Two great conferences have come together for one big event in Edmonton next week, December 5-7.

The Western Canada Conference on Soil Health and Grazing is already sold out, with 500 people signed up each day of the conference.

Rachel McLean, Environmental and Communications Coordinator with the Foothills Forage and Grazing Association, has been involved in organizing the event for over a year, and says a word that's being tossed around leading up to the conference is "regenerative agriculture".

"So not necessarily into organic or completely against the use of herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers, but just lessening those inputs, and figuring out ways to work with nature, instead of against it, and how we can do that with the new technologies that are emerging."

Gabe Brown focuses on regenerative agriculture and using less inputs,  and will be speaking at the event, says McLean.

"He's actually gone to almost no inputs in his operation because of cocktail mixes, cover crops, and certain types of rotations and grazing strategies."

McLean says, the conference will also feature the classics, such as Jim Gerrish and Allan Iwaasa.

"I'm also excited to hear from David Brandt, and he is a crop farmer who has gone to just cover crops in his rotation as well. So, I'm excited to hear that on the crop side."

David Brandt farms in central Ohio's Fairfield County, where he began no-till farming in 1971 and has been using cover crops since 1978.

Brandt has also received numerous awards for conservation practices.

Since they had such a positive response combing the two conferences this year, McLean hopes they will do the conference again in two years.

McLean says, the entire Board will be representing the Foothills Forage and Grazing Association at the event next week.

If you missed out on the conference, stayed tuned to the Foothills Forage and Grazing Association for local events in the area.

 

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