Iowa Learning Farms Webinar: Quantifying and Managing Residual Soil Nitrogen

The Iowa Learning Farms (ILF) conservation webinar taking place Feb. 22 at noon CST will feature Greg LaBarge, field specialist, agronomic systems department, The Ohio State University. LaBarge conducts research and outreach on nutrient management and water quality issues through The Ohio State University Extension. His work focuses on the application of 4R (Right Source, Right Time, Right Rate, Right Place) management of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) in row crops, and conservation practices which help limit downstream impacts of nutrients leaving farm fields.

Iowa Learning Farms is an Iowa State University Extension and Outreach conservation and water quality education program.

In the webinar, “Quantifying and Managing Residual Soil N after Corn,” LaBarge will highlight research conducted to help measure residual nitrogen in soil after harvest and discuss management techniques such as cover crops which have proven to limit transport of nutrients to waterways. He will also discuss edge of field losses and additional conservation practices that mitigate nutrient losses.

“Having sufficient nitrogen (N) is critical to supporting maximized crop yields, but our studies are showing a significant amount of residual N in the soil after harvest,” said LaBarge. “Research has shown that the use of cover crops after corn is an effective way to capture residual N as organic matter and improve soils. Identifying and encouraging the deployment of additional practices which keep that N in the field is important to achieving both long-term economic and environmental goals.”

Participants are encouraged to ask questions of the presenters. People from all backgrounds and areas of interest are encouraged to join.

Webinar Access Instructions

To participate in the live webinar, shortly before noon CST Feb. 22:

Click this URL, or type this web address into your internet browser: https://iastate.zoom.us/j/364284172

Or, go to https://iastate.zoom.us/join and enter meeting ID: 364 284 172

Or, join from a dial-in phone line:

Dial: +1 312 626 6799 or +1 646 876 9923

Meeting ID: 364 284 172

The webinar will also be recorded and archived. All archived webinars are available on the ILF website, so that they can be watched at any time.

ILF has applied for a Certified Crop Adviser board-approved continuing education unit (CEU) for attending this webinar. Those who participate in the live webinar are eligible. Information about how to apply to receive the credit will be provided at the end of the live webinar.

Upcoming Webinars in the Series:

Up Next: Wednesday, Mar. 1Citizen Scientists and the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow (CoCoRaHS) Network, with Justin Glisan, Bureau Chief and State Climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship

March 8: Adam Janke and Kay Stefanik, Iowa State University

March 15: Daniel Kaiser, University of Minnesota

March 22: Seth Watkins, Page County Farmer

Iowa Learning Farms Webinar: Linking Soil Management to Stream Eutrophication

In the webinar, “Directly Linking Soil Management and the Eutrophication of Iowa Streams,” McDaniel will draw on research outcomes to highlight the complex interaction of stream morphological characteristics, history of nutrient inputs, and tile water quality to assess stream eutrophication (overabundance of nutrients.) McDaniel will also share the water collection and analysis process and discuss factors such as historical nutrient conditions and background that can influence the impacts on a given waterway.

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Cover Crop Workshop February 22 in West Union

Iowa Learning Farms, in partnership with Consortium for Cultivating Human And Naturally reGenerative Enterprises (C-CHANGE), will host a cover crop workshop on Wednesday, February 22 from 12:00-2:00 p.m. at the West Union Event Center.  We welcome farmers and landowners to attend the free event, which includes a complimentary meal catered by the West Union Event Center.

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 Dr. 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.

The workshop will be held in the West Union Event Center, 10201 Harding Road, West Union, IA 52175. The event is free 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.  Attendees will be entered in a drawing that evening for ISU Prairie Strips honey.

Iowa Learning Farms Webinar: Monarch Butterfly Conservation Within Agroecosystems

In the webinar, “Monarch Butterfly Biology, Ecology and Conservation Needs,” Fisher will highlight the outcomes of collaborative work on monarch butterfly conservation conducted at Iowa State University, including the notable suggestion that milkweed and nectar resources be planted within 50 meters of established habitat to create a functionally connected landscape that facilitates monarch movement.

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Beavers: Superheroes for Water Quality?

Iowa Learning Farms Virtual Field Day Scheduled for February 9, 2022 at 1pm (Virtual Field Day)

Iowa Learning Farms, in partnership with the Iowa Nutrient Research Center, and Conservation Learning Group (CLG), is hosting a free virtual field day on February 9 at 1 p.m. Join us for a live discussion with Billy Beck, assistant professor and extension forestry specialist at Iowa State University and Andrew Rupiper, graduate research assistant in Natural Resources Ecology and Management at Iowa State University.
The virtual field day will explore a unique research project, located at the Ann Smeltzer Trust Iowa Learning Farm in Webster County, looking at a free in-steam conservation practice tying together water quality, wood and wildlife.

Funded by the Iowa Nutrient Research Center, the team is working to quantify hydrologic impacts of beaver dams in the stream system and their effect on nutrients and sediment to determine the influence, positive or negative, these ecosystem engineers have within their watershed.“Many of the stream channels in Iowa aren’t able to assist with nutrient and sediment reductions and may be sources instead due to the straightening of streams, removal of riparian vegetation, removed in-channel wood and added artificial drainage to the landscape,” noted Beck. “While contentious, beaver dams are a free-instream conservation practice that could help improve water quality and reduce nutrient and sediment loads within the watershed.”

Virtual Field Day Access Instructions:
To participate in the live virtual field day at 1:00 pm CT on February 9 to learn more, click this URL: https://iastate.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUpduihpj8iE9ZHcjpsenc2DWQILG41wg0D or visit https://www.iowalearningfarms.org/events-1.
Or, join from a dial-in phone line:
Dial: +1 646 876 9923 or +1 301 715 8592
Meeting ID: 945 3331 7620

The field day will be recorded and archived on the ILF website so that it can be watched at any time. The archive will be available at https://www.iowalearningfarms.org/virtual-field-day-archive.

Participants may be eligible for a Certified Crop Adviser board-approved continuing education unit (CEU). Information about how to apply to receive the credit (if approved) will be provided at the end of the live field day.

About Iowa Learning Farms:
Established in 2004, Iowa Learning Farms is building a Culture of Conservation by encouraging adoption of conservation practices. Farmers, researchers and ILF team members are working together to identify and implement the best management practices that improve water quality and soil health while remaining profitable. Partners of Iowa Learning Farms include the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Iowa Department of Natural Resources (USEPA section 319) and GROWMARK, Inc

Iowa Learning Farms Webinar: Science-Based Restoration and Management of Functional Floodplain

The Iowa Learning Farms (ILF) conservation webinar taking place Jan. 25 at noon CST will feature Maria Lemke, director of conservation science, The Nature Conservancy, Illinois. Lemke is a freshwater biologist with the Conservancy who works with partners to implement and quantify the effectiveness of agricultural conservation practices in the Mackinaw River watershed. Her research encompasses understanding the effectiveness of agricultural practices in improving water quality and hydrology and floodplain restoration metrics at the Emiquon Preserve in central Illinois.

Iowa Learning Farms is an Iowa State University Extension and Outreach conservation and water quality education program.

In the webinar, “The Nature Conservancy’s Emiquon Preserve: Science-Based Restoration and Management of Functional Floodplain Along the Illinois River,” Lemke will highlight the history and restoration progress in the Emiquon Preserve, a historic floodplain that was separated from the river by levees in the 1920s for agricultural production. She will discuss the project objectives of restoring ecological floodplain processes and habitats that promote and sustain native species and communities. In addition, Lemke will showcase the Key Ecological Attributes (KEA) framework for assessing restoration success.

“With the recent completion of a water control structure, we are well-positioned to improve the conservation status of those floodplain and riverine targets in the preserve that depend on water management and river connectivity,” said Lemke. “Our efforts and studies of the Emiquon Preserve make a significant contribution to understanding large river floodplain restoration in the central United States region and have implications for restoration of critically threatened river ecosystems. The KEA framework provides for strategic and systematic monitoring and consistent assessments which can support similar restoration of ecological integrity efforts in watersheds and floodplains.”

Participants are encouraged to ask questions of the presenters. People from all backgrounds and areas of interest are encouraged to join.

Webinar Access Instructions

  • Or, join from a dial-in phone line:

Dial: +1 312 626 6799 or +1 646 876 9923

Meeting ID: 364 284 172

The webinar will also be recorded and archived. All archived webinars are available on the ILF website, so that they can be watched at any time.

ILF has applied for a Certified Crop Adviser board-approved continuing education unit (CEU) for attending this webinar. Those who participate in the live webinar are eligible. Information about how to apply to receive the credit will be provided at the end of the live webinar.

Upcoming Webinars in the Series:

Feb. 1: Kelsey Fisher, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station

Feb. 8: Pamela Stahke, USDA – Risk Management Agency

Feb. 15: Marshall McDaniel, Iowa State University

Feb. 22: Greg LaBarge, The Ohio State University

 

Cover Crop Workshop Series to be Held in February

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, 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.  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.

Working with Nature!

From Iowa Learning Farms

I spent this summer traveling to field days around Iowa as well as driving back from our American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) annual meeting in Detroit, Michigan. One of my purposes in attending the ASABE meeting was to accept for the team the Blue Ribbon Award in the Educational Aids Competition for our revised version of the Water Rocks! Rock Your Watershed! online game (read more about it in our previous post Water Rocks! Brings Home a Blue Ribbon). Part of our revisions included adding more diversity to the land management choices that players can make and clearly showing the environmental benefits of diversifying our watersheds. Driving around the Midwest and Iowa really brought home to me how important this is and how far we need to go to still achieve the kind of diversity that will make a difference.

But last week I traveled to the Iowa Great Lakes area for a field day and then stayed up there for some vacation time with my family. The field day near West Okoboji Lake focused on prairie and wetland restoration to clean the water before it enters the lake. The side benefit would be increases in wildlife including pollinators of all sorts. The next day we visited our prairie strips site that is directly east of Big Spirit that was installed a few years ago for the same purpose of protecting local water quality and increasing habitat. In both cases, local stakeholders came together to diversify the land to help protect a local asset. I could hear the pride in their voices when discussing the changes they had put into place.

I am an engineer and spend a lot of time writing and talking about new technology. However, this summer really highlighted to me that many of our fixes cannot be solved by technology alone. Instead, we need to strategically restore or implement more diverse natural systems where they can do the most good in terms of water quality, wildlife and overall land health. We are able to do these practices such as prairie strips and wetlands by combining technological advances with a solid understanding of the natural ecological system that was replaced with row crop agriculture and other development. Modern technology helps us know where to place the natural system for the greatest benefit. After that, the natural system will do all the work.

Both of the restored areas I visited near the Iowa Great Lakes are less than five years old. The local folks are doing a good job of ensuring diversity in the perennial plantings. I have seen other areas in Iowa under perennial vegetation that opted for monoculture grasses, mainly cool-season grasses. While the diverse native prairie restorations are more challenging to manage, the beauty alone makes it worth it to me. Factor in water quality, wildlife and land health benefits and it is a home run.

If this is something that interests you for the land you own or manage, there is assistance and information available to you. We are really fortunate in Iowa to have organizations such as the Tallgrass Prairie Center that have spent years figuring out how to support landowners in planting and managing prairie restoration on the land. For my part, I am going to continue to work to understand how to best manage these systems and what technology is needed to allow diversity to flourish. I would encourage you to go online to www.waterrocks.org and play the Rock Your Watershed! game to learn how we can work with better with the natural systems.

And also, take some time to find those natural areas around you and think about how we can use natural systems such as wetlands, prairie strips, oxbow restoration, riparian buffers, and others to help clean our water, diversify our landscapes, increase wildlife and enhance the beauty on the land. I know I felt a little “restored” after my time in these natural settings.

–Matt Helmers

Note from the Iowa Water Center: Have a story to tell about bringing the land back to basics? Submit an abstract to the 2019 Iowa Water Conference 

Now Hiring: A unique opportunity for science communicators

Our friends over at Iowa Learning Farms (ILF) and Water Rocks! (WR!) have a position open right now that you may want to take a look at. They’re hiring a Communications and Outreach Specialist for their programs – which sounds pretty standard, right? But there are so many reasons this job is unlike others in the same category.

  1. ILF and WR! are high energy programs with a small team that works very closely together. The right person for this job will appreciate working along side others and sharing knowledge and skills to achieve program goals.
  2. This communicator will not just spread information – they will have the opportunity to teach others (especially children) about natural resources. The Communications and Outreach Specialist won’t just be stuck in an office all day – they’ll get to mix it up by attending some of the many events ILF and WR! put on in schools, at fairs and other public places.
  3. This position isn’t just limited to communications – they’ll get to get their hands dirty by doing some agricultural field work. Now that’s something most communications jobs don’t offer.

If you or someone you know is passionate about natural resources, appreciates and understands scientific concepts, is great at engaging others, and thrives in a team environment, this might just be a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Really important things to know:

-This job requires a bachelor’s degree and 1 year of experience
-Applications are being accepted until 10/25/15
-You can apply online through Iowa State’s employment website

The position description is available online. We look forward to meeting our new colleague (wherever/whoever they are!) and wish ILF and WR! a happy hiring experience!

Side note: Iowa Water Center Rick Cruse participated this week in the ILF podcast series Conservation Chat – look for his interview coming soon.