Chico State: 2026 Soil Health Field Days for Growers
TL;DR: Chico State will host Field Days in 2026, offering hands-on education in regenerative agriculture for enhanced soil health and sustainable food systems.
- Learn regenerative cropping and rangeland systems.
- See live demos and farm tours.
- Hear from expert speakers and farmer panels.
- Understand implementation strategies.
- Network and set new goals.
Why it matters: Adopting regenerative practices can significantly improve soil health, increase biodiversity, and boost agricultural productivity and profitability while addressing climate concerns.
Do this next: Explore local regenerative agriculture workshops or field days in your area to observe practices firsthand.
Recommended for: Growers, students, and professionals serious about implementing regenerative agriculture practices and improving soil health on any scale are ideal attendees.
The 2026 California Soil Health Field Days, held March 18-19 at Chico State University Farm, deliver in-depth education on regenerative cropping and rangeland systems tailored for growers, students, and professionals seeking practical enhancements in soil health, biodiversity, productivity, and profitability. These events feature farm tours with live demonstrations, expert presentations from diverse speakers, panel discussions with successful regenerative farmers sharing field-tested results, and interactive sessions on implementation strategies applicable to community gardens and permaculture designs. Key topics include regenerative cropping systems that minimize tillage, optimize cover crop rotations for carbon sequestration and nutrient cycling, and integrate livestock grazing to mimic natural processes for resilient food production. Attendees explore side-by-side comparisons of conventional versus regenerative methods, observing metrics like soil organic matter increases, reduced erosion, and yield stability under variable climates—directly translatable to self-sufficient community plots. Networking opportunities and programs assist with goal-setting, such as transitioning plots via phased cover cropping (e.g., starting with simple rye-clover mixes), no-till seeding techniques, and biodiversity enhancements through polycultures. Hands-on elements cover soil health assessments, including pit digs to evaluate root depth and microbial activity, and grazing management plans for multi-species integration to boost fertility without synthetic inputs. Documented grower panels provide case-specific insights, like extending rotations to include perennials and covers for weed suppression and pollinator support, with data on input cost reductions (e.g., 30-50% fertilizer savings) and resilience to droughts. This format equips participants with actionable blueprints for community-scale regenerative projects, emphasizing scalable techniques like mob grazing sequences, compost tea applications for microbial inoculation, and economic models for volunteer-driven operations, aligning with permaculture ethics of earth care and people care in resilience-building contexts.