There were three field days announced during the week of March 22. For more details about these and nine more field days, visit here.

Recently Announced

March 28 | Cover Crop and No-Till Workshop

Iowa Learning Farms and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach will host a cover crop and no-till workshop on Thursday, March 28th from 12:00-2:00 p.m. at Titan Machinery near Williams. The event is free, open to the whole family and includes a complimentary meal. The fall of 2018 was a challenge for most farmer as it started raining in early September as the corn and soybeans were maturing and continued to stay wet through harvest. With a priority on getting the crop in the field, there was limited time to complete fall tillage. However, this presents an opportunity to adapt to conservation tillage this spring and to protect the soil from erosion and improve weed control by adding a cover crop this fall. The event is free and open to the whole family, but reservations are suggested to ensure adequate space and food. Please RSVP to Liz Juchems at 515-294-5429 or ilf@iastate.edu.

April 10 | Cover Crop and No-Till Field Day

Iowa Learning Farms and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach will host a cover crop and no-till field day on Wednesday, April 10 from 12:00-2:00 p.m. at Steier Ag Aviation near Whittemore. The event is free, open to the whole family and includes a complimentary meal. The fall of 2018 was a challenge for most farmer as it started raining in early September as the corn and soybeans were maturing and continued to stay wet through harvest. With a priority on getting the crop in the field, there was limited time to complete fall tillage. However, this presents an opportunity to save money on inputs costs by implementing no-till this spring and to protect the soil from erosion and improve weed control by adding a cover crop this fall. The event is free and open to the whole family, but reservations are suggested to ensure adequate space and food. Please RSVP to Liz Juchems at 515-294-5429 or ilf@iastate.edu.

April 17 | Webinar: Why Improving the Soil Will Pay Dividends

Hear from speaker Jerry Hatfield, USDA-National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment Director and Supervisory Plant Physiologist, about why improving our soil will pay dividends. Connect to the webinar here.

Upcoming 

March 26 | Cover Crop Field Day

Brent Larson of Sunderman Farm Management Company will review his cover crop playbook including variety selection, crop rotation and return on investment. Get an up close look at his cover crop equipment including strip till rigs, planters, drills, a zone commander and a twin row planter which will all be on display in the parking lot of the hotel.

Topics will include:

  • Variety selection
  • Seeding dates and rates,cover crop timeline
  • Equipment
  • Rotation and impact on cash crop
  • Return on investment, benefits 

A meal will be provided. Pork loin and mashed potatoes will be catered by the Starlite Best Western hotel. Please RSVP here by March 22.

March 26 | Cover Crop and No-Till Workshop

RSVP to 515-294-5429 or ilf@iastate.edu to register for this cover crop and no-till workshop. 

March 27 | Cover Crop Field Day

The field day will start in the field where Will Cannon will show us the NRCS trial plot featuring a side by side comparison of cover crop varieties and application methods. Then it will move inside for dinner and a presentation of his keys to successfully incorporating cover crops into the rotation.

Topics will include:

  • NRCS trial plot comparing different varieties and application methods
  • Winter wheat

Dinner will be provided. Please RSVP here by March 22.

March 27 | Cover Crop and Grazing Workshop

Iowa Learning Farms and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach will host a cover crops and grazing cover crops workshop on Wednesday, March 27th from 12:00-2:00 p.m. at the McNay Research Farm near Chariton. The event is free, open to the whole family and includes a complimentary meal. Cover crops are gaining popularity among livestock and row crop producers thanks to the many benefits that can be achieved. These include expanded grazing and forage acres, reduced nitrogen and phosphorus loads entering water bodies, increased soil organic matter, improved soil health and reduced soil erosion. The event is free and open to the whole family, but reservations are suggested to ensure adequate space and food. Please RSVP to Liz Juchems at 515-294-5429 or ilf@iastate.edu.