Below is a listing of upcoming conservation field days around the state. For a complete listing of future conservation field days, click here.


Upcoming Field Days

Iowa Learning Farms Conservation Webinar

Wednesday September 6 (12pm)

The Iowa Learning Farms will be hosting a live webinar featuring Jeff Strock with the University of Minnesota.

For more information, click here


Cover Crop and No-Til Field Day

Thursday September 7 (5:30pm- 7:30pm)

Devin Davis Farm

1765 Grimes St, Norwalk, IA, 50211

Iowa Learning Farms will host a cover crop and no-till field day on Thursday, September 7, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Devin Davis’ farm near Norwalk. The free event is open to farmers and landowners and includes a complimentary meal.

This field day aims to equip attendees with best management practices for establishing and managing cover crops. Cover crops offer many benefits to farmers and landowners, including reduced soil erosion, weed suppression potential, reduced nitrogen and phosphorus loads entering water bodies, and increased organic matter in the soil. When paired with no-tillage additional benefits include increased water infiltration and reduced erosion during heavy rain events.

For more information, click here.


Going with the Flow: Saturated Buffers to Improve Water Quality

Friday September 8 (1:00pm-3:00pm)

Vander Wert Farms

1154 Highway 163, Pella, IA, 50219

Vander Wert Farms is a 340-acre corn and soybean farm in southeast Iowa, with 110 tillable acres. Owned and operated by seasoned farmer Jerry Vander Wert and his wife, Marie, the farm has 4 acres enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program for the past seven years. Join the Vander Wert family for a tour of the riparian buffer strips, installed by the Mahaska County Soil and Water Conservation District, and a discussion of how the buffers benefit wildlife, soil and water. Don Willemsen, a neighbor and Mahaska County Soil and Water Conservation District commissioner, will join in to discuss the first steps to installing saturated buffers.

Coffee and snacks provided by Mahaska County Soil and Water Conservation District will follow the field day.

For more information, click here.


Transitioning to No-Till, Tarping and More

Sunday September 10 (3:00pm- 5:00pm)

2741 Hidden Falls Rd, Decorah, IA, 52101

Humble Hands Harvest is a worker-owned cooperative farm with 2-plus acres of organic vegetables, grass-finished lamb, pastured pork and perennial crops. Co-farmers Hannah Breckbill and Emily Fagan have been on a journey toward no-till vegetable production to increase the resiliency of their farm. Come learn from their experiences with no-till methods, including how it has affected their soil quality and what they are excited to try next.

Attendees are encouraged to stay for PFI’s Farmland Owner Legacy Award celebration, with dinner at 6 p.m.

For more information, click here. 


Iowa Learning Farms Conservation Webinar

Wednesday September 13 (12pm)

The Iowa Learning Farms will be hosting a live webinar featuring Nathan Nelson with Kansas State University. He will be discussing cover crop impacts on surface runoff, sediment and phosphorus losses.

For more information, click here