Agenda
Wisconsin Water and Soil Health Conference
Explore the intersection of on-farm research, soil health, and water quality with other farmers and agriculture professionals through dynamic keynote speakers, interactive breakout sessions, and thought-provoking roundtable discussions.
2026 Conference Agenda
All sessions will be held in the Kilimanjaro Ballroom, unless otherwise noted.
Day 1: December 15
9:00 a.m.
Registration and welcome
Coffee and snacks provided.
9:45 – 10:45 a.m.
Innovation Panel
Moderator: Matt Oehmichen, Agronomist, Farm Manager, and Water Action Volunteer
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Resiliency through adaptation. This panel will highlight various strategies such as equipment modifications, adjusting fertility for water quality or soil management, precision conservation, and rain 360 to help your farm become more resilient to change.
11:00 a.m.
Breakout Sessions – topics announced soon!
Noon
Lunch
12:30 – 12:50 p.m.
Lunch: 2026: A Smorgasbord of Extreme Weather
Steve Vavrus, Director and State Climatologist, Wisconsin State Climatology Office
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It’s been a crazy year of weather in Wisconsin. Our state has experienced a laundry list of extreme events: exceptional cold and heat, a paralyzing blizzard, record wet and dry months in succession, and a round of unforgettable wildfire smoke. To top it off, the year is ending with a potentially record-breaking El Niño. Steve will recap the weather highlights of 2026 and reflect on how they do or don’t fit into long-term climate trends.
1:00 – 1:45 p.m.
Poster session – Innovation from producer led groups, county conservation, and demo farms
2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Breakout Sessions – topics announced soon!
3:15 – 4:15 p.m.
Leveraging Natural Enemies in Conservation-Based Agricultural Systems to Control Insect and Slug Pests
John F. Tooker, Professor and Extension Specialist, Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University
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Insects and slugs pests can occasionally challenge crops in no-till systems, but these conservation-based systems have great potential to harbor populations of natural enemies that can help with pest control. Unfortunately, standard preventative pest management programs in corn and soybeans limit the potential for natural enemies to contribute to pest control. We will discuss how no-till, cover crops, and integrated pest management (IPM) can combine to build natural enemies populations that can help protect crops from insect and slug pests.
4:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Roundtables – topics announced soon!
6:30 p.m.
Dinner (for those that selected the dinner add-on)
8:00 p.m.
Adjourn
Day 2: December 16
7:30 a.m.
Breakfast and Registration for One-day Attendees
7:45 – 8:30 a.m.
Nitrogen Panel
8:45 – 9:45 a.m.
Breakout Sessions – topics announced soon!
10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Short- and Long-Term Steps to Decrease Nutrient Losses from Wisconsin’s Agricultural Lands
Steven Hall, Associate Professor and Extension Specialist, Department of Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences, UW-Madison
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Dr. Hall will sketch out a road map to prioritize immediate and longer-term actions for improving water quality by decreasing phosphorus and nitrogen losses, drawing on an ongoing collaborative science assessment and case studies from Wisconsin.