Whether you remember him as “Dan the tree man” visiting your elementary class or listened to him passionately advocating for no till and cover crops at a Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) meeting, the late Dan Gillespie had a heart for teaching.
The Battle Creek FFA Chapter conducted on-farm studies about water infiltration, as well as nitrogen application rates and economics. Agricultural instructor and FFA advisor Billy O’Brien, right, helps Battle Creek FFA member Eli Anderson lower the Cornell Sprinkle Infiltrator into the ground before testing.
Students were given the unique opportunity to evaluate the long-term effects of four different farming practices within 200 yards in fields south of Meadow Grove, Neb. The field in the top left has traditionally been conventionally tillage, the bottom left 30-plus years no till and 15-plus years cover crops, the bottom right 30-plus years no till and the top right five years of alfalfa production.
Battle Creek FFA student Eli Anderson monitors the Cornell Sprinkle Infiltrator, used to research water runoff and infiltration rates in four fields in Madison County, Neb.
Reporter Kristen Sindelar has loved agriculture her entire life, coming from a diversified farm with three generations working side-by-side in northeastern Nebraska. Reach her at Kristen.Sindelar@midwestmessenger.com.
More Information
The Dan Gillespie Soil Health Fund, an affiliated fund of the Nebraska Community Foundation, accepts grant applications twice a year with deadlines of March 1 and Oct. 1. The fund supports projects that advance soil health, regenerative agriculture and education in Nebraska and surrounding states.
Key Details for the Dan Gillespie Soil Health Fund:
Deadlines: March 1 (spring cycle) and October 1 (fall cycle)
Grant Amounts: Awards are typically up to $2,000
Focus Areas: Soil health education, farmer-rancher training, youth-led research, no-till farming, water conservation, and cover crops
Ahead of planting season at his south central Nebraska farm, Jordan Uldrich was tackling some maintenance and fencing projects.
The Battle Creek FFA Chapter conducted on-farm studies about water infiltration, as well as nitrogen application rates and economics. Agricultural instructor and FFA advisor Billy O’Brien, right, helps Battle Creek FFA member Eli Anderson lower the Cornell Sprinkle Infiltrator into the ground before testing.
Students were given the unique opportunity to evaluate the long-term effects of four different farming practices within 200 yards in fields south of Meadow Grove, Neb. The field in the top left has traditionally been conventionally tillage, the bottom left 30-plus years no till and 15-plus years cover crops, the bottom right 30-plus years no till and the top right five years of alfalfa production.
Battle Creek FFA student Eli Anderson monitors the Cornell Sprinkle Infiltrator, used to research water runoff and infiltration rates in four fields in Madison County, Neb.
