Great plains growers conference & trade show
January 9-11, 2014
The 2014 keynote address was delivered by nationally known early pioneer of conservation tillage Steve Groff of Cedar Meadow Farm in Holtwood, PA. Steve, his wife Cheri, and their three children live on the farm that his grandfather purchased in 1935. He faced a rolling landscape subject to severe erosion when he began farming with his father after graduating from high school. He and his father regularly used herbicides and insecticides, tilled annually or semi-annually and rarely used cover crops. Tired of watching two-feet-deep crevices form on the hillsides after every heavy rain, Steve began experimenting with no-till to protect and improve the soil.
Steve started small with what he now proudly calls his "permanent cover cropping system" - a rotation heavy on ground covers and reliant upon no-till planting. His new system keeps his ground covered all year. In the process, he has greatly reduced erosion, improved soil quality, and controlled both weeds and insects. Moreover, his vegetable and grain yields have improved.
Steve has won numerous awards for his in no-till agriculture. During his keynote address, Steve discussed more of how his working farm in Holtwood, PA is heralded to have some of the healthiest, cultivated soil to be found anywhere in North America.
For additional information about Steve, visit his website at cedarmeadowfarm.com
Steve started small with what he now proudly calls his "permanent cover cropping system" - a rotation heavy on ground covers and reliant upon no-till planting. His new system keeps his ground covered all year. In the process, he has greatly reduced erosion, improved soil quality, and controlled both weeds and insects. Moreover, his vegetable and grain yields have improved.
Steve has won numerous awards for his in no-till agriculture. During his keynote address, Steve discussed more of how his working farm in Holtwood, PA is heralded to have some of the healthiest, cultivated soil to be found anywhere in North America.
For additional information about Steve, visit his website at cedarmeadowfarm.com
For presentation information from the 2014 GPGC, see the workshop sections. If we were provided with the presentation, they will be uploaded there. Please note: we do not have every presentation available.