CHARITON, Iowa – The Iowa State University (ISU) McNay Research Farm will celebrate its 50th Anniversary on Sept. 14, and the field day includes a special spotlight on beef herd management.
“We will be celebrating the rich history of the McNay farm, but also sharing today’s research with beef producers,” says Joe Sellers, ISU Extension livestock specialist.
Beef producers and the general public are invited to attend the celebration, which begins at 10 a.m. Some of the presentations, activities, and exhibits include early weaning, reducing winter feed costs and fall calving systems and techniques.
In addition to ISU displays of stockpile grazing and a history of beef cattle production in Iowa, a unique live-animal demonstration will feature the changes in beef genetics over the past half-century. Several calves were born this year on the McNay farm. They were sired using the frozen semen of bulls from the 1950s and 1970s.
The Lucas County Cattlemen will serve steak sandwiches and homemade ice cream at noon. Following lunch, a short program will include comments from Wendy Wintersteen, dean of Iowa State University's College of Agriculture, and a video history about the farm. The farm was established after Harry McNay and his sister, Winnie, donated 480 acres in 1956. Research at the farm has primarily focused on cattle, sheep, forage and crops.
To get to the McNay Research and Demonstration Farm go four miles south of the intersection of Highways 65 and 34, then 2.5 miles east on a gravel road and turn north one-quarter of a mile. The main buildings are located on the west side of the road.
To reduce the risk of spreading diseases to livestock, visitors are asked to observe a precautionary five-day waiting period if they have recently arrived in the United States or have returned from a trip abroad.
For more information about the field day, contact Sellers at (641) 774-2016 or sellers@iastate.edu, or visit the Calendar page at www.iowabeefcenter.org.
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