Tama SWCD to host June 23 soil health event, “Beefing” Up Your Soil

Join Tama Soil & Water Conservation District for its 2020 soil health event on June 23! It will begin at 3:00 p.m. at 2587 130th Street in rural Traer. There will be emphasis on integrating cattle and soil health. Lance Gunderson will be sharing his soil health expertise, as well as NRCS Soil Health Specialist Doug Peterson and ISU Extension & Outreach’s Denise Schwab.

Lance Gunderson is President of Soil Health Innovation and President and Co-owner of Regen Ag Lab, LLC in Pleasanton, Nebraska. He has been working with soil health testing in a commercial setting for ten years. Throughout this time, he has implemented numerous testing methods including the Haney Test or Soil Health Nutrient Tool (developed by Dr. Rick Haney of USDA-ARS, Temple, Texas) and the phospholipid fatty acid analysis (PLFA) test. Lance has gained valuable experience in how to transition these and similar analyses into a commercial laboratory setting.

A Natural Resources Conservation Service employee for over 25 years, Doug Peterson started his career as a Soil Scientist. He has been a District Conservationist in both a grassland-based county in south Missouri and a large cropland county in north Missouri. He is currently the State Soil Health Conservationist, teaching staff and producers Iowa and Missouri about soil health, how it impacts virtually all natural resource processes and what type of management it will take to effectively improve our soils’ health. Doug also operates a cow/calf and contract grazing operation with his father. They currently have about 500 cows in the operation where they utilize Management-intensive Grazing and Holistic High Density Grazing to improve soil health.

Denise Schwab is well-known in and around Tama County. Besides being a beef producer, Denise serves northeastern Iowa as ISU Extension and Outreach Beef/Forage Specialist. Her areas of expertise include beef cow nutrition, pasture and forage management, grazing management and water quality. Denise’s program will focus on utilizing cover crops for grazing and baling.

A complimentary meal will follow this free event. An RSVP is required by June 15 by contacting 641-484-2702 x305 or melody.bro@ia.nacdnet.net .