Loretto Motherhouse Farm, Nerinx KY -- July 1, 2025, 9am - 12pm ET

For 200 years, the Sisters of Loretto have stewarded the land and natural resources of the Loretto Motherhouse Farm in Marion County. For the past 40 years, the Loretto Community has engaged in conservation practices throughout their livestock pastures, crop fields and woodlands. The farm has been in no-till production for more than 20 years and has used cover crops for the past 10 years.

At this OAK Farmer Field Day, Cody and Angela Rakes will share the Farm’s crop production systems using no-till methods, limited chemical inputs, cover crop rotation and interplanting and livestock integration. With a focus on building and supporting healthy soils, the Rakes are constantly learning and experimenting with different seeding and establishment methods, crop timing and selection to allow for soil-building and productive income-per-acre results. To diversify their operation and support their mission-driven community outreach and education, the Farm also produces several acres of pumpkins in cover-cropped fields, yielding clean produce with increased weed and fungal protection. Join the Field Day to explore their pumpkin, corn, soybean, and food-grade small grain systems; production and harvest equipment; and in-field and adjacent land conservation practices.

Support for this project comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Partnership for Climate Smart Commodities under agreement number NR233A750004G092. OAK's Farmer Education program is supported by the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund (KADF).