Ward Labs extends its commitment to education with Alfalfa U speaker Feb. 18

Ward Laboratories, Inc., in Kearney, Nebraska, has a world-class reputation for providing unbiased information to farmers through its testing and consulting services. Ray Ward, the company’s founder, has made it a key principle of the company to provide farmers and ranchers the education they need to make the best decisions for their farms.

On Feb. 18, Casey France, account development and support manager for Ward Laboratories will continue that commitment to farmer education by presenting “Why alfalfa may be a solution for marginalized soils,” during Session 2 of the virtual Alfalfa U.

Ryan Dennhardt, human resources and business manager for Ward Laboratories, said the staff at Ward, including France, work to make sure that farmers first and foremost have the unbiased information they need to make decisions that improve their unique operations.

“For Ward Laboratories, the foundation of our business has always been integrity,” Dennhardt said. Using science and data Ward Labs gives farmers and ranchers a better snapshot, a better understanding of what exactly is going on in their operations, he added.

Many know Ward Labs for their soil sampling, but that’s just the beginning of the services they offer, Dennhardt said.

“Our team is second to none and is dedicated to making sure that producers are equipped with information necessary to make decisions on their operation,” he added. Team members help farmers from all over the globe by analyzing feed and forage samples, plant tissue, water, manure and more. He said the Ward Labs staff members have the expertise to conduct the relevant tests and then consult with clients in the field, and interpret the results.

That’s part of France’s work at Ward Labs, walking farmers and ranchers through the data so they can make the decisions that are right for their unique operations. On Feb. 18, France will talk about how alfalfa can help farmers mitigate poorly drained soils or those with higher salinity.

“Alfalfa, a deep-rooted perennial legume that provides its own nitrogen fertilizer through symbiotic nitrogen fixation, is a species that should be dominating discussions,” France said. She’ll walk Alfalfa U attendees through the process of using alfalfa’s taproots to reach water and nutrients up to 6 meters below the surface, ideal in semiarid and arid lands. And, she’ll help them understand how alfalfa may be a model to understanding plant mechanisms for stress response.

“We provide a service and we want farmers to know what they’re looking at and understanding the information they get from us to make the right decision for their unique operations,” Dennhardt said. “We want the farmers to succeed and their operations to thrive.” That’s one reason why they’ve brought their staff’s expertise to High Plains Journal’s events.

To register for free for the online, virtual Alfalfa U series of webinars, visit www.hpj.com/alfalfau. Registered participants will also have access to session recordings when they are posted.

You can also catch recordings of previous Ward Labs speakers by registering for free access at: Cotton U (www.hpj.com/cottonu), Sorghum/Wheat U (www.hpj.com/suwu), and Cattle U (www.cattleu.net).

Jennifer M. Latzke can be reached at 620-227-1807 or [email protected].