Location
Paustian Family Farms
6520 215th St
Walcott, IA 52763
RSVP: 515-294-5429 or ilf@iastate.edu
Iowa Learning Farms will host a relay intercropping, soil health and water quality field day near Walcott on Tuesday, July 15 from 5:30 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Paustian Family Farm. The no-cost event is open to farmers and landowners and includes a complimentary meal.
In a relay intercropping system, where three crops are grown in two years, the benefits include a marketable small grain for use as cover crop and additional revenue for the farmer. Similar to cover crops, a relay intercropping system can provide many benefits to farmers and landowners, including reduced soil erosion, weed suppression, reduced nutrient loads entering water bodies, increased organic matter in the soil, and forage for livestock.
The field day will feature host and Scott County farmer Mike Paustian sharing how he has successfully incorporated cover crops into his operation and has begun adding relay intercropping in the rotation to grow cover crop seed. Mike will also highlight the variety of additional conservation practices he has implemented on his farm to help improve water quality. Mark Licht, ISU Extension cropping systems specialist, will share research updates from a current relay intercropping project being conducted on both ISU research farms and on-farm demonstrations. The Iowa Learning Farms will present their Conservation Station On The Edge trailer and Liz Ripley, Iowa Learning Farms conservation and cover crop outreach specialist, will discuss a smart agricultural drainage project led by ISU researchers. Weather permitting, the field day will include a field tour of Mike’s relay intercropping field.
The field day will be held at the Paustian Family Farm, 6520 215th St, Walcott, IA 52763. The no-cost event and open to farmers and landowners, though we require reservations to ensure adequate space and food. For reasonable accommodations and to RSVP, please contact Liz Ripley at 515-294-5429 or ilf@iastate.edu by July 10. Attendees will be entered in a drawing for ISU Prairie Strips honey.
Iowa Learning Farms field days and workshops are supported by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. This event is supported by a USDA NRCS Conservation Innovation grant award NR233A750011G012 and U.S. National Science Foundation award 2125484. For more information about Iowa Learning Farms, visit www.iowalearningfarms.org.