Day to focus on management strategies to build resilience and increase farm profitability
The annual summer field day at Iowa State University’s Armstrong Research and Demonstration Farm in Lewis will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 26. The field day will feature experts from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and other partner organizations, who will speak on a variety of current crop and soil health practices in agriculture.
Wes Everman, extension weed management specialist at Iowa State, will begin the program by providing insights on integrated weed management strategies. Then, James Holz, Iowa farmer and co-owner of Iowa Cover Crop, will discuss financial considerations for cover crops.
The Iowa Natural Resources Conservation Service team will begin the afternoon session with a presentation on assessing soil function. Rick Cruse, professor of agronomy at Iowa State and director of the Iowa Water Center, will discuss water resource management and climate resilience. Daren Mueller, extension plant pathologist at Iowa State, will wrap up the day by sharing tips for corn and soybean disease management to maximize profitability.
“This field day is a hands-on, interactive workshop. We encourage participants to bring their questions,” said Aaron Saeugling, field agronomist with ISU Extension and Outreach. “The research farm will be open for visitors to observe the research plots, and visitors can also ask a variety of questions about farm operations, as the farm staff will be in attendance.”
This field day is available to the public at no cost, but those who would like to attend can RSVP online or by contacting Ruth Blomquist at 319-541-2969 or [email protected] by June 19. A complimentary lunch will also be provided.
This field day is offered in partnership with the Southwest Iowa Soil Health group, a group of volunteer farmers, ISU Extension and Outreach staff, NRCS staff, and IDALS staff, who are passionate about soil health and committed to increasing soil health awareness and adoption across southwest Iowa. The field day event is made possible due to support from SWISH, ISU Armstrong Research and Demonstration Farm, the Wallace Foundation, ISU Extension and Outreach and the Iowa Soybean Association.
For more information, contact Aaron Saeugling at 712-254-0082 or [email protected].
