High Plains Journal’s Soil Health U & Trade show will return to an in-person format for the first time since the start of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. The two-day event will be held Jan. 18-19 at the Tony’s Pizza Event Center in Salina, Kansas. Soil Health U is designed to provide attendees with a roadmap to better soil health and increase productivity and profitability. This event includes a diverse line-up of keynote speakers, educational breakout sessions, engaging panels and a tradeshow of soil health-adjacent exhibitors.
The keynote speakers are Jerry Hatfield, Ph.D., retired United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service laboratory director, and Jay Fuhrer, a conservationist employed by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Bismarck, North Dakota. Hatfield’s keynote, “What is the real value of soil carbon: Path toward increasing productivity and profitability,” will focus on increasing soil carbon for more efficient utilization of water and nutrients to increase profitability. Fuhrer’s keynote, “Rebuilding and maintaining soil life in the soil,” will delve into increasing the longevity of soil, the damage landscape simplification can inflict and how to revitalize the soil to meet its potential for years to come.
Some of the breakout speakers include Macauley Kincaid, a farmer and soil health enthusiast from Missouri; Roy Pfaltzgraff of Pfaltzgraff Farms in Haxtun, Colorado; Trisha Jackson, Ph.D., director of regenerative agriculture at PrairieFood; Brian Alexander, host of the Ranching Reboot podcast; Cassidy Million, Ph.D., director of ag science at Heliae Agriculture; Kari Bigham, teaching assistant professor at Kansas State University; and Dr. Chris Grotegut, DVM, farmer, rancher and veterinarian. The topics covered in the educational sessions will include: cover crops, livestock, carbon, grazing, profitability and water management. There will also be opportunities for Certified Crop Adviser credits.
The Soil Health U & Trade Show event will also include Soil Health U awards, which will be presented on day one of the event. The awards include Regenerative Woman of the Year and Young Producer of the Year. Individuals that have made valuable contributions to regenerative agriculture can be nominated by visiting www.soilhealthu.net/award-nominations/ and filling out an online form. If selected, the recipients will be notified in advance and will receive two free registrations to attend the event, a one-year subscription to High Plains Journal, editorial coverage in the publication and recognition during the awards ceremony at Soil Health U.
This event also provides ample time to network with speakers, attendees and exhibitors at the trade show during the trade show hours and the Tailgate Social that closes out day one of the event. Early bird registration is $100 and will be available through Oct. 31. Rates will increase to $125 on Nov. 1 up until the event. Onsite registration is $135. To view the schedule, speaker information or register, visit
www.soilhealthu.net. To learn about sponsorship or exhibitor opportunities, contact HPJ sales manager, Jason Koenig at 314-873-3125 or jkoenig@hpj.com. Other questions about Soil Health U can be directed to Jen Hoeferlin, who can be reached at 314-446-4905 or jhoeferlin@hpj.com.
