Join us for a unique regional training highlighting the science, management, and soil health benefits of integrating livestock into the farm. The workshop is led by ISU Extension in collaboration with the Soil Health Nexus. We welcome agriculture & conservation professionals as well as farmers, landowners and students to attend.
Event Details:
- Date: October 22 & 23, 2025
- Location: Alliant Energy Ag Innovation Lab, Ames, Iowa 50010
- Cost: $75 for 2 days, $50 for 1 day. After October 10 registration increases to $99 for 2 days, $60 for 1 day.
- The training includes snacks, lunch and dinner on October 22, and a light breakfast, snacks and lunch on October 23
- Registration closed on October 15, 2025.
Highlights of the event:
- Expert speakers from Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Kansas.
- Outdoor classroom on soil interpretation and use of soil health tools & apps
- Interactive planning for cover crops, extended rotations, and forage crops
- Iowa farmers share practical, real-world experiences with livestock integration
- CEU credits available: 4 Soil & Water Management & 2 Crop Management
- Showing of Livestock on the Land, an award-winning film from Practical Farmers of Iowa, and a Q&A with the filmmaker. Terri Speirs, Development Director with Practical Farmers of Iowa will introduce the film. After the film, we'll have a Q&A with the filmmaker, Nick Ohde. Nick is the Coordinating Director for the Mississippi River Basin with the Nature Conservancy.
Featured Speakers include:
- Dr. Marshall McDaniel (Iowa State University) — Insights on the impact of livestock integration and land management on soil biology, new research on the cumulative impact of soil health principles.
- Laura Paine (University of Wisconsin) — Co-director of the regional project, Match Made in Heaven: Crops + Livestock, sharing cutting-edge innovative case studies of crop-livestock integration, opportunities and obstacles for farmers.
- Gabi Bolwerk, Claire LaCanne and Sabrina Florentino (University of Minnesota) will lead an interactive session on planning for cover crops, extended rotations and forage crops.
- Drs. Lee Burras, Mila Pessotto (Iowa State University) and Elizabeth Rieke (Soil Health Institute) will lead an outdoor session on interpreting the soil, impact of livestock on soil properties and innovative apps to measure progress.
- James Holz, Iowa farmer, cattleman, and co-owner of Iowa Cover Crop will discuss how he's integrated feeder and stocker cattle on cropland in unique and profitable ways.
- Tyler Bruck, the Land Stewardship Director for Whiterock Conservancy, will discuss how this 5,500 acre non-profit land trust has integrated 20+ years of cover crops, plus small grains and grazing cattle and sheep.
Day 1 Agenda At-a-glance
| 9am | Welcome & Introductions |
|---|---|
| 9:30am | Dr. Marshall McDaniel: Want to Regenerate Your “Belowground Livestock”? Try Roots & Ruminants |
| 10:30am | Gabi Bolwerk, Claire LaCanne, Sabrina Florentino & Laura Paine: Grazing cover crops for soil and livestock health |
| 11:30am | Lunch |
| 12:30pm | Gabi Bolwerk, Claire LaCanne, Sabrina Florentino & Laura Paine: Interactive livestock integration scenario workshop |
| 2:30pm | Drs. Lee Burras, Mila Pessotto, Elizabeth Rieke: Outdoor classroom on soil interpretation, soil health tools & apps |
| 5:30pm | Dinner, social and showing of Livestock on the Land sponsored by Practical Farmers of Iowa |
Day 2 Agenda At-a-glance
| 8:00am | Light Breakfast |
|---|---|
| 8:30am | Laura Paine: Match Made in Heaven: understanding the opportunities and obstacles to reintegrating crops and livestock in the upper Midwest |
| 9:30am | Dr. Logan Simon: Cover crops in Western Kansas: soil health implications and dryland management |
| 10:30am | Farmer Panel: James Holz, Martha McFarland, Tyler Bruck |
| 12:00pm | Lunch (to-go option available) |
This event is offered in collaboration with the Soil Health Nexus, a university-led team in the north-central region dedicated to increasing access to research-based soil health knowledge, extension and resources. The Soil Health Nexus offers annual training, and Iowa is proud to host this year's event. The Soil Health Nexus will be hosting a business meeting at 6pm on October 21 (the evening before the workshop begins), location TBD. Anyone is welcome to join this meeting and can note they'd like to attend on the registration page. The meeting will include supper (pay on your own), updates on the current Soil Health Nexus grant, state updates on soil health projects and research, and other business that comes before the group.
Hotel Recommendations:
Comfort Inn & Suites Ames: 603 S 16th St, Ames, IA 50010
- 2.7 miles away from the Alliant Lab
- Has a negotiated Iowa state employee rate
Sleep Inn & Suites: 1310 Dickinson Ave, Ames, IA 50014
- 3.7 miles away from the Alliant Lab
Be sure to check this website in the next few weeks as we add additional details. If you have any questions, please reach out to the planning team at ISU Extension: Catherine DeLong (crdelong@iastate.edu), Ethan Thies (ethies@iastate.edu), Josh Michel (jjmichel@iastate.edu).
Thank you to our sponsors:
