Event

The first Prairie Festival took place in 1979 on Sam and Terry Evans’ farm near Salina, Kansas, with David Brower as the featured speaker. Since then, our signature annual public event has drawn thousands of attendees from around the world.

Held over the last full weekend of September along the banks of the Smoky Hill River on The Land Institute’s home campus outside Salina, Kansas, the festival revolves around “low tech” presentations by notable guests in The Land Institute’s Big Barn.

The Prairie Festival offers a unique opportunity to interact with some of the world’s most compelling authors, thinkers, artists, and advocates focused on agriculture, food, the environment, science, sustainability, and social and environmental justice.

Our science staff provides tours and an in-depth update on our plant breeding and ecology work and partnerships. There’s great food and music, the Hedge Fire Circle, and always a few surprises. Join us for what The New York Times called an “intellectual hootenanny” and what has become a remarkable can’t-miss event on the prairie.

Join us in Burlington, CO on August 24-25, 2021 for the 33rd Annual High Plains No-Till Conference. The event registration is now open and keynote speakers Alejandro Carrillo, Loran Steinlage, and James White will be featured.

This two-day event is a hands-on workshop where you will participate in the implementation and monitoring of a safe-to-fail grazing trial at the award-winning 3R Ranch of Beulah, CO led by HMI Interim Executive Director and HMI Professional Certified Educator Wayne Knight. Topics include:

• Establishing the priorities – a case for low-cost, low-risk ranching
• The importance of ecosystem health and key monitoring to ensure results
• Identifying risks and how to manage, monitor, and correct deviations from the plan
• Steps to accelerate your learning with certainty and confidence
• Determining optimal plant recovery times for your land
• Identifying, managing, and monitoring key indicators – animal production, ecosystem function, and quality of life
• Financial considerations and decisions for healthy profits
• Considering risk, stress, and quality of life in production decisions
• Takeaway actions for you to implement on your ranch

[Read more…] about Low-Risk, Low-Cost Grazing Workshop

Nathan and Emily Paulsen combine a spirit of innovation, passion for local food and pride in their Danish heritage and Iowa roots to guide their vision for Brun Ko Farm (Brun Ko is Danish for “brown cow”).

For this field day, we will tour their farm to see how their livestock and horticulture systems interact. Manure and garden waste contribute to compost that is eventually formed into production beds (using a bed shaper of Nathan’s own creation!) that are interplanted with vegetables to maximize productivity and keep living roots in the soil as often as possible. This event will highlight the rhythm of these on-farm processes for a family that values their land and community.

The Farm:

Nathan and Emily Paulsen own and operate Brun Ko Farm, located 3 miles east of Elk Horn, Iowa. They raise pastured beef and pork, in addition to eggs, honey and a wide variety of vegetables. They sell their products through the Elk Horn Farmers Market and direct from the farm.

Topics: 

• Compost management
• No-till vegetable production
• Intercropping

Join Sam to talk about transitioning to organic cropping systems and general cover cropping strategies. We’ll meet at Sam’s home before travelling to a nearby organic corn field. Drinks and snacks will be provided.

The Farm:

Sam Bennett and his wife, Danielle, raise corn, soybeans and small grains with Sam’s family on a 2,000-acre operation in Ida County, Iowa. They use cover crops, no-till and strip-till to work toward their goals of improving soil health, conservation, nutrient management and water quality, and creating habitat.

Topics:

• Organic corn
• Weed management
• Soil fertility for organic cropping

Join us for the Soil Health Farmer Caucus quarterly meeting. The Caucus will discuss policy updates and subcommittee progress as well as celebrate our successes and build stronger relationships with one another. You must be a current member of the Caucus to attend.

If you are interested in joining, or for more information email Lizrupel@ilstewards.org .

Are you a farmer or advocate that’s passionate about soil health and land stewardship? Are you looking to connect with others that share your passion?

If you answered yes, then the Soil Health Caucus is right for you!

The Soil Health Caucus brings together Alliance members who use soil health and regenerative practices to build a supportive community, organize together, and grow the movement for soil health in Illinois.