Strip-till field day planned for Aug. 10

RENWICK — Farmers will have an opportunity to see various strip-till bars in action at a field day farm near Renwick, on Thursday, Aug. 10.

Iowa continues to see an increasing number of acres of strip-tillage each year.

“The goal of this field day is to increase awareness of strip-tillage as a conservation practice to help reduce erosion, improve soil health, protect water quality and complement cover-cropping systems,” said Angie Rieck-Hinz, field agronomist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.

Attendees have the opportunity to visit with several strip-till equipment representatives and see strip-till bars running on cornstalk (sweet corn) residue as well as visit with farmers who have been using strip-till for many years.

“This field day will provide a good opportunity for those who are considering moving to a reduced tillage system as they can observe differences in equipment and talk to farmer-experts who have been practicing strip-till for many years,” said Rieck-Hinz.

The event begins with registration and refreshments from 9-9:30 a.m., followed by field demonstrations. The field day will be held 4.25 miles east of Renwick on County Road C26 or 150th St.

Follow signs for parking. There are 2.5 Soil and Water CCA continuing education units available for participants.

Field demonstrations will showcase several equipment manufacturers including, but not limited to, Soil Warrior, Lynx, Dawn, Zimmerman, Unverferth, Orthman, Kuhn Krause, Montag and Yetter.

To help with event planning, the organizers ask attendees to RSVP to the link found on the event web page: https://www.aep.iastate.edu/striptill/. Questions may be directed to Angie Rieck-Hinz at amrieck@iastate.edu, or 515-231-2830.

Field day sponsors include ISU Extension and Outreach, North Central SARE, the Wright County Soil and Water Conservation District, Carroll Implement, and KC Nielsen.

I-29 Moo University co-hosting forage field day Aug. 7 near Beresford

ORANGE CITY — I-29 Moo University, South Dakota State University Extension, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension, and the Northern Plains Forage Association will co-host a Forage Field Day from 9:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Aug. 7 at the SDSU Southeast Research Farm located at 29974 University Road, Beresford, South Dakota.

The field day will focus on forage sorghum (a warm-season annual grass), and on forage equipment.

The day will include talks from commodity experts, including Brent Bean, the agronomy director of the United Sorghum Checkoff Program; Jeff Jackson, an alfalfa and forage specialist with Croplan; Dan Funke, a forage producer in northeastern Iowa; Andrew DeJong, a hay and forage product specialist with New Holland; Jim Salfer, a University of Minnesota dairy Extension educator; and Fred Hall, an Iowa State University Extension and Outreach dairy specialist.

There will also be a plot tour of a sorghum variety trial, including a male sterile sugar sorghum line; a panel discussion with local forage growers, moderated by Fieldstone Consulting Nutrition and forage specialist Jim Paulsen; discussions about on-site equipment; and an ice cream social.

An optional farm tour will be hosted after the 3:45 p.m. adjournment.

“Forages are an unsung hero in the Midwest, and sorghum is especially overlooked,” said Sara Bauder, SDSU Extension forage field specialist. “Interest in warm season forage grasses has increased over the past couple of years when drought has become a concern for many in the region, and this field day provides resources to new and experienced forage growers.”

The forage equipment industry is constantly changing, and the field day will give attendees a hands-on look at new equipment, settings, safety, and emerging technologies.

Registration is free for students and Northern Plains Forage Association members, including memberships purchased on-site, and $20 for non-members.

To register, visit extension.sdstate.edu/events and search “Forage.”

For free registration or more information, contact Sara Bauder, SDSU Extension Forage Field Specialist, at Sara.Bauder@sdstate.edu.

Agritourism bus tour set for Aug. 28

AMES — Building on the success of last year’s inaugural agritourism bus tour, the Visit Iowa Farms Program with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach will host a second “Exploring Iowa Agritourism Ventures” tour on Aug. 28.

Five agritourism locations in central Iowa will be featured, including a flower farm, produce farms, livestock farm, and farms that host on-farm events.

The tour bus will depart from Ames at 8:30 a.m. and return to Ames at 4:30 p.m. The tour is free and includes lunch, although registration is required.

The stops and presenters are:

• Willow Flower Farm, Amanda Septer (Prole).

• Kaysen Family Farm, Tara Kaysen (St. Charles).

• Lone Oaks Farm, Luann Gilman (Winterset).

• Speckled Hens Farm, Kris Miler (Winterset).

• Rinehart’s Family Farm, Gary Rinehart (Boone).

“We are excited to host a second Exploring Iowa Agritourism Ventures Bus Tour featuring these five agritourism destinations in central Iowa,” said Kendra Meyer, agriculture and natural resources extension specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach. “Whether you currently have a farm or you are just interested in learning more about agritourism, this tour will provide a great outlook at the opportunities in agritourism and the benefits of diversifying your operation.”

Topics will include financial sustainability through on-farm business and marketing, on-farm conservation practices, community engagement and risk management best practices.

Attendees will have the chance to interact with small farm specialists from ISU Extension and Outreach, during the bus ride between stops.

Seating is limited to one bus, so participants should register as soon as possible by visiting https://www.visitiowafarms.org/register.

For more information, contact Christa Hartsook, small farms program coordinator with ISU Extension and Outreach, at 515-294-4430 or hartc@iastate.edu

The bus tour is based on work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, through a grant received through the North Central Region SARE program.

Salsa making class offered Aug. 9

ADEL — Iowa State University Extension and Outreach in Dallas County will be offering a Preserve the Taste of Summer: Salsa Making program, from 5 to 9 p.m. Aug. 9 at the Dallas County Extension office in Adel.

Preserving your own foods can be a lot quicker and easier than you might think, but you need to follow safe methods. Preservation is a great way to fully utilize your harvest and have delicious, local food all year long. Our hands-on workshops offer you an opportunity to learn safe food preservation techniques, and you will get to get a jar of salsa to take home and enjoy.

Classes are $40 per person, and scholarships are available during registration. Bring a friend or family member and learn how to safely preserve the taste of summer, sign up today.

Register at https://go.iastate.edu/R89KGG.

For more information, contact Tom Keinert at tkeinert@iastate.edu.

Conservation field day set for Aug. 3

AMES — Crop farmers and anyone involved with on-farm conservation practices will get an in-person demonstration of some of the latest conservation efforts happening in Iowa during a special field day Aug. 3 near Ames.

Agronomists with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach are partnering with Cargill to hold a half-day event at Iowa State’s Agricultural Engineering and Agronomy Research Farm, located between Ames and Boone.

Presentations will focus on conservation practices Iowa farmers have already implemented and options for the future, according to Meaghan Anderson, agronomist with ISU Extension and Outreach.

“We want to show how farmers have overcome some of the challenges of implementing in-field conservation practices and perhaps dispel a few myths along the way,” said Anderson. “In addition to session speakers, we have a panel of farmers who will speak about their own experiences in various landscapes and soils across Iowa.”

The day begins at 8:30 a.m. with registration and check-in, an official welcome address at 9 a.m. and lunch around noon. The day will conclude around 1:30 p.m., following presentations by a panel of farmers engaged in conservation. Modern conservation equipment and technology will be on display during the morning.

Session topics will include an overview of Iowa State’s research farms, cover crop seeding and how to achieve success, the “why” behind conservation practices and holding soil in place, and how to be successful with strip-till.

Register online via the event registration page. Attendees should register at least a week in advance, to help with planning materials and lunch.

The Agricultural Engineering and Agronomy Research Farm is located at 1308 U Ave. Boone. For more information about the event, contact Meaghan Anderson at 319-331-0058 or mjanders@iastate.edu.