ILF Cooperator: Clay County Growers
Producer: Clay County Growers
Contact: Paul Kassel
Location: Spencer, Clay County
Soil Region: 1, Northwest Plains
ILF Demonstration: Yield response comparison of corn in a 2 yr. C-SB rotation utilizing no-till (with row cleaners), one pass spring field culitavator, and fall V-rip & spring field cultivator
Bio: ISU Extension Field Agronomist Paul Kassel also farms and represents the group of Clay County farmers who are cooperators with the Iowa Learning Farm project. Kassel believes we need to conserve our soil and resources for future generations. He grew up with an conservation ethic as his father was a Soil and Water District Commission and on the state soil committee.
In northwest Iowa, he has seen a switch to no-till corn and soybeans and hopes this trend will continue. He has also seen an interest in strip-tillage. “There’s been some large operators who have adopted strip tillage on corn going into soybean ground. A lot of that is driven by timliness, productivity and labor issues,” said Kassel. “They can cover more land more efficiently.
“We are at a very interesting time with high grain prices, farms are getting larger. We need to maintain soil quality and soil productivity for future generations. We need to for our immediate concerns and for future generations So we need to do whatever we can for soil quality.”
Building a Culture of Conservation: “People are concerned with the bottom line and they are also thinking thinking about their children and their family in the future. They want to maintain the soil quality.”
Contact Information:
Paul Kassel ~ Clay County
110 W 4th Street, Suite 100
Spencer, IA 50525
712/262-2264
kassel@iastate.edu
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