This workshop, designed to benefit farmers who grow vegetables, fruit and field crops,
will focus on the continued capacity of the soil to function as a vital living system that
sustains plant, animal and human health. Healthy soils rich in organic matter drain
better, have greater disease resistance, and better water holding capacity in times of
drought. Healthy soils are important to your bottom line!
Soil Health experts Ray Archuleta – a.k.a. Ray The Soil Guy – of the USDA Natural
Resources Conservation Service’s National Soil Health Team in Greensboro, North
Carolina; UMass. graduate student Julie Stultz Fine will cover the economics of soil
health, the benefits of deep zone tillage, and cover crops for soil health. Several Pioneer
Valley Farmers will speak about their soil health practices.
The day will include classroom presentations, hands-on demonstrations and field exercises
on rolling cover crops, a soil pit investigation, and a rainfall simulation on healthy and notso-
healthy soils. Pesticide recertification credits have been requested from MDAR.
Brought to you by:
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; the Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden
and Hampshire conservation districts; UMass Extension and Northeast Sustainable
Agriculture Research and Education (SARE). This project has been financed with Federal
funds from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to the Massachusetts Department
of Environmental Protection (DEP) under an s319 competitive grant. The contents do not
necessarily reflect the views and policies of EPA or DEP, nor does the mention of trade
names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.
