ILF & PFI to co-host June 17 Field Day

Ames, Iowa--Iowa Learning Farms and Practical Farmers of Iowa will co-sponsor a field day with Iowa State University Extension Field Agronomist Paul Kassel and farmer Jeff Joyce in Palo Alto County on Friday, June 17, from 12:00-1:30 p.m. The field day will begin with a complimentary meal at noon, followed by discussion of cover crop management, strip-tillage and tractor fuel saving tips. A walking field tour of corn planted into fall 2010 aerial-seeded winter rye will begin at 1:00 p.m. The event is free and the public is invited to attend.

The cover crop management discussion will include yield response of corn and soybeans following fall-seeded winter rye and other cereal grain cover crops, nitrogen fertilizer needs of corn planted after fall-seeded winter rye, planter set-up for planting into cover crop residue, and soil quality improvements related to cover crop use. Attendees will be able to discuss cover crop and strip-tillage management with ISU and PFI experts, along with local farmer Jeff Joyce.

The field day location is known locally as the Barringer farm at 3650 360^th Street; the site is one mile east of Ruthven on the south side of Hwy 18. For questions about the event, contact Paul Kassel at (712) 262-2264, or by email: kassel@iastate.edu.

Practical Farmers of Iowa and Iowa Learning Farms have formed a cover crop management working group with 10 farmer cooperators across the state, demonstrating corn and soybean yield response to fall-seeded cereal grain cover crops fall-seeded before or after combine harvest of the previous crop.

Iowa Learning Farms are building a Culture of Conservation, encouraging adoption of residue management and conservation practices. Farmers, researchers and ILF staff are working together to identify and implement the best in-field management practices that increase water and soil quality while remaining profitable. Iowa Learning Farms is a partnership between the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Iowa State University Extension, Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Iowa Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Iowa Department of Natural Resources and USEPA (section 319); in cooperation with Conservation Districts of Iowa and the Iowa Farm Bureau.

Practical Farmers of Iowa (PFI) includes a diverse group of farmers and non-farmers. Corn, soybeans, beef cattle, and hay are the top enterprises for PFI farmers, although many other PFI farmers focus on fruits and vegetables. PFI programming stresses farmer-to-farmer networking through research and demonstration, field days, conferences, and more.

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