AMES, Iowa — Iowa Learning Farms, along with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Jasper County Soil & Water Conservation District, will host a cover crop and soil health field day on Tuesday, November 7, from 3:30-5:30p.m. on the Gordon Wassenaar farm, rural Prairie City. The event is free and open to the public and includes a complimentary meal.
Speaking at the field day is host farmer Gordon Wassenaar and tenant Will Cannon. Wassenaar has been farming for over 50 years and is using conservation practices including no-till and a cereal rye cover crop on the 1,200 acres. This fall Wassenaar and Cannon partnered with the Jasper County SWCD to establish a multi-species cover crop trial utilizing different seeding methods and rates. Wassenaar and Curtis Donahue, NRCS District Conservationist will lead attendees on a tour through the plots of various common winter hardy and winter kill cover crop species.
Also speaking at the field day is Liz Juchems, Iowa Learning Farms event coordinator. She will share research results from their long-term cereal rye demonstration sites, cover crop mixtures trail and seeding techniques project. Weather permitting, a rainfall simulator demonstration will also be presented to illustrate different practices, like cover crops, that can be beneficial to soil health. The field day will conclude with a complimentary meal catered by Magg Family Catering from Prairie City.
The field day site is located at 8718 W 109th St. S., Prairie City. At Prairie City, take exit 18 from IA-163 and go south on W 109th St (gravel road) for approximately 1 mile. The farm is located on the east side of the road with many large grain bins.
The workshop is free and open to the public, but reservations are suggested to ensure adequate space and food. If you need accommodations, please notify the Jasper SWCD by November 3rd by. Contact Jasper County SWCD at 641-792-4116 ext. 3 or email jessica.rutter@ia.nacdnet.net to RSVP.
For more information about Iowa Learning Farms, visit the website: http://www.iowalearningfarms.org.
Established in 2004, Iowa Learning Farms is building a Culture of Conservation, 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 are 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 Conservation Districts of Iowa.
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