Iowa Learning Farms, in partnership with Polk Soil and Water Conservation District, will host a crop field day near Cambridge on Tuesday, November 21, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. beginning at the Polk SWCD Cover Crop Plot and moving to the Nord-Kalsem Community Center in Huxley. The free event is open to farmers and landowners and includes a complimentary meal.

This field day aims to equip attendees with best management practices for establishing and managing cover crops to improve soil health and reduce nutrient losses. Cover crops offer many benefits to farmers and landowners, including reduced soil erosion, weed suppression potential, reduced nitrogen and phosphorus loads entering water bodies, and increased organic matter in the soil.

Weather permitting, the field day will begin with a tour of the Polk SWCD cover crop plots with Michael James, Water Quality Initiative Coordinator, and Nick Helland, Polk County farmer. Following the tour, the program will move indoors to the Nord-Kalsem Community Center, 204 West 5th Street, Huxley, Iowa. Mark Licht, Iowa State University Associate Professor and Extension Cropping Systems Specialist, will share best management practices for establishing and managing cover crops. Hillary Olson, Soil Health Specialist with Iowa NRCS, will then discuss and demonstrate soil health principles that can lead to reduced soil erosion, improved infiltration, water storage, and more. The field day will conclude with a complimentary meal.

The field day will begin at 16300 NE 42nd Street, Cambridge, IA 50046. In case of inclement weather, the field day will begin at the Nord-Kalsem Community Center, 204 West 5th Street, Huxley, IA 50124.

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 Mitch Harting at 515-294-8912 or ilf@iastate.edu by November 17. Attendees will be entered in a drawing for ISU Prairie Strips honey.