The Seeds Are Sown, the Journey Begins
(An excerpt from ‘The Dirt”: SCI’s Monthly Farmer Newsletter)
Planting season is mostly wrapped up - the first big milestone of the year behind us. Driving through any farm community this spring and the hard work is impossible to miss - early mornings, dealing with whatever Mother Nature brings, and the persistence to keep going.
SCI farmer Jerry Volenec captured this perfectly after finishing his planting:
“Finished planting today. Calves will do a thing, kinda like a dog will... end of their day, they’ll kinda nest up... I’m sure you’ve seen it... paw at the bed, circle, you know they’re thinking. Then they’ll lay down. And you know they are set when they let out a deep breath... almost a sigh. I’m there.”
We know planting is just the beginning and there's still a lot of season left between now and harvest. Hoping you're off to a good start and finding moments to enjoy the beauty of farming and your hard work.
Sharing photos below of Jerry, his wife Jen, and their beautiful daughters planting 275 oak trees at Hardscrabble Farms in Montfort, Wisconsin. Check out Jerry no-till planting for his first time (Go Jerry!!).
Farmers, don’t forget to join us for our monthly Office Hour on Thursdays at 4pm ET.
As always, don’t hesitate to reach out.
🌾 Taylor Herren, Senior Manager, Farm Transition Services
UPCOMING EVENTS
Practical Farmers of Iowa Field Days
2025 Schedule
Nearly 60 farms across Iowa, as well as Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska and Wisconsin, are opening their farm gates for another season of farmer-to-farmer learning for Practical Farms of Iowa Field Days.
Schedule runs from June - November, 2025. Attendance is free and RSVPs are appreciated.
Upcoming events:
Tuesday, June 10 | Arion, IA
Exploring Alternative Practices: Successes and Challenges in Pursuit of Sustainability
Host: Eric Mahaney, BioCovered
Wednesday, June 11 | Crofton, NE
Cover Crops and Compost in Nebraska
Host: Doug & Traci Steffen
Wednesday, June 11 | Guttenberg, IA
Automated Season Extension and Diverse Production at Phelps Farm
Host: Andrew & Amy Phelps, Phelps Farm
SCA On-Farm Network Meeting
June 17-19 | Atlanta & White Oak Pastures
Join us for the Soil & Climate Alliance (SCA) Annual Meeting in Atlanta, GA.
This event is an excellent opportunity to build relationships with other farmers along with brands and other organizations that can support what you're trying to accomplish on your farm. You'll engage in learning sessions and collaborative working groups at the Emory Conference Center Hotel.
Registration also includes a farm visit and tour of White Oak Pastures in Bluffton, GA. As one of the most well-known regenerative farms in the U.S., White Oak Pastures is a living example of how holistic land management, multi-species rotational grazing, and on-farm processing can restore ecosystems, enhance biodiversity, and create thriving rural economies.
🌾 Registration is FREE for SCI Farmers! Contact us HERE to receive the discount code.
2025 Premier Soil Health School
July 29 - 30 | Redwoods Falls, MN
Join SCI's Taylor Herren at this summer's Premier Soil Health School at Grant and Dawn Breitkreutz’s Farm in Redwood Falls, MN.
Featured speakers include:
Lance Gunderson, Founding member and President of Regen Ag Lab
Ray Archuleta, Renowned Soil Scientist
Rick Bieber, Successful No-till Farmer
Learn from experts on soil testing, nutrient cycling, biomimicry, epigenetics and more. This is an in-depth, hands on opportunity to deep dive into soil biology. Meet like-minded farmers and connect with a mentor!
INDUSTRY NEWS
Long Live the Soil: Jimmy Emmons Sworn in as Assistant Chief of NRCS
Last November, there was a lot of buzz about Jimmy Emmons being considered by the Trump Transition team for a top position at the US Department of Agriculture. That died down as the President selected confidant Brooke Rollins to be his Secretary of Ag. But, Emmons stayed in the conversation as the staff at the Natural Resource Conservation Service was assembled.
Last week, that became a reality as Jimmy Emmons was sworn in as the Assistant Chief of the NRCS- the number two person in the NRCS at the USDA.
Photo & Article Credit: oklahomafarmreport.com