ANKENY, Iowa — Conservation Districts of Iowa and the Dallas County Soil and Water Conservation District will host a free event for farmers, service providers and the general public to learn about cover crops. Please join us for this free event held at the historic Keller Brick Barn near Dallas Center on Tuesday, June 27th.
There is a lot of buzz around cover crops, but many farmers still have questions. This event will feature a farmer panel of seasoned and new cover crop enthusiasts. Panelists will discuss management strategies to enhance the benefits of cover crops such as decreased soil erosion, nutrient retention, and increased soil health.
Heidi Dittmer, a Soil Conservationist with the NRCS in Dallas County, will also discuss the many opportunities to defray the cost of management and seeding. She will also announce a new initiative – The 1% Challenge – which challenges Dallas County farmers to increase their organic matter by 1%.
Joel Thomas, winner of the Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Award in 2016, will present on the many cover crop trials he’s completed on his own land and the lessons learned. During the free lunch from Kued Smokehouse, Eric Wessels will discuss the renovation of the 1930s-era Keller Brick Barn, which is now a popular wedding venue. The event will be topped off with a cover crop seeding demonstration for Iowa Helicopter.
The details of the event follow here:
Who: Joel Thomas, Farmer and Owner, Crossroads Ag
Heidi Dittmer, Soil Conservationist, Dallas County NRCS
Mark Kennett, Iowa Helicopter
Dan Golightly, Jon McClure, Sam Spellman & Randolph Schaefer, Dallas County Farmers
Representative from Heartland Co-op
Where: The Keller Brick Barn, 28905 260th St., Dallas Center, IA 50063
When: Tuesday, June 27th, 2017; 10:00am – 1:30pm, Free lunch served at 12:10pm
What: A forum for farmers, service providers and the general public to ask questions and learn about the benefits of cover crops.
How: For more information and to RSVP, please contact Catherine DeLong with Conservation Districts of Iowa, 515-289-8300
— Conservation Districts of Iowa
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