GEORGETOWN, Del. — More than 200 agronomists came together to soak up the latest research and innovations to improve small- and large-scale farming operations at the Delmarva Soil Summit on Wednesday, Feb. 26 and Thursday, Feb. 27 at Delaware Technical Community College in Georgetown, Del. The crowd was filled with farmers, local government agency representatives, researchers, nonprofits, educational institutions and students from local colleges and universities.
The event featured guest speakers from across the country ranging from soil scholars to farmers who presented the latest in cover crop economics, soil health initiatives, carbon storage, no-till trends, challenges, successes and lessons learned through break out sessions and farmer lead discussion panels.
Vernon “Chip” Baker, of Millsboro, Del., a retired farmer and National Association of Conservation District (NACD) Soil Health Champion said the Delmarva Soil Summit was, “a great learning experience and there were so many takeaways; however, one of the things I got out of the summit is the reason why you should diversify cover crops. It reiterated what we have been taught the last few years, it’s not as important what is above the ground but what is below the ground. To increase microbial activity in the soil, you should use diverse species of cover crops to feed all the microbes.”
For more information visit www.delmarvasoilsummit.com.
–Siobhan Kelley, Sussex Conservation District