Readlyn Cover Crop, Soil Health and Bioreactor Field Day March 29


March 8, 2018, 10:45 am | Elizabeth Ripley

AMES, Iowa — Iowa Learning Farms, along with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach - Bremer County, will host a cover crop, soil health and bioreactor field day Thursday, March 29 from 12:30-2:30 p.m. at Brian and Brenda Meyer’s farm, rural Readlyn. The event is free and open to the whole family and includes a complimentary meal.

The Meyers have been raising corn and soybeans near Readlyn for the past 28 years. Nearly 20 years ago, they began no-tilling their acres to help reduce soil erosion and improve soil health. Three years ago, they added cover crops to their operation using rye, radish and triticale with the goal of improving their conservation efforts on their land. Brian Meyer will discuss how he is making no-till work in his operation and offer tips for adding cover crops to the land. He will also provide a tour of his cover crops, weather permitting.

The workshop agenda will continue with Ron Lenth, Bremer County extension coordinator, sharing monitoring results from a nearby bioreactor intercepting tile drainage water to reduce nitrate loss from the field. Liz Juchems, Iowa Learning Farms conservation outreach specialist, will share results from cover crop projects examining species selection, water quality implications and soil health indicators such as earthworms. Neil Sass, Natural Resources Conservation Service district agronomist, will lead a discussion on practices that can help improve soil health.

The field day will be held at the Meyer Farm, 3061 230 St/Hwy 3, Readlyn. The farm is located four miles east of Readlyn on the north side of Hwy 3. The workshop is free and open to the whole family, but reservations are suggested to ensure adequate space and food. Please RSVP to Liz Juchems at 515-294-5429 or ilf@iastate.edu.

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