CHARITON, Iowa -- A haying and grazing field day is planned for Tuesday, June 27. “The field day will begin at the Jimmy Carpenter farm, 6 miles east of Millerton on county highway J22.  A BBQ meal will be prepared by the Wayne County Cattlemen at 6 p.m. with the program and demonstrations beginning at 6:30 p.m.,”  said Carl Neifert, Rathbun Lake Forage Project technical assistant. 

Demonstrations at the Carpenter farm will include:

·        2005 air seeded alfalfa without a cover crop

·        2005 / 2006 yields using three different fertilizer rates

·        Forage testing and hay quality analysis

·        Costs and returns from hay production insouthern . Iowa

·        What can we do to make hay production profitable

The second stop will be the Bruce George farm to see a split grazing of pantheon canary grass. Demonstrations at this stop will include:

·        Comparison of grazing days and AUM from fertilized vs. non- fertilized  grass pastures

·        Cost and return comparisons for nitrogen vs. non-fertilized pastures

·        A look at what can make stocker/grazing programs profitable.

“This field day and demonstrations are examples of the many projects of the Rathbun Lake Forage Project working with cooperators like Jimmy and Bruce. Through these projects we hope to show forage as a competitive alternative to row crop production” said Joe Sellers, ISU Extension livestock field specialist.

The Rathbun Lake Special Project and the Rathbun Lake forage Project is a partnership of the following individuals, agencies, and organizations: Participating landowners in the Rathbun Lake Watershed; Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s Division of Soil Conservation; Iowa Department of Natural Resources; Iowa State University; Iowa Watershed Improvement Review Board; Southern Iowa Development and Conservation Authority; US Army Corps of Engineers; US Environmental Protection Agency; USDA Farm Service Agency; USDA Natural Resources Conservation Agency; Appanoose, Clarke, Decatur, Lucas, Monroe and Wayne Soil and Water Conservation Districts and Counties; Iowa Farm Bureau at the state and county levels; and Rathbun Regional Water Association.

For more information about the Field day, contact Joe Sellers, Lucas County Extension, (641) 774-2016.

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