Rainfall Simulator
If you are interested in having the simulator at your event, complete the Rainfall Simulator Form and return it to the Iowa Learning Farm staff.
Researchers involved with the Iowa Learning Farm project have developed a portable rainfall simulator to demonstrate what happens to the land when it rains. The simulator’s oscillating nozzle simultaneously distributes rainfall on five different surfaces. The runoff from these different scenarios is collected in glass jars so one can see the results. For example, the rainfall simulator can highlight how keeping various amounts of residue on the land surface can reduce sediment loss, or how grass buffers can be effective, or how much runoff occurs from an urban parking lot.
The rainfall simulator can be demonstrated at county fairs, conferences, field days, youth events and conservation meetings.
Iowa Learning Farm's rainfall simulator is scheduled to be at these events in 2008. Check back often as events are added often.
| May 1 | Allamakee Co. SWCD 6th Grade Science Event |
| May 2, 5-7 | Eagle Grove, Agriculture Environmental Days (5th graders) |
| May 8 | Iowa Children’s Water Festival, DMACC Ankeny campus |
| May 14-15 | Carroll County Environmental Field Days |
| May 20 | E. Pottawattamie Co. 5th Grade Environmental Education Field Day |
| May 28 | Union Grove Watershed event, Tama County |
| June 1 | Reiman Gardens Ice Cream Social, Ames |
| June 3 | Walnut Creek Watershed event, Poweshiek County |
| June 4 | Littlefield Lake Watershed event, Audubon County |
| June 11 | ILF Field Day, Muscatine County, Doug Nolte farm |
| June 17 | Western IA No-Till Conference, Minden |
| June 19 | ISU Northeast Research Farm Field Day, Nashua |
| June 20 | Boone area, Practical Farmers of Iowa Summer Camp |
| June 21 | Tuttle Lake Day with Emmet County NRCS |
| June 27 | Worth County Fair, Northwood |
| July 1 | NE Iowa No-Till Field Day, Fayette County |
| July 8 | Lake Rathbun Workshop, Millerton |
| July 10 | ILF Field Day, O'Brien County, Tom Wagner farm |
| July 11 | Davis County Fair, Bloomfield |
| July 12 | Des Moines Farmers Market |
| July 15 | Adams County Fair, 2-7 p.m., Corning |
| July 18 | Boone County Fair, 9-11 a.m., Boone |
| July 18 | Madison County Fair, 4:30-7:30 p.m., Winterset |
| July 22 | Jazz in July, Des Moines Botanical Center, 5-8 p.m. |
| July 23 | NRCS Conservation Team RAGBRAI tent, a.m., Marshalltown |
| July 23 | Hamilton County Fair, 4:30-7:30 p.m., Webster City |
| July 24 | Warren County Fair, 4-7 p.m., Indianola |
| July 25 | Des Moines County Fair, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Burlington |
| July 26 | Page County Fair, 5-7 p.m., Clarinda |
| July 29 | ILF event, Butler County, Rick Juchems farm |
| July 31 | Ida County Fair, 3-6 p.m., Ida Grove |
| August 6 | "Operation Strip-till" Field Day, Smeltzer Trust Farm, Otho |
| August 19 | PFI Summer Camp, Boone County (rescheduled from June 20) |
| August 20 | Neely-Kinyon Research Farm, Greenfield |
| August 25-28 | Farm Progress Show, Boone County |
| Sept. 4 | Iowa Lakes Community College Farm Field Day/Expo, Emmetsburg |
| Sept. 5 | Dickinson County SWCD 6th Grade Outdoor Day |
| Sept. 11-12 | Crawford County Extension 7th Grade Ag Day |
| Sept. 16 | Buchanan Co. Extension/NRCS 5th Grade Environment Day, Hazelton |
| Sept. 17-18 | Fayette County SWCD Education Field Days |
| Sept. 24 | North Iowa Tillage Field Day, St. Ansgar |
| Sept. 25 | Howard County Conservation 6th Grade Outdoor Classroom, Cresco |
| Sept. 28 | Black Hawk SWCD Upper Miller Creek Watershed event |