AMES, Iowa — Iowa Learning Farms, in partnership with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, will host a native perennial plantings workshop on Tuesday, June 18 from 5:30-7:30pm at Spirit Lake Community Building. The event is free and open to the whole family and includes a complimentary meal.
Native perennial plantings are growing in popularity in Iowa among farmers and landowners alike due to their many benefits for wildlife and pollinators, as well as improving soil and water quality. There are many opportunities to maintain, restore and seed new native plantings on the farm. These include areas of marginal land where row crop returns are low, along field edges, and around the homestead. Workshop attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about native perennial plantings, ask questions, and share their experiences.
The workshop will be facilitated by Jacqueline Comito, Iowa Learning Farms program director, Emily Heaton, Assistant Professor of Agronomy, and Lisa Schulte-Moore, professor in the Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management and associate director of the Bioeconomy Institute at Iowa State University.
The workshop will be held at Spirit Lake Community Building, 1602 15th Street, Spirit Lake, IA. The field day is free and open to the whole family, but reservations are suggested to ensure adequate space and food. To RSVP please contact Liz Juchems 515-294-5429 or ilf@iastate.edu.
This event is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture through the North Central Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program.
For more information about Iowa Learning Farms, visit www.iowalearningfarms.org.
Established in 2004, Iowa Learning Farms is building a Culture of Conservation by encouraging adoption of conservation practices. Farmers, researchers and ILF team members are working together to identify and implement the best management practices that improve water quality and soil health while remaining profitable. Partners of Iowa Learning Farms include the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Iowa Natural Resources Conservation Service, Iowa Department of Natural Resources (USEPA section 319) and GROWMARK, Inc.
— Iowa Learning Farms
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