“Getting the Most Out of Your Farm: Regenerate Your Bottom-Line, Reduce Your Risk”

Rick Clark, Clark Land & Cattle, Williamsport, Indiana

Rick Clark, a fifth generation farmer from Williamsport, Indiana, will share how he’s transformed his 7,000 acre conventional farm to a regenerative system. His entire operation is farmed without starter fertilizer, seed treatment, fungicide, and insecticide. Wondering how he makes that work? Join us at the 2020 Wisconsin Cover Crop Conference to hear how conservation agriculture has helped Clark build a resilient farming operation.

For more than a decade, Clark has been no-till planting and using cover crops. In the last eight years, he has transitioned into a planting green system in order to build biomass, suppress weeds, recycle nutrients, and feed soil microbes. Clark recognizes that cover crops are planted for a multitude of reasons, so why burn them off in early April, when there is still work for them to do? In addition to these practices, Clark uses a diversified approach of working with neighboring dairies and other markets to strengthen his operation. With a degree in Agricultural Economics from Purdue University, Clark uses data to guide his decision-making process to make financially sound decisions and be in a “position of strength.” His presentation is designed to challenge everybody and offer ideas to increase your operation’s bottom-line, while decreasing your risk.

Clark was recently awarded the Field to Market 2019 Farmer of the Year Award. Check out this video to learn more and join us on February 20, 2020 to hear first-hand how Clark is making regenerative agriculture work on his operation!

Wisconsin Cover Crop Conference

Tentative Agenda

Wednesday, February 19th

5:00 – 8:00: Pre-Conference Dinner & Discussion, Holly Dolliver, UW-River Falls (Requires additional registration, please see registration below) 

• Ice, Water, & Wind – Exploring Soil Diversity in Wisconsin

Thursday, February 20th

8:00 – 9:00: Early Riser – Farmers Figuring it Out Discussions

• Adding Small Grains to Your Crop Rotations
  • Adam Kramer
• 60 Inch Corn – Why and How?
  • Logan Dwyer, Havin Hills Rolling Acres – Chetek, WI
  • Bill Stangel, Soil Solution Consulting, LLC. – Madison, WI
• Grazing Cover Crops
  • Justin Seager, Maple Valley Farms – Marion, WI
  • Tom Cotter, Cotter Farms – Austin, MN
• Cover Crops in Processing Vegetable Rotation
  • John Ruzicka, Guth Farm, LLC. – Bancroft, WI
• Question & Answer: Weed Control and Covers
  • Kevin Bradley, University of Missouri – State Extension Weed Scientist & Professor in the Division of Plant Sciences

9:00 – 9:30: Break and Registration for Conference Attendees

9:30 – 10:30: Keynote Speaker: Rick Clark

• Getting the Most Out of Your Land: Regenerate Your Bottom-Line, Reduce Your Risk

10:45 – 12:00: Concurrent Sessions: Select a Session

• Session 1: Herbicides, Cover Crops, and Weed Management
  • Kevin Bradley, University of Missouri – State Extension Weed Scientist & Professor in the Division of Plant Sciences
• Session 2: Maintaining Soil Health While Managing Manure
  • Francisco Arriaga, University of Wisconsin – Associate Professor in Department of Soil Science
  • Joe Baetn, Wisconsin DNR
  • Jeff Endres
• Session 3: Building a Soil Health System – Easy Points of Entry
  • Adam Kramer
  • Greg Friendshuh
  • Chris Miller

12:00 – 1:00: Lunch and Time to Visit With Exhibitors

1:00 – 2:15: Concurrent Session: Select a Session

• Session 4: Planting Green
  • Rick Clark, Clark Land & Cattle – Williamsport, IN
• Session 5: Assessing Soil Health
  • Jamie Patton, University of Wisconsin – Senior Outreach Specialist with Nutrient & Pest Management Program
  • Holly Dolliver, University of Wisconsin – River Falls – Professor of Soil Science & Geology
  • Chelsea Zegler, University of Wisconsin Division of Extension, Dane County Crops & Soils Educator
• Session 6: Getting More out of Cover Crops – Using as an Alternative Forage
  • Tom Cotter, Cotter Farms – Austin, MN
  • TJ Kartes, Saddle Butte Ag Forage & Cover Crop Seeds – Blooming Prairie, MN

2:45 – 4:00: Summary Session

• Soil health systems and weather extremes – Lessons learned in 2019
  • Chris Kucharik, University of Wisconsin – Professor of Agronomy & Environmental Studies
  • Bill Stangel, Soil Solutions Consulting, LLC. – Madison, WI
  • Tyler Schoonover
  • Clint Hodorff

Wisconsin Cover Crop Conference Registration

Registration closes Friday, February 14, 2020

Please note: Walk-ins are welcome, but will be required to pay via cash or check. Credit card payments will only be available to those who pay on personal mobile devices. 

To register, click here!

To book your reservation online: click here!

To book your reservation over the phone:

• Phone number: (715) 344-0200 and press #3.

Please reference the following:

• Group Name: Dane County UW Extension
• Group Block Code: DCE 

Hotel rates:

Single Occupancy: $82.00/night

Double Occupancy: $109.00/night

Please note the rate will be available until January 31, 2020 or until block is full – so don’t wait, reserve your room today!

You can sponsor the Wisconsin Cover Crop Conference! 

Last year’s conference was a huge success, drawing 400 attendees!!

Sponsors of the 2020 cover crop conference will also enjoy the benefit of recognition at the WI DATCP Producer-Led Workshop and the Soil Health dinner featuring Holly Dolliver presenting on Ice, Water, & Wind – Exploring Soil Diversity in Wisconsin being held the evening before the Cover Crop Conference, February 19th.

To register as a sponsor, click here!

Sponsorship PDF: 2020 WI Cover Crop Conference Sponsorship Form