Cover Crop Drone Seeding & Water Quality Field Day held near Woodbine, Sept. 10
Iowa Learning Farms will host a cover crop drone seeding and water quality field day on Wednesday, Sept. 10, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at Brandon McHugh’s farm near Woodbine. 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.
For Iowa Learning Farms farmer partner and host Brandon McHugh, farming is much more than an occupation. A deep agricultural heritage has pushed him to utilize conservation practices in hopes of protect the state’s soil and water. With both crops and livestock, Brandon understands the need to create a sustainable future and give back to the land. In an effort to benefit soil health and reduce inputs, Brandon utilizes cover crops and no-tillage.
The field day will also include Ruth Blomquist, NRCS Soil Health Specialist, discussing how cover crops can improve and build soil health, as well as feature the Iowa Learning Farms Conservation Station On The Edge trailer and a drone cover crop seeding demonstration by Connor Kenkel.
The field day will be held at the McHugh Farm bin site located just north of 1667 Racine Trail, Woodbine, IA 51579. The bin site is located on the west side of the road and field day signs will mark the driveway. In the event of rain, the field day will be held at 1822 Rockdale Ave.
The event is free and open to all farmers and landowners, though we require reservations to ensure adequate space and food. The complimentary meal is supported by the Woodbine FFA Chapter. For reasonable accommodations and to RSVP, please contact Liz Ripley at 515-294-5429 or ilf@iastate.edu.
Iowa Learning Farms field days and workshops are supported by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. For more information about Iowa Learning Farms, visit www.iowalearningfarms.org.
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 team members are working together to identify and implement the best management practices that improve water quality and soil health while remaining profitable.
