Join the Illinois Soybean Association on December 10 in Bloomington for The Residue Breakdown, a free workshop focused on the science of residue decomposition, the value stored in crop residue, and practical strategies for managing it.
This event will also be held in Baylis, Illinois, on December 11. Lunch will be provided at each event.
Meet the Speakers:
Barry Fisher
Fisher Soil Health LLC, USDA-NRCS Soil Health Team Leader/Specialist, Retired Farmer/Consultant
Barry Fisher retired after 39 years with the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service. Most recently, he was with the Soil Health Division, where he served as Central Region Leader, providing training, leadership, and technical exchange on Soil Health Management Systems for NRCS, farmers, crop specialists and partners throughout the Corn Belt, Western and Northern Plains.
He was awarded the 2026 Honorary Master Farmer Award for service to farmers, and the 2022 Certified Crop Advisor Conservationist of the Year by the American Society of Agronomy. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Midwest Cover Crops Council and is a 40-year member of the Soil and Water Conservation Society. Since retirement, Barry has launched Fisher Soil Health LLC- Consulting, where he remains active with national training and initiatives that advance technologies and adoption of regenerative farming and improve soil health.
Barry and his wife, Michael, practice soil health on their cash grain and livestock farm in West- Central Indiana. He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agriculture from Western Kentucky University and is a native of French Lick, Indiana.
Dr. Andrew Margenot
Associate Professor of Soil Science, Department of Crop Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Andrew Margenot is a soil scientist and associate professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He joined the Illinois agricultural scene in 2017, where he leads a 40-plus-person research team that evaluates nutrient biogeochemistry in our state and the greater North Central U.S. region. Dr. Margenot’s research focuses on phosphorus management, soil health and carbon crediting, with the goal of supporting efficient use of nutrients for crop productivity that support environmental quality.
Lance Tarochione
Technical Agronomist, Bayer Crop Sciences & At-Large Director, Illinois Soybean Association
After completing his MS in Agronomy & Crop Science at the University of Illinois, Lance began his career with Monsanto in 1993. Over the past 33 years, he has held numerous positions in research, product development and agronomy with Monsanto (now Bayer). Lance’s dad was an early adopter of no-till, and he has fields that have not been tilled in over 40 years. He enjoys being a technical resource for the sales team he supports, as well as the dealers who represent Bayer’s products and the farmers who plant them. With help from family and others, he farms 1200 acres of corn, soybeans and hay in western Illinois.