Event: Principles & Practice: Soil Health Masterclass (US)

Address

Embassy Suites by Hilton Omaha Downtown Old Market
555 S 10th St
Omaha, NE 68102
United States

Directions

Speaker Bios

Grant Sims

Grant Sims is a sixth-generation farmer running the family farm in Victoria, Australia. Grant farms 8500 acres of dryland (17 inches) and some irrigation producing wheat, barley, cereal rye, triticale, oats, millet, sorghum sudan, lentils, vetch, peas, clovers, faba beans, canola intercrops, safflower and angus beef cattle grazing on cocktail cover crops. Sims Farms have been no-till since the early 80’s and when Grant came back to the farm full time, he began exploring ways to improve the function of their soils through biology. In 2008 he stopped using granular fertilizers and started using a biologically made multi-mineral, liquid fermented fertilizer which they now manufacture and apply 80,000 gallons on farm. At that time, he also stopped using seed dressings and dropped insecticide and fungicide use, only using when absolutely necessary. In 2015 Grant was awarded the Coles Weekly Times Farmer of the Year and he is a former president of the Victorian No Till  Famers Association. Grant has recently been collaborating with researchers who have been studying the impacts of his highly diverse, livestock integrated farming system on soil carbon and beneficial insects/pest management. Grant and his father started ‘Down Under Covers’ in 2019, a multi-species seed business and have become the leading provider of cover crop seed Australia wide. Grant has extensive experience with using cover crops for soil health improvement in temperate and tropical environments as well as multi-species blends for livestock weight gains, helping farmers become more profitable. Drawing on these various experiences, he is now a sought-after speaker on cover crops and biofertilizers where he shares his hands-on knowledge with farmers around Australia. Grant on X

Tom Robinson

Tom Robinson is also a sixth-generation farmer who farms alongside his wife, Cassi, and parents, Ashley and Kaylene in South Australia. On 3700 acres, they predominantly grow small grains (wheat, lentils, barley, peas and canola) in their mild winters with an annual rainfall of 13-17 inches in a Mediterranean climate. The farm has been zero till for over 20 years and min till 12 years prior and uses controlled traffic, stripper front harvesting and disc seeding and full stubble retention with a focus on soil, plant and livestock health. After a 28 year hiatus, they returned livestock to the land in 2018 running a cow/calf and trade steer herd on ground that needs a biological boost using mixed species crops and a rotational grazing system. Tom and his father have embraced the use of regular sap analysis and use targeted applications of foliar nutrition to improve plant health, lower costs and maximise profitability. In 2018, Tom was awarded the National Grain Innovation Award for demonstrating innovative practices on the farm and he is a former president of the South Australian No Till Farmers Association. Tom is an engaging and stimulating speaker who has presented internationally in the US, South Africa, Hungary as well as around Australia. Tom on X

Joel Williams

Joel Williams is an independent plant and soil health educator and consultant who has worked extensively in Australia, Europe and Canada where he is currently based. He has a keen interest in agroecology, plant nutrition and plant and soil microbiomes and how these may support the development of sustainable production systems. Joel has a Bachelor of Agricultural Science from Australia specialising in plant and soil dynamics; and an MSc in Food Policy from the UK where he explored motivations and barriers to the adoption of intercropping. Joel has a passion for teaching and sharing a combination of scientific and practical information and has lectured to farming audiences internationally. Joel on X

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