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

Upcoming Field Days

Finding Profit in Perennial Vegetation Workshop 

Tuesday, March 8 (10am – 12pm) 

Prairie City, Iowa 

Iowa Learning Farms, in partnership with Consortium for Cultivating Human And Naturally reGenerative Enterprises (C-CHANGE), will host a workshop on Tuesday, March 8 from 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. regarding the opportunities and challenges of incorporating perennial vegetation on farms. We welcome farmers and landowners to attend the free event, which includes a complimentary meal and will be held at the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge near Prairie City.

Native perennials can generate profit as material for livestock feed and bedding, as well as anaerobic digestion. Targeted plantings on marginal land can also increase overall farm profitability, while providing numerous benefits for wildlife and pollinators, as well as improving soil and water quality. Workshop attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about these opportunities, ask questions, and share their experiences.

The discussion will be facilitated by Liz Ripley, Iowa Learning Farms conservation and cover crop outreach specialist, Lisa Schulte-Moore, C-CHANGE director, Matt Woods, Iowa State University department of agronomy agricultural specialist, Omar de Kok-Mercado, Iowa State University STRIPS project coordinator and communications lead and David Bruene, Iowa State University beef farm manager.

The workshop will be held at the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge, 9981 Pacific Street, Prairie City, IA 50228. For reasonable accommodations and to RSVP please contact Liz Ripley at 515-294-5429 or ilf@iastate.edu.  

Finding Profit in Perennial Vegetation 

Tuesday, March 15 (10am – 12pm) 

Calmar, Iowa 

Iowa Learning Farms, in partnership with Consortium for Cultivating Human And Naturally reGenerative Enterprises (C-CHANGE), will host a workshop on Tuesday, March 15 from 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. regarding the opportunities and challenges of incorporating perennial vegetation on farms. We welcome farmers and landowners to attend the free event, which includes a complimentary meal and will be held at the Northeast Iowa Community College Wilder Business Center near Calmar.

Native perennials can generate profit as material for livestock feed and bedding, as well as anaerobic digestion. Targeted plantings on marginal land can also increase overall farm profitability, while providing numerous benefits for wildlife and pollinators, as well as improving soil and water quality. Workshop attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about these opportunities, ask questions, and share their experiences.

The workshop will be held at the Northeast Iowa Community College, Wilder Business Center – Room 104, 1625 Highway 150 S, Calmar, IA 52132. For reasonable accommodations and to RSVP please contact Liz Ripley at 515-294-5429 or ilf@iastate.edu.