AMES, Iowa—Iowa Learning Farms will host a cover crop and water quality field day near Oskaloosa on Tuesday, November 4 from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Drost Farms. The no-cost 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. 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.
Jackson and Amanda Drost are multi-generation farmers located in Mahaska County. While renting his first acres in 2002, Jackson has been involved on the farm as early as he can remember, noting that his dad would take him and the diaper bag with him to do field work and chores. Jackson is now passing down that love of farming to their sons, Richard and Andy, who have started their own popcorn business supplying the local Little League and selling to neighbors, friends, and family.
The Drosts raise corn, soybeans, and alfalfa along with an Angus cow-calf herd. Starting around 2010, the Drosts flew on their first acres of rye cover crop to graze with their cow-calf herd. Those initial acres have increased in recent years, and while using primarily rye and oats, they have begun incorporating other species like turnips and camelina. Additionally, they utilize buffer strips, contour farming, sediment basins, terraces, waterways, and are in the process of implementing a saturated buffer through EQIP.
In addition to the Drosts, the field day will feature Mark Licht, ISU Extension cropping systems specialist, sharing best management practices for cover crops during the field tour of nearby cover crops, weather permitting. 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. Ryan Wolf with Iowa Missouri Seed, LLC will also be on hand to address cover crop questions.
The field day will be held at the Drost Farms located at 2215 212th St, Oskaloosa, IA 52577. 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 October 28. 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 planned in partnership with U.S. National Science Foundation award 2125484. For more information about Iowa Learning Farms, visit www.iowalearningfarms.org.
