FARLEY, Iowa — Farmers, agronomists, and those interested in learning more about cover crops and “planting green” are invited to attend a free farmer field day at Tim Daly’s farm located at 25430 New Vienna Rd, Farley IA. Registration is not required, the field day with start around 1pm on Friday, May 21st.

Tim has been farming for the past 40 years and has been using cover crops for the past 16 years. He plants his corn into living cereal rye that is aerially applied pre-harvest and terminates his cover crop while planting. Tim will have his planter on display for the field day, and weather permitting, we’ll be taking a look at his planted corn.

The day will also feature Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) Area Resource Soil Scientist Neil Sass, who will be showcasing the NRCS rainfall stimulator, a “seeing is believing” demonstration of how practices such as no-till farming, cover crops, and prescribed grazing benefit soil health and improve the water cycle on cropland. This demonstration includes discussion of topics such as infiltration, aggregate stability, soil structure, and the relationship of these properties to runoff, erosion, and water quantity.
Dubuque Soil and Water Conservation District watershed program director, Eric Schmechel and conservation agronomist, Zach Timm will also be in attendance and will be discussing Dubuque County’s new watershed programs such as Truterra, the Soil and Water Outcome Fund, and the new eco-services funding programs. All Dubuque County landowners are eligible for these programs.

Workshop Sponsors include the following: Dubuque County, Dubuque Soil and Water Conservation District, the City of Dubuque, NRCS, and the Tim Daly Family.

For more information or any follow-up questions, please call Zach Timm at 563-213-8388.

— Dubuque Soil and Water Conservation District

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