PULLMAN, Wash. — A Chilean farmer who has earned international recognition for using no-till farming techniques to return severely eroded cropland into productivity and profitability will speak at the 2001 Northwest Direct Seed Cropping Systems Conference in Spokane, Jan. 17-19.
Carlos Crovetto, who farms 1,000 acres, avidly promotes no-till at speaking engagements in South America, Mexico, Europe and the United States. More than 2,000 people from around the world visit his farm each year.
He has received numerous honors and awards in Chile and the United States. Crovetto was one of the founders of the Soil Conservation Society of Chile and has served as president since 1977.
In 1996, he summarized his no-till farming experiences and extensive research on the topic in a popular international book “Stubble over the Soil: the Vital Role of Plant Residues in Soil Management to Improve Soil Quality,” published by the American Society of Agronomy.
The Direct Seed Conference will be held in the Doubletree Hotel-City Center in Spokane in conjunction with the January 16-18 Spokane Ag Expo — the largest Inland Northwest Ag Show with direct seed systems equipment, products and services as a special feature.
The program will feature 27 speakers including 14 growers from Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Montana, North Dakota, Chile, Germany, and New South Wales, Australia, as well as researchers and Ag industry representatives from the Pacific Northwest, Canada and Colorado.
Visit the conference web site http://pnwsteep.wsu.edu/directseed for details, or contact the NW Direct Seed Conference office at (509) 547-5538, FAX (509) 547-5563, or e-mail Direct Seed Conference at maurer@owt.com.
– 30 –