There were 7 field days announced during the week of June 22. For more details about these and 15 more field days, visit here.

Recently Announced:

July 13 | Iowa Monarch Conservation Summit and Field Day

At this event, you will learn about the ongoing ISU field demonstrations and collaborations statewide. The population of monarchs in the eastern U.S. has declined 80% during the past 20 years and Iowa is in the heart of the Midwestern summer breeding range. An all-hands-on-deck approach is needed to deploy conservation practices across the state to support the recovery of the monarch population, provide diverse habitat, and improve water quality. See program details and REGISTER HERE: http://www.aep.iastate.edu/monarch/.  Reserve your spot today -- early registration ends June 25th!

July 14 | New Beginnings: Organic Transition at a Diversified Dairy Farm

Visitors will tour the dairying facility, walk through grazing paddocks and see the infrastructure the Wedemeiers have built over the last two decades to support their growing herd. Aaron Anderson, district conservationist with the Natural Resource Conservation Service in Fayette County, will speak on soil health and water drainage in relation to the organic transition. RSVP for meal to: Debra Boekholder, debra@practicalfarmers.org;  (515) 232-5661 by Tuesday, July 10.

July 18 | Cover Crops and Soil Health at the Grundy County Fair

Farmers and landowners who attend this field day will learn more about ways to make soil health improvements on their farms for better corn, soybean and cattle production. Learn about cover crops, managed intensive grazing, edge-of-field practices, no-till and soil health testing as ways to make your farm more sustainable.

July 18 | Benefits of Nitrogen Reductions in Iowa

Join speaker Chuan Tang from the Center for Agriculture and Rural Development for another installment of Iowa Learning Farms monthly webinar series. Connect to the webinar here.

August 14 | Cover Crop Field Day

The purpose of this field day is to share information and education about incorporating cover crops into a sustainable farming system. Discussion will include the benefits of cover crops and soil health. There will also be a Q&A session. This event is free, but RSVPs are requested to Woodbury County Soil Water Conservation District at (712) 943-6727, ext. 3 by August 1. 

August 28 - 30 | Visit Cover Crop Farmer Expert at the Farm Progress Show

Visit the PFI booth at the Farm Progress Show, Aug. 28 – 30. Practical Farmers of Iowa staff and cover crop farmer experts will answer production questions and share practical advice at the booth. Visit to learn more about cover crops as part of a conventional or organic corn-soybean system. Hear how cover crops can be used for livestock grazing; for better manure handling and weed control, and planted as part of a diversified system that includes small grains.

September 10 | Cover Crops + Small Grains = A Perfect Pair for Soil Health and Water Quality

Explore the possibilities of adding a small-grains crop to your rotation, which allows a wider use of cover crops to cut down on needed inputs for the next corn crop. You will learn how to successfully integrate grazing with cover crops. We'll also discuss water quality in Iowa and sample nitrate concentrations coming out of tile lines from the small-grains field.

Upcoming field days:

June 27 | Field Day to Highlight Ag Weather Forecast, Soil and Crops

Elwynn Taylor, extension climatologist, will kick-off the program in the Borlaug Learning Center with insights on crop weather for the 2018 growing season. Mahdi Al-Kaisi, extension soil management specialist, will provide updates on various strip-till and no-till studies at the research farm. Attendees will then convene outside for a tour of the farm. The field day is free and everyone is welcome to attend. CCA credits will be available to those that need them. For more information about the event and to RSVP contact Terry Basol at 641-426-6801.

June 28 | Conservation Infrastructure on a Diverse Livestock Farm

Topics will include multi-species grazing, on-farm conservation plan using EQIP funding and direct meat marketing and increasing customers Please note: GPS and online maps correctly locate the road but often improperly locate the address of the farm. RSVP to: Debra Boekholder at debra@practicalfarmer.org or (515) 232-5661. 

June 28 | Taylor County Small Grains Field Day

Topics include small grains, microbrewing, livestock grazing, pasture walk with conditioning score demo, Water Quality Initiative (WQI) project update and cover crops. To RSVP or request special accommodations (by June 20), please call or email Erin Ogle: Erin.Ogle@ia.nacdnet.net 712-523-2118 ext. 305.

June 28 | Southeast Research and Demonstration Farm Field Day and CCA Training

The morning CCA training session will feature the topic of soil health concepts and measurements by Marshall McDaniel, Associate Professor of Agronomy at ISU. McDaniel will provide an overview of what soil health is, measuring soil health, and associated challenges. The field day, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 1 p.m. Topics that will be covered during the field day include: “Crop Season Review” by Myron Rees, farm superintendent; “Practical Ways to Measure Soil Health” by McDaniel, “Dicamba Management in 2018” by Bob Hartzler, ISU Extension Weed Scientist; “Planting Corn into Cereal Rye: Termination Timing and Planting Demo” by Alison Robertson, ISU Extension Plant Pathologist. Pre-registration for the CCA morning session is required and can be completed by completing the online registration form.