Have you found yourself wishing you could talk to other producers who are using or considering conservation practices to improve their soil, land, and bottom lines? Whether you lack peers in your community whom you can talk to, or you just want to hear what producers elsewhere are doing and learning, this meet-up series is for you. This free, virtual meet-up series is for producers who want to exchange ideas and advice for troubleshooting on-farm challenges related to improving soil and water resources.

Who can join

Good Idea Shop Talks is for row crop and livestock producers who could be anywhere on their conservation journey – whether you are just “conservation curious” or you are already doing cover crops, prairie strips, no till, managed grazing, or other conservation practices.

The Shop Talks are intended for producers in the following states of the Mississippi River Basin: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana. But we welcome producers from other states.

How it works

In each Shop Talk, a producer will kick off the conversation by presenting a challenge they are experiencing with an in-field or edge-of-field conservation practice for the group to workshop. This producer is called the “pitcher.”

Then the group talks it out and problem solves together, with opportunities to share your own experience and soak up the lessons others have learned.

The focus is on conversation and learning together as peers – there will be no formal presentations from “experts”! So come ready to be an active participant.

Questions? Contact Amanda Gumbert or Jenny Seifert.