The annual Healthy Soil Summit is built for farmers, growers and ranchers searching for an advantage in today’s marketplace. Our instructors are real farmers who practice what they teach, including detailed tactics to build soil resilience, increase water storage capacity and decrease costly inputs and programs. Not only will you learn how the ecological efficiencies of balancing the chemistry, biology and physical properties of your soil, but you will also learn how these tactics can decrease long-term fertilizer, herbicide and pesticide costs.
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Acres U.S.A.
Acres U.S.A. events aren’t like any other. At each one you’ll find in-depth, practical content; expert speakers who are real farmers & ranchers; invaluable networking and community connection opportunities; 50+ years of experience teaching about soil health; and more!
Our speakers are vetted practitioners of soil health management and are leaders in agriculture. Click on their photo for more information.
2021 Lineup
Steve Becker
As Chief Science Officer at Tainio Biologicals, Steve Becker is afforded an up close and personal view into the world of soil biology; valuable information that he uses in the development and refinement of Tainio products. After earning a degree in biology from Eastern Washington University, Steve began working with Bruce Tainio at Tainio Biologicals. Under his mentorship, Steve developed a deep respect for nature, farming, and the plant and soil microbiome, which has become what he studies, shares, and develops inputs for. Most recently, Steve became a Certified Crop Advisor, and is using that knowledge to help guide farmers to incorporate Biological Farm Management System into their farms and fertility programs. When not in his lab or out in the field, Steve enjoys spending time with his wife and two children.
Rick Clark
Rick Clark is a fifth generation farmer from Williamsport, Indiana. Rick’s goal on his farm is to build soil health and achieve balance with nature. Rick has developed and is constantly improving a systematic approach to regenerative farming, and his farm is 100% non-GMO, 100% no-till, and 100% cover crop. Rick is transitioning all acres of the farm to organic, and is most proud of developing a system of organic farming that utilizes no tillage and suppresses weeds with cover crops. Listen to his podcast interview with Acres U.S.A. here.
Gina-Colfer
Laura Decker
With 20+ years’ experience in public accounting, corporate financial reporting and planning, small business development, and management, Laura has brought her skills to Prolific Earth Sciences to grow the innovative diagnostic testing company. The company’s mission is to enable soil stewards all over the world to use mobile technology and the cost-effective soil test, microBIOMETER®, to assess regenerative soil practices, to improve soil health, and work towards increased soil carbon sequestration.
Jackie Eshelman
A lifetime of outdoor experience has Jackie bringing fresh eyes to landscapes as she stewards the Ecological Outcome Verification (EOV) program for UVE, the Savory Hub for the Pacific and Intermountain West. As an accredited EOV Master Verifier, Jackie finds herself in the privileged position of traveling the western US visiting with farmers, ranchers, and land stewards of every kind and monitoring a vast range of landscapes and ecoregions. Growing relationships, whole-hearted empathy, and deep care for Land and People are at the core of her work. Jackie meets all land stewards where they are, at any stage in their regenerative journey, and works to inspire decisions at the soil surface.
John Kempf
David Knaus
David Knaus is the founder of Apical Crop Science LLC, a Portland Oregon area Ag-tech company that leverages modern laboratory analytics, online data science and complex organic crop inputs to provide growers with the tools they need. His goal is to help customers find the best products and systems to grow extremely healthy, optimal yielding crops organically with minimal pest problems. David is a certified International Crop Advisor with more than 15 years of experience in plant and soil science, organic crop management and college-level instruction in sustainable agriculture.
Dennis Warnecke is Director of Sales and Technical Support at Tainio Biologicals, Inc. With over 25 years’ experience in biological agriculture and turf management, he is highly respected for his expertise in biologicals for both organic and conventional agriculture including apples and other tree fruits, melons, hops, wheat, corn, alfalfa, grass hay, and most other row crops. A native of Washington State, Dennis received his higher education at Eastern Washington University, and later went on to become a Certified Crop Advisor. Dennis is an avid outdoorsman and truly enjoys sharing this passion with his wife and two children.
James White
Close up of combine harvester pouring soybeanSilo in a corn field. Agricultural Silos. Storage and drying of grains.
We know participating in a virtual event isn’t the same as taking it all in, in person. We get it, but virtual is the best we can do this year.
Soil Program Topic
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