REMSEN, Iowa — Organic crop and livestock farmer Robert Alexander, of 360 Heritage Farms, will host a field day – in partnership with Practical Farmers of Iowa and University of Northern Iowa – exploring weed control, livestock integration and cover crops in a diversified organic system on Wednesday, Aug. 14, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., on his farm near Remsen (5086 Lily Ave., about 10 miles north of town).
The event – “Transition to Organic With Diversity to Improve Soil Balance” – is free to attend and will include a homemade, organically raised lunch. RSVPs are requested for the meal by Friday, Aug. 9. Sign up online at practicalfarmers.org/field-days, or contact Debra Boekholder at debra@practicalfarmers.org or (515) 232-5661. The field day is sponsored by Grain Millers Inc., Nutritional Ag and Scoular.
Robert manages the family farm with help from his wife, April, and mother, Marilyn. The 160-acre diversified, organic farm will be a century farm in 2020. Robert grows corn, soybeans, hay and pasture. He also raises Belted Galloway cows and Dorper sheep, all grass-fed, and is a participant in on-farm research through Practical Farmers’ Cooperators’ Program.
At the field day, guests will get to tour two on-farm research trials: planting corn in 60-inch row-widths for cover crops and grazing sheep; and spring-seeded cereal rye ahead of soybeans for weed control.
Robert will share his family’s experience with transitioning to organic, and the group will get to view equipment used for field preparation and organic crops. Robert will also discuss rotational grazing of sheep and cattle, and how to make compost tea. Other speakers will include Dennis Von Arb of Nutritional Ag.
Directions to the field day are available on Practical Farmers’ website.
This event is part of Practical Farmers’ main 2019 field day season, which includes 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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