The winter meeting season is nearly here, with farmers setting priorities for where they want to be and what they want to learn. Western growers looking at cover crops and livestock grazing in a no-till setting may want to consider a trip to Holyoke, Colo., Feb. 13-14.

Those are the dates for the 2018 Farming Evolution event, to be held at the Phillips County Event Center in Holyoke. Focus for this year’s event is incorporating cover crops and livestock grazing into a no-till system.

The keynote speaker, and primary presenter for the event, is Allen Williams, a sixth-generation family farmer and founding partner of Grass Fed Beef LLC, Grass Fed Insights LLC, and a partner in Joyce Farms Inc., Starkville, Miss. Williams has consulted with more than 4,200 farmers and ranchers in the United States, Canada, Mexico and South America, on a wide range of operations.

For attendees skeptical of the value of cover crops, this may be the meeting for you. Organizers report that Williams wants an open and honest dialogue about objections and questions people have on soil health, cover crops and grazing cropland.

Joining Williams for the event is Jonathan Lundgren, founder of Blue Dasher Farms, who is focused on looking at practices and farming systems adapted to the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest. His focus will be to help attendees better understand why biodiversity is important, how it works and the science behind it.

Julie Peterson of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln will talk about beneficial insects on the cash crops common to eastern Colorado and western Nebraska. Her recent research focuses on encouraging beneficial insects that attach the western bean cutworm and western corn rootworm.

That's the opening day program.

On day two, Williams will dig into how to implement these new ideas on the farm. The aim is a working session where producers can share information about their operations and get feedback from Williams. And he’ll share how producers can access the value-added grass-fed market.

The full agenda, registration and lodging information will be available starting tomorrow at

The winter meeting season is nearly here, with farmers setting priorities for where they want to be and what they want to learn. Western growers looking at cover crops and livestock grazing in a no-till setting may want to consider a trip to Holyoke, Colo., Feb. 13-14.

Those are the dates for the 2018 Farming Evolution event, to be held at the Phillips County Event Center in Holyoke. Focus for this year’s event is incorporating cover crops and livestock grazing into a no-till system.

The keynote speaker, and primary presenter for the event, is Allen Williams, a sixth-generation family farmer and founding partner of Grass Fed Beef LLC, Grass Fed Insights LLC, and a partner in Joyce Farms Inc., Starkville, Miss. Williams has consulted with more than 4,200 farmers and ranchers in the United States, Canada, Mexico and South America, on a wide range of operations.

For attendees skeptical of the value of cover crops, this may be the meeting for you. Organizers report that Williams wants an open and honest dialogue about objections and questions people have on soil health, cover crops and grazing cropland.

Joining Williams for the event is Jonathan Lundgren, founder of Blue Dasher Farms, who is focused on looking at practices and farming systems adapted to the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest. His focus will be to help attendees better understand why biodiversity is important, how it works and the science behind it.

Julie Peterson of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln will talk about beneficial insects on the cash crops common to eastern Colorado and western Nebraska. Her recent research focuses on encouraging beneficial insects that attach the western bean cutworm and western corn rootworm.

That's the opening day program.

On day two, Williams will dig into how to implement these new ideas on the farm. The aim is a working session where producers can share information about their operations and get feedback from Williams. And he’ll share how producers can access the value-added grass-fed market.

The full agenda, registration and lodging information will be available starting tomorrow at farmingevolution2018.eventbrite.com.

Source: Colorado State University

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Source: Colorado State University