Summer farm tour is next week

The Livingston County Soil and Water Conservation District, along with American Farmland Trust and the Vermilion Headwaters Watershed Partnership, are hosting a Summer Farm Tour on Tuesday, July 11.

The tour will start in Forrest at the Forrest Community Center at 4:00 pm. They will then be loading buses to tour local farms that have used no-till and cover crops the last several years to hear about their successes and opportunities. Farmers will share their experiences with the economics of practices, interseeding covers, and the changes they’re seeing in their soils.

The group will then return to Forrest for the keynote presentation and dinner. Keynote speaker, Jim Hoorman, USDA Soil Health Specialist, will present on cover crop and tillage effects on soil health and water quality.

This tour is a great opportunity to gain knowledge about the Vermilion Headwaters Project that works to improve water quality by reducing sediment and nutrient loss from the watershed, and to improve fish and wildlife habitat. If you are interested in attending, please RSVP to the Livingston County SWCD, 815-844-6127, ext. 3.