Soil Health and Regenerative Agriculture for the Carson River Watershed

Please join us for a day to learn about the basic principles of soil health and regenerative agriculture, and how these practices can improve farm/ranch sustainability and economics, while improving and enhancing the water quality of our rivers and streams. Local producers and soil health experts will provide insights, and lead tours of fields under regenerative ag practices. You’ll see equipment demonstrations, soil demo’s, soil pit, and gain a fundamental knowledge about how to integrate soil health and regenerative practices on your farm and ranch.

For additional information contact:

Brenda Hunt, CWSD Watershed Program Manager brenda@cwsd.org (775) 887-9005

Jamie Lee, Program Officer jamielee1@unr.edu (775) 426-8299

Staci Emm, Extension Educator emms@unr.edu (775) 475-4227

Kaley Chapin, Outreach Specialist kaleys@unr.edu (702) 467-2668

2022 Workshop Agenda

8:30 – 9:00 am: Check in and coffee

9:00 – 9:10 am: Introduction and workshop overview/purpose:

• Chuck Schembre, NDEP – Bureau of Water Quality Planning, Environmental Scientist

• Joe Frey, Owner, Farmer and Workshop Host

9:10- 9:50 am: Soil Health Basics: Intro to soil health, principles of soil health and regenerative ag, photosynthesis as the driver to building soil organic carbon. The three control centers of soil function; The importance of soil microbes. Soil Health Practices.

• Jim Komar, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Nevada State Soil Scientist

9:50 – 10:20 am: The Soil and Water Connection: What is good soil structure and soil aggregation, water infiltration, water holding capacity, soil resilience to erosion, and the role of soil health and regenerative practices for improving nutrient management and water quality. Soil Slake and Soil Infiltration Test

• Chuck Schembre, NDEP – Bureau of Water Quality Planning, Environmental Scientist

10 minute Break

10:30 – 10:50 am: Cover Crops for Building Soil Health in Nevada

• Maninder Walia, University of Nevada, Reno Extension
• Christopher Bernau, Great Basin Plant Materials Center

10:50: – 12:00 noon: The Producers Perspective: Regenerative Agricultural in Practice

• Joe Frey – The Economics of regenerative practices
• Tim Coverston– Diversified cover cropping, Alfalfa, farm diversity, soil health fundamentals
• Carson Valley Grower
• Zack Cannady - Prema Farm
• Nickolas & Alexandra Noomen - Wild Harmony Ranch

12:00 - 12:15pm: Intro to CWSD, the Carson River Coalition Ag Working Group and our On-Farm Pilot Projects, The Carson Water Subconservancy District

• Brenda Hunt, Watershed Program Manager
• Shane Fryer, Watershed Program Specialist

12:15 - 1:15 pm: LUNCH – catered by Wild Horse Café, Fallon, NV

1:15 – 1:45 pm: The Soil Rainfall Simulator Demonstration (Outside of barn)

• Zahangir Kabir, NRCS Regional Soil Health Specialist

1:45 – 2:00 pm: Travel to Fields

2:00 – 4:00 pm: Rambling River Ranch Tour and Equipment Demonstrations. Tour Rambling River Ranch, led by Owner and Farmer Joe Frey, and view multiple fields under regenerative ag and soil health management systems, including sileage corn, alfalfa, hemp, and rotation grazing systems. Field observations and discussion will include no-till practice, roller crimping, winter cover cropping, weed issues and management, adaptive grazing, adding diversity to alfalfa, improving the farm riparian corridor, and more! There will also be a soil pit dug and soil science education.

• Joe Frey, Owner and Farmer

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