Cover Crop and Soil Health Workshop to be held in Mt. Pleasant Feb. 19

AMES — Iowa Learning Farms, in partnership with Lower Skunk River WQI Project and Pathfinders RC&D, will host a cover crop workshop in Mt. Pleasant on Thursday, Feb. 19, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Henry County ISU Extension Office. The event is open to farmers and landowners at no cost and includes a complimentary meal.

“This workshop 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,” said Liz Ripley, conservation and cover crop outreach specialist. with Iowa Learning Farms. “When paired with no-till, additional benefits include increased water infiltration and reduced erosion during heavy rain events.”

The workshop will feature a local farmer panel of local cover crop users to share their recommendations for getting started and sticking with them. The agenda will also include Iowa NRCS soil health specialist J.D. Hollingsworth and area resource soil scientist Jason Steele sharing their experiences with cover crops and no-till as farmers and discussing the impacts of cover crops on soil health. Liz Ripley will also share best management practices for establishing and managing cover crops successfully based on research conducted on farms throughout the state.

The field day will be held at ISU Extension and Outreach- Henry County, 127 N Main St, Mt. Pleasant, IA 52641. The event and open to farmers and landowners, though reservations are required 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 Feb. 12. 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. For more information about Iowa Learning Farms, visit www.iowalearningfarms.org.