Russell Hedrick Back for July 26th Field Day

As part of Clinton County Farm Bureau’s (CFB) 2025 Nutrient Stewardship Grant project, we are excited to bring back North Carolina no-tiller Russell Hedrick for our summer Nutrient Stewardship Field Day.  This event kicks off on Saturday, July 26^th with an 8:30 a.m. registration at Sugar Creek Valley Farms in Aviston, and presentations begin at 9:00 a.m.

Russell, a first-generation farmer in the foothills of Hickory, North Carolina, is known as one of the most progressive young farmers in the country.  Russell has been a featured producer in Top Producer Magazine, Furrow Magazine, RFD TV, Ag PhD, and National No-till Farmer for profitably farming while reducing fertilizer inputs and using soil health practices on cash crops.  In 2017 he won the North Carolina corn yield contest by raising a dryland no-till corn crop that topped 459 bushels per acre… the first person to win in the state using regenerative practices.  Russell packed the house in St. Rose on February 26^th, and we are thrilled to have him back on July 26^th for Russell Hedrick 2.0 – “In the field, to build those yields.”

The July 26^th Field Day will focus on the “cash crop” (corn or soybeans) after the cover crop, including a larger scale plot and different practices, such as: taking covers for forage before planting, leaving covers and planting green, different rates and applications of Nitrogen, manure trials, and more.  There will also be drone inter-seeding demonstrations in 60-inch and 30-inch corn, updates on forage and soil health sampling data, manure nutrient values and economics, farmer research on NLRS Best Practices from Julie Hewitt (NREC), and more.

From the plot, participants will take a short trip to the Aviston Legion for lunch, a panel discussion, and an opportunity for Q&A afterwards.  Eligible producers will also have their final opportunity to be entered into a drawing to subsidize 40-acres worth of cover crop seed expenses to get them started on their own regenerative journey in the Fall of 2025.

More information is available by contacting the Clinton CFB office or checking out our website at www.clintoncofb.org.  Registration is required by Wednesday, July 23^rd by contacting the Farm Bureau office or completing the online registration HERE.