Climate Smart Soil Management Workshop: Conserving Natural Resources through Accurate Fertility Management

When: Wednesday, April 2, 2025 from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM, BYO lunch; Field walk at Erickson Fields Preserve 1:00-2:00 PM

Where: Aldermere Farm Welcome Center, 20 Russell Ave, Rockport, ME 04856; field walk at Erickson Fields Preserve (164 West St. Rockport, ME)

Program description:

Soil fertility is subject to change over the course of the growing season and requires active management. A good fertility management program helps to ensure that commercial crop and forage production is efficient, as well as economically and environmentally sustainable. In recent years, extreme weather events characterized by extended periods of wet, dry or drought conditions have necessitated a fertility management approach that anticipates the effects of Maine’s changing climate on plant available nutrients and nutrient loss. In this workshop, University of Maine Assistant Scientist, Bruce Hoskins, will discuss climate smart fertility management strategies for Maine followed by a demonstration of best practices in soil sampling with UMaine Cooperative Extension Sustainable Agriculture Educator, Brett Johnson.

Speaker biographies:

Bruce Hoskins has managed the Soil Testing Program at the University of Maine for over 30 years, as well as supervising the day to day operation of the lab. He serves as a University and State-wide resource for soil fertility, soil health, and nutrient management concerns. Areas of research include high tunnel fertility management, nutrient availability and release rates from organic fertilizers, and soil health testing methods. He can be reached at hoskins@maine.edu or at 207.581.2945.

Brett Johnson is a sustainable agriculture educator with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension serving commercial producers in Waldo, Knox, and Lincoln Counties through educational programming and direct technical assistance. Johnson also serves as the state-wide farm business management educator with UMaine Extension and coordinates Extension’s statewide business planning course, Business Planning for Producers. His research and educational programming are broadly concerned with the economic and environmental sustainability of farm businesses in Maine. He can be reached at brett.w.johnson@maine.edu or by phone at 207.342.5971