Photo courtesy of Christina Paolucci
CAIRO — Sixty-five farmers and land owners attended the Soil Health field day at Burkholder Healthy Farms in Cairo, Ohio on Wednesday.
Farmers discussed a varied number of topics including, no till, planting cover crops, carbon sequestration, water infiltration and seed treatment options.
When beginning to use these options, farmers are encouraged to start small with just a few acres. No till and cover crops reduce soil erosion and nutrient run off, thus improving the local watershed. Cover crops help accumulate carbon out of the atmosphere which is used for building organic matter in the soil. Cover crops also help suppress weeds and attract beneficial insects resulting in using less herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides.
Burkholder Healthy Farms has partnered with the Nature Conservancy and is the local advocate for Allen County.
Cargill and American Farmland Trust also contributed to the field day.
