New York farmers learn soil health practices during a field demonstration at the 2024 New York Soil Health Field Day at Rodman Lott & Son Farms.
The New York Soil Health Alliance and the New York Corn & Soybean Growers Association have teamed up for back-to-back field days Aug. 6-7 at Rodman Lott & Son Farms in Seneca Falls.
The 2025 Summer Crop Tour hosted by the New York Corn and Soybean Growers Association will take place on Wednesday, Aug. 6. The next day, on Thursday, Aug. 7, the New York Soil Health Alliance will hold its annual NY Soil Health Field Day. Attendees are welcome to register for one or both events.
The Aug. 6 program includes keynotes, industry updates, and live equipment demonstrations. Matt Reardon, senior atmospheric scientist with Nutrient Ag Solutions, will present on the science of weather prediction. Following a food truck lunch, attendees can observe field demonstrations of tractors, planters, drills, seed discs, sprayers, and more in action. See more details at: https://nycornsoy.org/events/2025-summer-crop-tour.
Register for August 6: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2025-new-york-corn-soybean-summer-crop-tour-tickets-1279690451589?aff=oddtdtcreator.
The New York Soil Health Field Day on Aug. 7 will feature hands-on demonstrations, panel discussions, and practical tools for building soil health and enhancing resilience in New York’s field crop systems.
Field stations will cover bio-strip till, weed identification, the effects of soil compaction on soybeans and corn, and equipment cleaning for weed control. The two keynote speakers are Aaron Breimer, a precision agronomist with Moose-Ag, and Heather Darby, an extension professor at the University of Vermont.
Breimer will present on lessons from on-farm research. Darby will discuss modifying cropping systems to maximize the benefits of cover crops. A panel on soil health and nitrogen efficiency will include Breimer, John Macauley, and Ben Austic, moderated by Kirsten Workman of Cornell Pro-Dairy.
“This field day is about putting soil health into practice,” said Joseph Amsili, director of New York Soil Health at Cornell University. “By working together across public and private sectors, we’re excited for two days of seminars, knowledge sharing, networking, and live demonstrations.”
The Aug. 7 event runs from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. with an optional biochar demonstration from 3:30 – 4 p.m. Registration is $20 and includes a three-meat BBQ lunch and a raffle. One DEC credit and CCA credits are available. Pre-registration is encouraged: online or by calling Seneca Soil & Water Conservation District.
The August 7 field day is organized by Cornell Cooperative Extension, Rodman Lott & Son Farms, Cornell CALS, Tompkins County Soil & Water Conservation District, Cayuga County Soil & Water Conservation District, Seneca County Soil & Water Conservation District, and USDA-NRCS. Event sponsors include Soil Health Champions: King’s AgriSeeds, Cayuga Ag Enterprises, and NY Corn & Soybean Growers Association.
Register for August 7: https://cals.cornell.edu/school-integrative-plant-science/soil-health-program-payments-page. Alternatively, you can RSVP by calling the Seneca SWCD at 315-568-4366.
