Producers from five counties attend JCCD Field day

More than 30 producers and natural resource professionals attended a field day sponsored by The Kansas Department of Ag Department of Conservation (DOC), Kansas Association of Conservation Districts (KACD), KAWS (Kansas Alliance for Wetland and Streams) and the Jewell County Conservation District (JCCD).

These producers came from four counties in Kansas and one in Nebraska to see, firsthand, a variety of working conservation practices that are improving soil health, water quality and livestock management in North Central Kansas. Members of the Jewell County Conservation District Board: Brett Walker, Chad Simmelink, Jerry Birdsell, Zach Bruns and Corbin Greene, provided the stops and background information on the practices being applied.

Corbin Greene of Greene Farms had two fields on the tour. Participants were able to see cover crop varieties and the cropping rotation of corn following a cover crop. At Stop 2, Zach Bruns explained the benefits of a Do-It-Yourself Solar Pump. Then a cover crop that had been planted July 5th after wheat was walked through. Discussion was on the potential for grazing and soil health including increased water infiltration.

Pasture condition after a fire, cedar control and fencing was the third stop. Brett Walker discussed how a fire set back cool season grasses and improved the native grasses. Cedars had obviously been killed, as a result of the fire, which will provide another improvement to the native grasses and grazing in the pasture. New fencing to replace the original fence was another topic. At the fourth stop, Chad Simmelink reviewed a pasture rotation used with 11 paddocks. Fencing, water distribution and pasture condition was discussed.

The final stops were provided by Jerry Birdsell. Cover crops planted in late July and early August were growing, despite the dry conditions. Participants were able to walk through a plot with 25 warm season cover crop species and 24 cool season cover crop species. Species in the warm season plot included Mung Beans, Impact Forage Collards, Decorative Gourd Mix and Brown Top Millett. The Cool Season plot included Faba Beans, Nitro Radish, Golden Flax and Cool Season Pollinator Mix.

Adam Bauer, watershed coordinator for KAWS reviewed the importance of keeping nitrogen and phosphorus on Jewell County fields and how that can improve the water quality for Milford Reservoir. This, in turn will benefit the thousands who rely on Milford for their drinking water. KAWS provided certificates for Soil Test Kits and Soil Health Buckets to four attendees. Two tour participants were awarded $500 in cover crop or native grass seed and one winner will receive $1,000 in cover crop or native grass seed.