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Soil health field days focus on equipment

Three Minnesota farmers share their experience with conversion to conservation tillage practices.

Kevin Schulz, Editor

June 16, 2023

1 Min Read
Tractor and other farm equipment in field
CONVERSION TO CONSERVATION: Three farmers will discuss their farm equipment, including modifications they have made to their tractors and other iron, that improve germination, stand quality and yields at field days in early July.Farm Progress

Three Minnesota farmers will share their experiences working to improve soil health during a field day series hosted by the Minnesota Soil Health Coalition.

The three-part field day series, “Setting Your Equipment Up for Soil Health,” set for July 5-7, focuses on equipment, including modifications that improve germination, stand quality and yields.

On July 5, Brian Ryberg will talk about operations, equipment modifications and the practice of strip tilling on his Buffalo Lake-area farm in Renville County.

The following day, July 6, Matt Tiffany will discuss operations, equipment modifications and the transition from strip tilling to no-till on his Redwood Falls-area farm in Redwood County.

The field day series wraps up July 7 on the Nathan Hesse farm near Tyler in Lincoln County. Hesse will talk about operations, equipment modifications and the use of strip tilling and cover crops on his farming operation.

Each field day runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the respective operator’s farm, and will feature keynote speakers Jerry Ackermann and Mike Seifert. Ackermann farms in the Lakefield area, and has incorporated cover crops into his corn-soybean-alfalfa rotation. Seifert, from the Jordan area, has switched to no-till and cover crops when possible in the diversified crop farm. Both Seifert and Ackermann are mentors with the Minnesota Soil Health Coalition.

These field days are presented in partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, The Nature Conservancy and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

To learn more and register for these events, visit mnsoilhealth.org.

Minnesota Soil Health Coalition contributed to this article.

About the Author(s)

Kevin Schulz

Editor, The Farmer

Kevin Schulz joined The Farmer as editor in January of 2023, after spending two years as senior staff writer for Dakota Farmer and Nebraska Farmer magazines. Prior to joining these two magazines, he spent six years in a similar capacity with National Hog Farmer. Prior to joining National Hog Farmer, Schulz spent a long career as the editor of The Land magazine, an agricultural-rural life publication based in Mankato, Minn.

During his tenure at The Land, the publication grew from covering 55 Minnesota counties to encompassing the entire state, as well as 30 counties in northern Iowa. Covering all facets of Minnesota and Iowa agriculture, Schulz was able to stay close to his roots as a southern Minnesota farm boy raised on a corn, soybean and hog finishing farm.

One particular area where he stayed close to his roots is working with the FFA organization.

Covering the FFA programs stayed near and dear to his heart, and he has been recognized for such coverage over the years. He has received the Minnesota FFA Communicator of the Year award, was honored with the Minnesota Honorary FFA Degree in 2014 and inducted into the Minnesota FFA Hall of Fame in 2018.

Schulz attended South Dakota State University, majoring in agricultural journalism. He was also a member of Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity and now belongs to its alumni organization.

His family continues to live on a southern Minnesota farm near where he grew up. He and his wife, Carol, have raised two daughters: Kristi, a 2014 University of Minnesota graduate who is married to Eric Van Otterloo and teaches at Mankato (Minn.) East High School, and Haley, a 2018 graduate of University of Wisconsin-River Falls. She is married to John Peake and teaches in Hayward, Wis. 

When not covering the agriculture industry on behalf of The Farmer's readers, Schulz enjoys spending time traveling with family, making it a quest to reach all 50 states — 47 so far — and three countries. He also enjoys reading, music, photography, playing basketball, and enjoying nature and campfires with friends and family.

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