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

Soil Health and Grazing Series: Part 3

Friday, July 8 (12:30pm-3pm)

Smith Family Farm

26129 Tivoli Ln, Epworth, IA 52045

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and Iowa Learning Farms are offering three field days focused on soil health in grazing systems. In These hands-on field days, attendees will learn how to assess soil and pasture conditions.
 
For more information and to register, click here.


Prairie Strips and Conservation on Big Spirit Lake

Saturday, July 9 (10am-1pm)

13026 253rd Ave, Orleans, IA 51360

Landowners Eric and Kelly Hoien invite you to their 129-acre farm just off Big Spirit Lake to learn how they’re working to protect their local watershed and provide habitat for wildlife. The Hoiens have installed 23 acres of prairie strips as a way to protect soil and water quality, and reintegrate native prairie back onto the landscape.

At this field day, Eric and Kelly, along with staff from Iowa State University’s STRIPS team, will discuss nuts and bolts of designing, establishing and managing prairie strips. You’ll learn about edge-of-field practices, water quality benefits and hear how Eric and Kelly have used programs like the Conservation Reserve Program to help pay for conservation practices, build habitat and improve their little piece of the Big Spirit Lake watershed.
 
For more information and to register, click here by July 5.


Iowa Learning Farms Webinar: Understanding and Improving Nitrogen Utilization Efficiency in Corn

Wednesday, July 13 (12pm)

Live Webinar

The Iowa Learning Farms conservation webinar taking place July 13 at noon CDT will feature Mike Castellano, professor of agronomy and William T. Frankenberger Professor of soil science at Iowa State University. Castellano’s research, teaching and outreach apply a systems approach to improving resource use efficiency on farms in Iowa.

In the webinar, Castellano will discuss recent studies showing dramatic variability in optimum nitrogen rates – as much as 100% from field-to-field and year-to-year. Highlighting factors such as genetics, management practices, environment and weather, he will address methods of forecasting optimum nitrogen fertilizer rates for productivity, profitability and environmental performance. He will also discuss how a systems approach reduces nitrogen losses to the environment while supporting crop performance.

For more information, click here. 


Conservation Rotations and Cover Crops Following Small Grains

Friday, July 15 (10am-12pm)

Linder Family Farms, 47605 180th St, Easton, MN 56205

Andy Linder (pictured with his wife, Lindsay) farms with his father, Don Linder, near Easton, Minnesota, raising no-till soybeans, no-till and strip-till corn, oats, canning crops and hay. He also operates a cover crop seed business selling seed and doing high-clearance applications.
 
 At this field day, you’ll learn from the Linders about managing diverse rotations, no-till corn, spring-seeded covers and the benefits of grazing for soil health. Andy will showcase his oat field planted next to a field of canning peas, and no-till corn planted into a spring cover crop. If you’re interested in small grains, reduced tillage, and grazing cover crops then this is a field day for you!
 
For more information and to register, click here by July 11.


Precision Farming With Cover Crops for Soil Health and Conservation

Saturday, July 16 (10am-12pm)

Wisecup Family Farm and Museum, 1200 Canal St, Missouri Valley, IA 51555

The Wisecup family invites you to see how a corn and soybean farm can use cover crops and small grains to improve soil health. Father-son team Lee and Arthur will discuss their use of cereal rye, barley, rapeseed and winter camelina, and take guests to see their short-stature corn research plots. They will also show their diverse assortment of small grains and precision technology equipment – including a drill for planting multi-species cover crops, a roller-crimper and more.

Coupled with their long-time interest in soil health practices, the Wisecups have improved profitability on their acres through precision conservation, and were the 2019 recipients of the Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever Precision Farmer of the Year Award. The Wisecups are eager to discuss their practices and help other farmers discover opportunities to integrate similar soil health strategies.
 
For more information and to register, click here by July 11.


Biodiversity, Beneficial Insects and Building Resilience

Saturday, July 16 (10am-12pm)

Middle Fork Farm, 2876 Middle Fork Drive NW, Oronoco, MN 55960

Middle Fork Farm is a diverse fruit, vegetable and herb farm located along the beautiful Middle Fork of the Zumbro River in Oronoco, Minnesota. Proprietors Angela Smith and her husband, Erik Tryggestad, have worked extensively to enhance the health and biodiversity of the farm by planting, restoring and managing pollinator habitat both within and surrounding their production fields.

Hear more about their efforts and learn how you can implement habitat for beneficial insects and climate resilience on your own farm.
 
For more information and to register, click here by July 11.


Iowa Learning Farms Conservation Webinar Series

Wednesday, July 20 (12pm)

Live Webinar

The Iowa Learning Farms conservation webinar taking place July 20 at noon CDT will feature Chuck Burr from University of Nebraska – Lincoln.
 
For more information, click here.