Iowa Learning Farms, in partnership with Consortium for Cultivating Human And Naturally reGenerative Enterprises (C-CHANGE), will host cover crop workshops on February 1, 14, 21 and 22 from 12:00-2:00 p.m. each day. We welcome farmers and landowners to attend the free event, which includes a complimentary meal.
Cover crops offer many benefits to farmers and landowners, including reduced soil erosion, weed suppression potential, reduced nitrogen and phosphorus loads entering water bodies, increased organic matter in the soil and forage potential for livestock. When paired with no-tillage or strip-tillage, additional benefits include increased water infiltration to further reduce erosion during heavy rain events. Workshop attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about these opportunities, ask questions, and share their experiences.
The discussion will be facilitated by Dr. Jacqueline Comito, Iowa Learning Farms program director, Dr. Matt Helmers, Iowa Nutrient Research Center director, and Mark Licht, associate professor and extension cropping systems specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, and Liz Ripley, Iowa Learning Farms conservation and cover crop outreach specialist.
Wednesday, February 1 | 12:00-2:00 p.m.Bridge View Center120 Church StreetOttumwa, IA 52501Catering by Bridge View Center
Tuesday, February 14 | 12:00-2:00 p.m.Sioux County Extension Office – Basement Room400 Central Ave NW Suite 700Orange City, IA 51041Catering by Nederlander’s Grill
Tuesday, February 21 | 12:00-2:00 p.m.Walnut Community Center – Community Room415 Antique City DriveWalnut, IA 51577Catering by Karol Calabro of a bit of IOWA
Wednesday, February 22 | 12:00-2:00 p.m.West Union Event Center10201 Harding RoadWest Union, IA 52175Catering by West Union Event Center
The events are free and open to farmers and landowners.
For reasonable accommodations and to RSVP please contact Liz Ripley at 515-294-5429 or ilf@iastate.edu. Attendees will be entered in a drawing that evening for ISU Prairie Strips honey.
Iowa Learning Farms field days and workshops are supported by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and this project is supported by USDA NIFA award 2020-68012-31824.
For more information about Iowa Learning Farms, visit www.iowalearningfarms.org.