessions including fertility considerations for various soil health practices, understanding and harnessing soil biology, the utility of biological amendments, disease and weed considerations in cover crop systems, analyzing and applying manure and compost, the economics of various soil health practices, managing water in soil health cropping systems, among other topics.

If you would like to attend this year’s conference, participants can register for a single day or join fellow soil enthusiasts with a two-day pass for presentations, panels, and discussions.

Advanced Crop Advisors can earn up to 8.5 of 18.5 available continuing education units (CEUs). To assist with the cost of registration, scholarships will be available for interested producers. 

The annual Soil Management Summit is presented by University of Minnesota Extension and the Minnesota Office for Soil Health with support from Saddle Butte Ag, Minnesota Corn Growers, and the Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council, among other sponsors.

To register for the event, visit: z.umn.edu/sms, or contact Shane Bugeja, sbugeja@umn.edu.