Registration open for agriculture workshops

MOSES LAKE — Registration is open for a pair of workshops designed to help farmers improve their land, set for late November. The workshops, one day each, are sponsored by WSU-Grant/Adams Extension.

“Building Soils for Better Crops” is scheduled for Nov. 29 at the ATEC building at Big Bend Community College. “High Residue Farming” is set for Nov. 30 in the same location.

People who complete the Nov. 29 workshop will receive three CCA credits for soil and water management and one CCA credit for nutrient management.

The Nov. 29 workshop is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Classes include how to determine proper nutrients for the region, new options in the industry, proper use of different nutrients, the economic impact and results farmers can expect when they use certain soil improvement techniques.

Participants will have time for questions at the end of the morning and afternoon sessions. Fabian Fernandez, University of Minnesota; Kristin Trippe, from the USDA office in Corvallis and Mir Seyedbagheri, retired professor from the University of Idaho, are the speakers for the morning session.

Speakers for the afternoon classes are Haiying Tao, Washington State University; David Grantatstein and Andy McGuire of the WSU extension program, Jennifer Moore Kucera of the federal National Resource Conservation Service and grower Eric Williamson, George.

The Nov. 30 workshop will focus on the practice of leaving more of what’s left after the crop has been harvested the field, and plowing it differently, known as “high residue” farming. The program will focus in the techniques that work best for irrigated crops.

The program is from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. McGuire is the speaker.

The workshop is four hours total, with a question-and-answer period. Topics covered include high-residue farming in the Columbia Basin, benefits and challenges, the conditions where it works best. Other topics include the most effective techniques, such as direct seeding and strip-till systems.

Participants also will receive a number of publications on high-residue farming from WSU.

Cost for either workshop is $25 per person. Advance registration is required to guarantee lunch, McGuire said. People can register at the WSU website, under the “irrigated ag” subhead at the School of Agriculture. Only checks or credit cards will be accepted.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at education@columbiabasinherald.com.