Iowa Learning Farms Field Day March 28 in Montgomery County

AMES, Iowa — Iowa Learning Farms, along with Practical Farmers of Iowa, will host a field day on Thursday, March 28, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Kent Swanson farm, rural Red Oak. The field day will focus on cover crop management and use for grazing and forage production, erosion control and soil health.

The field day will include presentations by Steve McGrew, a cover crop farmer in Mills County; Mark Peterson, a Montgomery County cover crop farmer; and host Kent Swanson. They will share their experiences in adding cover crops to their crop rotations and livestock grazing. Sarah Carlson, research and policy director with Practical Farmers of Iowa, will also be on-hand to answer cover crop management questions.

The event is free and includes a complimentary lunch. The public is invited to attend, but an RSVP is recommended. To register for this event, please call the Montgomery County Soil and Water Conservation District office at 712-623-9680 ext. 109.

The field day will be at the Kent Swanson farm, 2670 K Ave. (Co. Highway M55), Red Oak. From Red Oak, travel south on Highway 48 for approximately seven miles, turn east onto 270th Street (Co. Highway H54). Follow 270th Street for approximately three miles; turn left onto K Avenue. The field day site is a quarter-mile north of 270th Street.

Iowa Learning Farms takes a grassroots approach offering innovative ways to help all Iowans have an active role in keeping the state’s natural resources healthy and not take them for granted. A goal of Iowa Learning Farms is to build a Culture of Conservation, encouraging the adoption of residue management and conservation practices. Farmers, researchers and ILF team members 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 of the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Iowa Natural Resources Conservation Service and Iowa Department of Natural Resources (USEPA section 319), in cooperation with Conservation Districts of Iowa, the Iowa Farm Bureau and the Iowa Water Center.

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Contact: Sarah Carlson, PFI research and policy director, 515-232-5661