Utah’s Soil Health Partnership has been working officially since 2021 to bring resources and education about sustainable and regional soil health practices to farmers and ranchers throughout Utah and the Mountain West region. Partners in this effort include the Utah Department of Agriculture & Food, Utah State University Extension, and USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS).

As part of our efforts, the partnership puts on the Soil Health in the West Conference, February 6-8, 2024, in St. George, Utah. This central flagship event attracts hundreds of attendees from Utah, Arizona, Idaho, and beyond, plus community and industry sponsors like the Utah Farm Bureau.

The conference brings together world experts and regional soil health practitioners under one roof for a multi-day learning and networking opportunity unlike any other in the Western United States. Whether agriculturalists are just starting on their soil health journey or are seasoned veterans of the soil health movement, this conference promises to elevate the shared knowledge of soil health-focused farmers in Utah and its surrounding region.

2024 marks the second year of the Soil Health in the West Conference. The enthusiasm from the agricultural community has already resulted in some fantastic growth, with nearly double the number of unique speakers and topics as the first conference.

This year, in addition to the fundamentals workshop for beginners in soil health, the conference is offering a limited grazing workshop from generational desert rancher and leader in Western soil practices, Alejandro Carrillo. The conference is also providing an opportunity for a Q&A session with their second keynote, soil health speaker Joel Salatin.

Beyond providing dozens of sessions and expert speakers, the Soil Health in the West Conference gives the regional farming community an opportunity to meet like-minded agriculturalists and build professional communities focused on supporting each other in furthering conservation work. Finding people with shared experience and knowledge about working with Utah-specific soils can be a difficult task, and the conference aims to dedicate time and space to connecting farmers that need and want more resources. The Soil Health in the West Conference is the first and only of its kind in the Mountain West corridor.

To register or for more information, visit utahsoilhealth.org.