Will Mann
Owner & Independent Ag Consultant
Will Mann, founder of Roanoke Valley Beef, his background includes working with the local Soil and Water Conservation District and the Soil Health Institute, where he has contributed to sustainable farming initiatives both locally and internationally. Will’s passion for agriculture and his commitment to supporting local farmers have driven him to create a direct-to-consumer beef outlet, ensuring that the community benefits from high-quality, sustainably raised beef. We continue to support our local community by providing a direct outlet for high-quality beef and You can do so as well by choosing Roanoke Valley Beef, you are supporting local farmers and ensuring that your beef is raised with the highest standards of care and sustainability.
Seminars
- Integrating soil microbiome, metabolomic, and physicochemical data to define functional soil health indicators
- Linking biological community shifts to nutrient cycling, root uptake efficiency, and disease suppression
- Validating soil health metrics through replicated field trials and longitudinal measurements
This workshop puts growers on stage and at the center of the conversation. Designed as a two-way dialogue between farmers and the agbiotech community, it creates a space to listen, learn, and align around what works in practice. By grounding biological innovation in grower economics, decision-making realities, and field experience, this session aims to close the gap between expectations and performance, translate complex science into practical value, and strengthen long-term relationships that support both profitable farms and sustainable production systems.
- Understand grower perspectives on biologicals by hearing directly from farmers about on-farm experiences, challenges, decision drivers, and definitions of success
- Evaluate biological solutions through the grower’s economic reality, including input costs, margins, risk management, record-keeping limitations, and return on investment
- Identify effective approaches to on-farm evaluation of biologicals, including simple trial design, performance tracking, and decision-support tools that fit within existing farm operations
- Recognize adoption barriers and opportunities across the manufacturing-to-grower pipeline, including formulation, delivery, education, and communication challenges among growers, distributors, and manufacturers
- Share practical knowledge on applying biologicals effectively, including soil biology basics, product handling and compatibility, and application timing aligned with plant physiology
