Iowa Learning Farms (ILF) will host a field day (2012 Field Day Guide) at the Mark Mueller farm near Waverly on Thursday, June 14, beginning at 11 a.m. the field day will focus on no-till conservation farming and crop residue management for optimum results.
Bremer County farmer Mark Mueller began using no-till several years ago by planting soybean into standing cornstalks to control soil erosion and save labor. In 2010, he began no-till planting corn following corn. Many of Mark's acres are on a two-year corn/one-year soybean rotation, with some acres planted to a three-year corn/one-year soybean rotation. Mueller will talk about his planting equipment and yield successes; ILF farmer partner Collin Jensen will also be on hand to offer insights on successful no-till continuous corn production. Jensen farms near West Union in Fayette County. NRCS soil conservationist Shaffer Ridgeway will discuss cost-share incentives available to farmers interested in trying no-till on their farm.
The field day includes a complimentary lunch served by the Bremer County Pork Producers. The event is free and the public is invited to attend. The field day site is located just northwest of the Waverly airport. Take exit 205 from Highway 218 west of Waverly, travel east on 210th Street (business Highway 218) toward Waverly. Parking is available at the intersection of 210th Street and Caspar Avenue.
ILF takes a grassroots approach offering innovative ways to help all Iowans have an active role in keeping our state's natural resources healthy and not take them for granted. A goal of ILF 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.
John Lundvall is the Iowa Learning Farms field coordinator. He can be reached at 515-294-8912 or by e-mailing jlundval@iastate.edu.
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