Building soil health, conserving moisture and integrating crop and livestock production will be the topics Wednesday at the Forage Beef and Cover Crop Workshop at NDSU-Dickinson Research Extension Center Ranch southwest of Manning, according to Doug Landblom, animal scientist at the DREC.

The workshop is an outgrowth of a collaborative soil health demonstration project between the DREC, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Dickinson State University and the soil conservation districts from Dunn, Billings and Stark counties. Toby Stroh of DSU is the project manager.

The workshop will feature Dwayne Beck from South Dakota State University, an authority on soil health research in the United States.

No-till farming will also be discussed; Kris Nichols, research scientist the USDA-Agricultural Research Station in Mandan, will present her research information.

NRCS district conservationist for Stark and Billings counties, Todd Solem, will present information on cover crops.

Landblom said in a release, "I think that as we discuss these changes in cultural practices sometimes it is going to take a shift in the way we think and the way we farm. Change always has its costs but we think that, in the long run, adopting practices that improve soil quality are going to be beneficial to the economic picture for agriculture in southwest North Dakota."

For more information, contact the Soil Conservation District at 701-225-3811.