AMES, Iowa — Iowa Learning Farms, in partnership with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, and Iowa Corn, will host a cover crop and wetland field day near Gilmore City on Wednesday, Sept. 11. The 5:30-7:30 p.m. event will be held at the ISU Drainage Research and Demonstration Project, owned by the Pocahontas Soil and Water Conservation District. The event is free, open to the whole family and includes a complimentary meal.
The field day will feature Doug Adams, Humboldt County farmer, who will share his experiences with cover crops and tips for making a no-till/strip-till and cover crop system work. Matt Helmers, ISU professor and extension ag and biosystems engineer, will share results from the over 25 years of research collected at the drainage site. Morgan Davis, Iowa State University natural resource ecology and management graduate research assistant, will highlight findings from ongoing soil health and greenhouse gas research being conducted on the site.
The field day will conclude at a nearby nitrate removal wetland with William Crumpton, ISU professor of environmental science and wetland ecology expert.
Cover crops continue to grow in popularity in Iowa due to their many benefits including increased soil organic matter, weed suppression potential and reduced soil erosion. Together with edge of field practices like bioreactors, wetlands and saturated buffers are key to reducing nitrate loss from agricultural land in Iowa.
The field day will be held at the ISU Drainage Research and Demonstration site. From Gilmore city, go two miles west on Highway 3, then one mile north on 320th Avenue and then one-half mile west on 510th Street.
The workshop is free and open to the public, but reservations are suggested to ensure adequate space and food. Contact Liz Juchems at 515-294-5429 or email ilf@iastate.edu.
Iowa Learning Farms field days and workshops are supported by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.