REGAN, N.D. — Assistant Chief Jimmy Emmons of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service joined North Dakota producers, local partners and NRCS staff for an agricultural field tour highlighting how voluntary conservation programs, technical assistance and regenerative agriculture practices address local resource concerns. The tour, held near Regan on Aug. 25, was conducted in conjunction with the Advancing Soil Health Summit.

Emmons emphasized the importance of long‑term conservation planning, encouraging producers to “write a plan that will get you down the road,”. His remarks set the tone for a tour focused on practical, producer‑driven approaches to soil health and agricultural resilience.

Participants included producers Jeremy Saeman and Jason Bosch; Burleigh County Soil Conservation District manager Darrel Oswald and District Supervisor Dave Bauer. State Conservationist Dan Hovland joined members of the NRCS North Dakota leadership team, including Mark Hayek, assistant state conservationist for partnerships, and Jarvis Keney, assistant state conservationist for programs. Staff from the NRCS Bismarck Field Office included Hunter Ripplinger, district conservationist; Ryan Foster, conservation team lead; and Jakob Schmid, natural resource specialist.

At a corn field planted green into cover crops, Saeman discussed his experience with regenerative agriculture and his participation in a Regenerative Pilot Program Environmental Quality Incentives Program contract, which includes CEMA 216, water wells, pumping plants, watering facilities, heavy‑use protection areas, annual forages for grazing systems, grazing management, virtual fencing and precision nutrient management. Saeman and Bosch raise Sim Angus cattle, corn, oats, field peas, soybeans, sunflowers, spring wheat and barley in Burleigh County. Saeman said the conservation work reflects a long‑term commitment to improving soil function and becoming “a better farmer,” noting that NRCS technical assistance has been an important part of planning on his operation.

The tour also included discussion of cover crops and forage mixes used for livestock grazing, such as radishes, turnips and kale. These practices help producers maintain living roots longer, improve forage availability and integrate livestock as part of a broader soil health system.

Emmons said conservation planning helps producers and NRCS track outcomes over time and recognize progress across farms, watersheds and the agency. “We can look across the agency — we can see we’ve made great strides,” said Emmons. “We have clean water.”

At another stop, Bauer described using no‑till management for the past decade. Standing in a field with wheat straw residue, he explained how residue cover, crop rotation and livestock integration support soil structure, slow water movement and improve moisture retention. He said he may follow wheat with peas or canola depending on conditions and management goals.

The tour also highlighted livestock water infrastructure, including waterlines and watering facilities supported through EQIP, which can improve grazing distribution, protect sensitive areas and support more efficient forage use. Bauer discussed emerging tools that support soil health goals, including drone‑seeded cover crops such as flax in canola or pea fields before harvest. He said the approach avoids tillage while maintaining protective straw cover, adding that flax residue contributes durable soil protection.

Toward the end of the tour, the group visited native prairie and cropland sites that illustrated central North Dakota’s diverse agricultural landscape. At a native prairie site in Section 12, Oswald described land tied to a family homestead dating to the 1930’s and said the site reflects what much of the local landscape once looked like while remaining an important grassland resource for livestock production.

The Advancing Soil Health Summit continues NRCS North Dakota’s efforts to elevate producer experience, expand partnerships and support voluntary conservation practices that improve soil health, water quality and agricultural resilience statewide.

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