Stoneville – The Soil Health Institute (SHI), the non-profit charged with safeguarding and enhancing the vitality and productivity of soils, invites you to join Sledge Taylor, a farmer from Como, at the virtually held Healthy Soils for Sustainable Cotton Farmer Showcase on Feb. 2,  at 1  p.m.

In this first episode of the event, “Soil Health Challenges in the Delta: What Works and What Doesn’t,” Taylor will be joined by Parker Frew, Program Manager at Delta F.A.R.M.

Taylor farms 4,500 acres of row crop, including 3,500 acres in cotton. He began experimenting with cover crops in the late 1970’s and began to grow no-till cotton in the early 1990’s.

“It has been a long process of learning what works and what does not,” says Taylor. “It takes time to heal soils and to see the benefits.” In this spotlight on Mississippi, Taylor will discuss why he began his soil health journey and some of the challenges he has faced along the way. Frew will then provide additional insights gained from soil health demonstrations at Delta F.A.R.M.

The Healthy Soils for Sustainable Cotton Farmer Showcase is a series of eight online discussions with U.S. cotton farmers and soil health experts that will be livestreamed beginning 1:00 p.m. (CST), Tuesday, February 2, 2021, and run every Tuesday through March 23, 2021. Cotton producers, consultants and other interested parties may register one time to attend all eight episodes. Registration is free but required to participate.

To register for the Healthy Soils for Sustainable Cotton Farmer Showcase and learn more about other episodes in the event, visit https://soilhealthinstitute.org/soil-health-training/farmer-showcase/.

This event is part of the Healthy Soils for Sustainable Cotton project, which provides farmer-focused education and training events delivered by Soil Health Institute scientists, partnering with local soil health technical specialists and farmer mentors who have implemented successful soil health management systems. The project aims to increase the adoption of soil health management systems among cotton producers while documenting environmental and economic benefits.

Healthy Soils for Sustainable Cotton is supported through the generosity of the Wrangler^® brand, the VF Corporation Foundation and the Walmart Foundation. For more information about the project, visit https://soilhealthinstitute.org/soil-health-training/.