In partnership with SAI Platform member, Land O Lakes, all delegates will spend the morning at the WinField® United Answer Plot® and the WinField® United Innovation Center in River Falls, Wisconsin. Buses will depart from the Lowes Hotel Minneapolis at 7am sharp and breakfast will be provided.
WinField® United Answer Plot®
Join agronomists and crop nutrition experts from Truterra and WinField® United for a guided tour of the WinField® United Answer Plot®. On-site field trials include various tillage demonstrations, nitrogen reduction programmes and cover crop species demonstrations. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about how tillage affects soil health and the role of alfalfa in sustainability before experiencing relay cropping firsthand in a drone demonstration.
WinField® United Innovation Center
The WinField® United Innovation Center is a 55,000-square-foot hub dedicated to cutting-edge agronomic research and product development. A guided tour of the Innovation Center will introduce participants to the innovative products and technologies being produced to ensure that farmers can get the most out of every acre. Participants will also have the opportunity to learn about how the USDA is investing more than $3.1 billion into the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities initiative. The effort will expand markets for climate-smart commodities, leverage the greenhouse gas benefits of climate-smart commodity production, and provide direct, meaningful benefits to producers.
Lunch will be served at the WinField® United Innovation Center before buses depart for a choice of two afternoon farm visits in the Minnesota region to see regenerative agriculture in practice. Please make the selection for your preferred farm visit when registering for the event here.
Option 1
Gar-Lin Dairy, Eyota, Minnesota
Gary and Linda Allen are innovative dairy farmers operating a multi-generation dairy farm consisting of over 1,850 milking cows. The farm operation spans 4,470 acres consisting of corn, alfalfa, sweet peas and sweet corn, soybeans, and winter rye.
Join Land O’Lakes and the Allen’s for an exciting on-farm experience to explore how progressive agriculture practices have shaped their dairy and crop operations. Sustainability, technology and innovation are key focus areas and the Allen’s rely on hard-working professionals and educated staff to run their large dairy farm.
Operating with a future-forward mindset around regenerative agriculture, this farm implements crop rotations and reclaims nutrients to replenish soil. Participants will be introduced to innovative approaches to nutrient management, wastewater recycling and agronomy and have the opportunity to visit the free-stall barns, maternity areas, nurseries and milking parlor.
Option 2
Highland Family Farms, Mapleton, Minnesota
Pat and Kristin Duncanson are progressive farmers growing corn, soybeans, cereal rye and finishing pigs. They follow a triple bottom line approach that balances economic, environmental, and community returns.
Join Cargill and the Duncanson’s for an engaging first-hand insight into how regenerative agriculture practices are shaping their operation on-farm. The Duncanson’s strive to be stewards of their land, increasing their soil health by cover cropping and reducing tillage. To improve water quality, they use drainage projects and conservation structures. Nutrient efficiency is improved by utilising swine manure and strip tilling. Through the successful implementation of these regenerative practices, soil health has been successfully improved without sacrificing yields.
Participants will have the opportunity to learn how Highland Family Farms has benefitted commercially from the addition of cover crops and expanding their production and marketing diversity.