URBANA, Ill. – Put the farm first this summer with research updates and practical information farmers and ranchers can use straight from the fields of Dudley Smith Farm in Central Illinois.
Recognizing the economic challenges facing Illinois agriculture and rural communities, Dudley Smith Jr. gave his 226-acre Christian County farm and an endowment to University of Illinois in 1993. Smith championed adopting agricultural technological advances and continues today with the farm serving as a field research site partially managed by University of Illinois Extension.
For more than 20 years, the farm has hosted bi-annual meetings to update the community on research and provide recommendations. This June, the Dudley Smith Farm Outreach Meeting will feature research updates on soil health and cover crops, using cover crops with annuals, progress toward soil “P” credit, and long-term effects of management practices on nitrogen loss.
The virtual meeting will be 10 a.m. to noon CDT Wednesday, June 16. The meeting is free and open to the public. Register in advance by Friday, June 11 at go.illinois.edu/DSFmeeting.
Amanda Cole, University of Illinois Extension County Director of Christian, Jersey, Macoupin and Montgomery counties will introduce the speakers. The presenters will be Stacy Zuber with the Illinois Natural Resources Conservation Service, Jason Tower with the Southern Indiana Purdue Ag Center, Andrew Margenot, University of Illinois, and Shailendra Singh with University of Illinois.
More information is available from the Christian County Extension Office at (217) 287-7246. If you will need an accommodation in order to participate, contact the Extension office. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs.
SOURCE: Amanda Cole, County Director Christian, Jersey, Macoupin and Montgomery Counties, Illinois Extension
WRITER: Emily Steele, Media Communications Coordinator, Illinois Extension
ABOUT EXTENSION: Illinois Extension leads public outreach for University of Illinois by translating research into action plans that allow Illinois families, businesses, and community leaders to solve problems, make informed decisions, and adapt to changes and opportunities.