ROSE HILL, Iowa — Mike Jackson will host a Practical Farmers of Iowa field day exploring ways to plant and manage cover crops on Wednesday, Nov. 20, from noon to 3 p.m., on his farm near Rose Hill (2156 Snyder Ave., a few miles northwest of town).
The event – “Cover Crops for All: Thoughts on Machinery, Management and Grazing” – is free to attend and will start with lunch. RSVPs are requested for the meal by Friday, Nov. 15. Sign up online at practicalfarmers.org/field-days, or contact Debra Boekholder at (515) 232-5661 or debra@practicalfarmers.org.
Mike farms with his wife, father and uncle on his family’s century farm. Mike raises corn and soybeans, and the family operates three custom-fed swine buildings. They have been integrating cover crops for the past four years, and Mike also operates a custom planting and seed business.
At the field day, guests will learn about different ways they can make cover crops work in a corn and soybean system, including planting practices and machinery options.
Starting in the shop with lunch, Mike will share the latest results from his on-farm cover crop research – including a trial investigating the effects of different rye seeding dates and rates on rye biomass, soil health and corn yield. Jason Steele, a soil scientist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, will present on grazing cover crops.
After lunch, Mike will lead a discussion about the diverse approaches to managing cover crops, covering financial and practical aspects. We’ll then take a short walking tour to view corn and soybean fields with two years of rye.
Directions are available on Practical Farmers’ website.
This event is part of Practical Farmers’ 2019 field day season, which includes more than 40 events across Iowa and the region on topics spanning the agricultural spectrum. The field days are meant to help connect farmers with their peers for networking and farmer-to-farmer learning.
Practical Farmers’ 2019 field days are supported by several sustaining and major sponsors, including: Albert Lea Seed; Bio Till; Center for Rural Affairs; Gandy Cover Crop Seeders; Grain Millers Inc.; H.A. Wallace Chair for Sustainable Agriculture – Iowa State University; Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance; Iowa Beef Center at Iowa State University; Iowa State Department of Agronomy; La Crosse Seed; Man@Machine; MOSA Certified Organic; Niman Ranch; PepsiCo; Pipeline Foods; Premier 1 Supplies; River Valley Cooperative; Scoular; Sunderman Farm Management; Sunrise Foods International; Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education; Trees Forever; Unilever; Welter Seed & Honey Company.
— Practical Farmers of Iowa
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