Before there were the gently rolling hills of farmland and forest we see today, southwest Michigan’s landscape included large areas of prairie habitat. Dominated by wildflowers, grasses, and sedges, these habitats were maintained by periodic fires and included oak barrens, dry sand prairies, and wetland prairies. Today, only a few remnants of Michigan’s historical prairies remain on the landscape. Prairie strips, a conservation practice in row crops that protects soil and water while providing habitat for wildlife, are one way to restore these habitats to the
Organic field day to be hosted at KBS
Please join Herbruck's on Thursday, July 8, 2021 from 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. for an Organic Field Day, hosted at the Kellogg Biological Station, 9702 N 40th St., Hickory Corners, Michigan. With over 500 certified organic farms in Michigan - and more in transition - organic production is an important aspect of Michigan agriculture. Organic practices can aid in creating resilient farming systems by successfully implementing cover crops, building soil health, planting green, and more. Information about the latest organic research and technology, alongside conversations with organic
On-farm conservation practices to build resilience: Notes from a virtual field day
Monica Jean, Educator with Michigan State University Extension (MSUE), shares details from the recent Cropping System Resilience Virtual Field Day, held July 2020. For the original article, see the MSUE website. MSUE teamed up with The Kellogg Biological Station Long-term Ecological Research (KBS LTER) program and farmers in the Central Southern region of Michigan to host a live Cropping System Resilience Virtual Field Day in July. The day included a farm tour and interactive questions from the audience. During the tour, topics discussed were relay cropping, interseeding covers, and