Demonstration Garden Field Days Will Offer Tips Statewide

Summer field days intended to give gardeners ideas for their home garden

June 19, 2019, 2:39 pm | Cynthia Haynes

AMES, Iowa – Gardeners will have the opportunity to learn about growing cut flowers, sweet corn and tomatoes in the home garden during this year’s Demonstration Garden Field Days, hosted by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and the Iowa State University Research and Demonstration Farms.

Seven field days will be held across the state, beginning July 23 in Rock Rapids, at the Lyon County Fairgrounds. Presentations will cover three main themes: home-grown bouquets, augmented sweet corn and a tomato showcase of different types of tomatoes.

Cindy Haynes, associate professor and extension specialist in horticulture at Iowa State, said each event is similar, with the goal of including some tasting opportunities so attendees can make comparisons according to their own palate.

Haynes said there have been some weather-related challenges with getting the gardens planted this spring, but she believes most of the gardens are still on track, and will be ready for the field day.
 
tomatoes growing on vine beside a box of picked fruit.“What I like most about these field days is that I get to see how these same sets of plants perform at all of these locations, so I can tell everyone who attends what works well across the state and what doesn’t,” Haynes said. Haynes will present at most of the locations, along with a variety of ISU Extension and Outreach professionals, and some local Master Gardener volunteers.

2019 Demonstration Garden Field Days

  • July 23, Northwest, Rock Rapids, Lyon County Fairgrounds, 6 p.m.
  • July 25, Armstrong, Lewis*, 6:30 p.m.
  • July 29, Muscatine Island, Fruitland, 6:30 p.m.
  • July 30, Western, Onawa, Monona County Fairgrounds, 5:30 p.m.
  • July 31, Northern, Kanawha, 6:30 p.m.
  • Aug. 3, Northeast, Nashua, 4 p.m.
  • Aug. 22, Horticulture Research Station, Ames, 6:30 p.m.

*Indicates livestock farm. Visitors are asked to follow certain policies when attending a field day at a farm with livestock. There is a five-day waiting period prior to visiting Iowa State farms with livestock if you have recently traveled outside the U.S.

If you have visited another livestock farm, you are asked to change clothing and footwear. Visitors are not allowed to bring food to the research farms.

Directions and contact information for each of the farms can be found on the Iowa State Research and Demonstration Farms webpage, or call 515-294-5045.

There is no pre-registration and participants are asked to dress for the weather, including sunscreen and bringing their own form of insect protection.
 
Cindy Haynes can be reached at 515-294-4006, or chaynes@iastate.edu.

 

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