Project manager:
Ryan Boylan
Palouse Conservation District
Research and Monitoring Coordinator
Goal: To provide education and technical assistance to dryland farmers in Whitman County who are interested in using cover crops. The four Conservation Districts in Whitman County all have producers who have expressed an interest in learning the potential soil health benefits of using cover crops. Researchers, agency personnel, and producers will learn together about the current research and results in cover cropping systems in eastern Washington dryland agriculture. Symposiums will be held in the winters of 2018, 2019, and 2020.
Project Update
The first annual Palouse Alternative Cropping Symposium was held on Friday February 23 rd in
Pullman, WA. The event was a great success with 80 people in attendance and six fantastic
presentations from local growers who are experimenting with cover crops and cover cropping
and grazing. In addition to the presentations the program included an interactive poll that
addressed where growers get most of their information, soil health on the farm and what
barriers exist for trying cover cropping. This event was the first of three Alternative Cropping
Symposiums that will be facilitated by the Palouse Conservation District over the next couple of
years. The goal of the symposium is to connect growers in the region that are experimenting
with cover crops and to provide a forum for peer to peer education.
This event was made possible by a grant through the Washington State Soil Health Committee
and through donations from our generous sponsors. Sponsors for the symposium included:
Pacific Northwest Farmers Cooperative, Palouse Conservation District, OTT Hydromet,
Northwest Farm Cred Services, Viterra, Spectrum Crop Development, Clearwater Seed, Spokane
Community College, Pearson Farm and Fence, Spray Center Electronics, Roots of Resilience and
Rainier Seeds.
If you are interested in participating in the symposium next year or you would
like more information about the event visit www.palousecd.org or contact Ryan Boylan() or Lovina Englund ().