By Blake Jackson
The University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service is joining the Good Idea Shop Talks, a free, virtual series designed to support row crop and livestock producers in the Midwest and Mid-South.
This initiative aims to enhance peer-to-peer learning and address practical challenges related to soil and water conservation on farms.
Amanda Gumbert, an extension water quality specialist at the UK Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, explains, “These virtual meet-ups are for all farmers. Whether you are just getting started with conservation, have lots of experience using conservation practices or fall somewhere in between, you will learn something. Plus, you can be part of a conservation community who help each other troubleshoot challenges associated with using conservation practices such as cover crops, prairie strips, field buffers or managed grazing.”
The Good Idea Shop Talks are primarily targeted at producers from states within the Mississippi River Basin, including Kentucky, but are open to farmers from other regions as well.
Each session features a producer who presents a specific challenge they are encountering with in-field or edge-of-field conservation practices.
The group then collaborates to find solutions, sharing their own experiences and advice in a peer-led format without formal expert presentations.
The Summer 2024 series includes three weekly virtual meet-ups scheduled for August 1, 8, and 15, starting at 12:30 p.m. EDT. Farmers can attend any or all these sessions.
This series is a joint effort between the Martin-Gatton CAFE, the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension, and the Mississippi State University Extension Service.
Good Idea Shop Talks is part of the One Good Idea platform, which fosters farmer-to-farmer learning about conservation practices through various resources such as videos and podcasts.
Photo Credit: university-of-kentucky
Categories: Kentucky, Education