As a follow up to our 2025 Cultivating Resilience Winter Conference, Ottawa Conservation District has partnered up with Rough Diamond Dairy (15637 16th Ave, Coopersville, MI 49404) for a free cookout lunch to learn how no-till and cover crop planting can improve your soil health. Check out soil pits, learn how to complete a soil health assessment, and network with a variety of local seed companies!

Current Working Agenda

12:00 pm-12:45pm: Lunch (provided by Green Vale Farms, paid for by Dairyland Seed Co)
– Network with local seed company representatives, including Channel Seed, Dairyland Seed Co, Helena Agri-Enterprises, LLC, Vriesland Growers Co-op, Rob See Co, and Bosch Cover Crop Seed)

12:50-1:00pm: Introduction and MAEAP Highlight (Andrew Booher – Ottawa Conservation District MAEAP Tech)

1:00-1:10pm: Learn about the site (Tim VanDyke, Rough Diamond Dairy and Matt Lubbers, Channel Seed)

1:15-1:30pm: Soil Pit Discussion (John Craft, Channel Seed Agronomist)

1:30-1:45pm: Soil Health Kits and Assessment (Alex Svoboda, Regen Ag Field Specialist, MDARD and Andrew Booher, Ottawa Conservation District MAEAP Tech)

1:45-1:55pm: Cost-Share Programs for No-Till & Cover Crops (Benjamin Jordan – Ottawa Conservation District, Watershed Programs Coordinator)

1:55 – 2:00pm: Questions and Goodbye!

This event is FREE and includes free lunch! All attendees will also go home with some free soil health assessment tools!

Thank you sponsors! – Channel Seeds, Vriesland Growers, Helena Agri-Enterprises, LLC, and Dariyland Seed