According to Cornell's "Small Farms Bi-Monthly Update," agriculture specialists from the university will present soil health seminars at Empire Farm Days, which will be held on Aug. 9, 10, and 11 in Seneca Falls, N.Y.
On Aug. 9, Dr. Matthew Ryan will be hosting seminars throughout the day. The assistant professor at Cornell University specializes in sustainable cropping systems. Currently, he works with farmers, students and other scientists to evaluate the performance of cropping systems, as well as their impact on the environment.
Dr. Janice E. Thies will lead the seminars hosted on Aug. 10. The associate professor of soil biology has led five international workshops on soil molecular ecology in the past. She has also served as a consultant to the Food and Agriculture Organization, the National Institute for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Scientific Advisory Panel.
The final day of seminars, Aug. 11, will be led by Joe Lawrence, a daily forage systems specialist at Cornell PRO-DAIRY. Lawrence is focused on developing an extension program to help dairy producers maintain high-quality forages to their dairy herds.
The Soil Health Seminar Center is a part of a collaboration between the New York State Working Group for Improved Soil Health, the Cornell University Soil Health program, and other agricultural specialists in the area. The seminars on Aug. 9 will be held between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Those scheduled for Aug. 10 and 11 will be hosted between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.