Are cover crops a good practice for your farm? Do they cost or do they pay?

The answer to those questions is as complex as the historic weather conditions and soil types on a given operation, and a lot of factors have to go into making a decision for most farmers.

The Central Kansas Extension District and the Kansas Grazing Lands Coalition will team up for a program to help growers and potential growers understand the pros and cons Dec. 10 at the Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus.

Sign-in with coffee and donuts will begin at 8:30 a.m., with the workshop starting at 9 a.m. and running until 3:30 p.m.

Soil experts Doug Peterson and Candy Thomas are the keynote speakers and will talk about soil health basics, carbon to nitrogen ratios, nutrient cycling, and case studies on the economics of cover crops and rangeland health as it relates to soil and water quality.

Peterson has been a Natural Resources Conservation Service employee for more than 30 years and currently serves as the regional soil health specialist for Missouri and Iowa. He operates a cow-calf and contract grazing operation utilizing holistic high-density grazing to improve soil health while eliminating the need for most purchased fertilizer and harvested forage. He specializes in teaching producers how soil health impacts virtually all natural resource processes.

Thomas has been with NRCS since 1994 and is currently the Regional Soil Health Specialist for Kansas and Nebraska. She provides agronomic advice on soil health indicators, cover crops, water quality resource issues, erosion control, and training in conservation planning and management systems.

The Dec. 10 program is part of a multiyear Conservation Collaboration grant from Kansas NRCS and will be held in the College Center Conference Room at 2310 Centennial Road in Salina.

Registration is $20 per person, which pays for lunch, refreshments and handouts. Those planning to attend should reserve a spot by Dec. 5. Reservations can be made by phone at 785-392-2147 or by emailing [email protected].

This article includes content supplied by Kansas State University Research and Extension.