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.

RJ will discuss the key principles to soil health management strategies that can improve the economics on the farm. You will learn how to grow your soil, feed your plants, and why you should leave soil alone whenever possible.

RJ Rant is the owner of Terraform Ag and Nutrilink Biosystems. After graduating from Kalamazoo College, he took over management of his family’s blueberry farm and transitioned it to USDA Organic status. During this process he found that the products he needed to address his soil and plant needs did not exist, so he decided to create his own. Since then, he has been consulting for farmers across the country and designing products to meet the unique needs of their soils. He lives in Grand Haven, Michigan and enjoys hunting, fishing, and a good glass of scotch

Website: www.terraformag.com