Soil health workshop will be Aug. 16 near Martha
The Altus Field Office of U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Jackson County Conservation District are partnering with several agencies and groups to host a local workshop that will explore the future of soil health in Jackson County on Aug. 16. Speakers will discuss the soil and its biological components as they relate to rainwater infiltration, erosion resistance, drought resilience and plant growth efficiency. Don Skiles, district conservationist in Altus, said, “We average about 28 inches of rain a year. Some of our degraded soils shed most of that. We are increasing infiltration so rain soaks in instead of washing gullies as it leaves fields. Imagine the effect if you can add two inches of rain to your soil moisture profile.”
The field day will have a morning session in the field looking at healthy and poor soils. Jimmy Emmons, a Leedey, Oklahoma, farmer, will speak about his successes using cattle to improve nutrient cycling in cropland.
An afternoon session with Greg Scott, soil scientist with the Oklahoma Conservation Commission, will explore the microscopic aspect of healthy soils. He will magnify soils to look at the fungi, structure and pore spaces. Attendees will be able to see in detail how soil health affects infiltration and plant growth.
Rangeland soil health will be addressed as well during the day. Skiles said, “Grazing land soils are often neglected, but they are the same soils, the same microbes and the same rainfall as cropland; they will respond to investments in soil health.” Skiles mentioned that not only is the workshop showing farmers and ranchers ways to improve their operations’ sustainability, it is also a great opportunity for landowners to learn about protecting and improving their land assets.
The workshop will be held on Aug. 16, starting at 9:30 a.m. John and Martha Barrett will host the field session at their farm near Martha. Lunch and the afternoon session will be held at the Great Plains Technology Center in Altus. Attendees are encouraged to pre-register by calling the Jackson County Conservation District at 580-482-4312, ext. 3 or by email at [email protected].
