Soil is the true hero of your farm. We often overlook the condition of our soil and it’s easy to overwork, compact, and deplete it. Understanding what makes healthy soil is the key to improving farm yields and the farm’s bottom line. This year at Van Buren Conservation District's farm conference soil health experts will speak about different ways of measuring and improving soil health, and farmers will share their own challenges and successes straight from the farm.

Farming for the Future is an annual educational event for local farmers and is a great opportunity to learn from agricultural specialists, educators, researchers, businesses and other farmers.

Russell is a first-generation farmer who grows corn, soybeans, and wheat in the foothills of North Carolina. Russell will be discussing all the things he takes into consideration when he adds soil health practices on his farm. Russell will share his on-farm experience with using cover crop blends for maximum nutrient release, experimenting with nutrient and chemical management to increase ROI while cutting back on inputs, and his perspective of the Haney soil test. Finally, he will discuss how regenerative practices can still achieve high yields.

Russell is a first-generation farmer in the foothills of Hickory, North Carolina, where he farms JRH Grain Farms, LLC. Russell is known as one of the most progressive young farmers in the country. Russell has been a featured producer in Top Producer Magazine, Furrow Magazine, and on RFD TV, Ag PhD, and National No-till Farmer for profitably farming by reducing fertilizer inputs and using soil health practices on cash crops. In 2017 he won the North Carolina Corn Yield contest, the first person to win in the state using regenerative practices. Russell's operation focuses on maximizing profits and direct consumer marketing for all their products, including corn, soybeans, wheat, barley, pasture beef, and pork. He has partnered with Foothills Distillery to produce the first bourbon in North Carolina since prohibition.

Website: www.agsoilregen.com