Tile Drainage and Water Quality Workshop Series for Women in Ag

Linn County Extension and Johnson County Extension are partnering with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach field specialists to hold a series of two workshops for women in agriculture on the topics of tile drainage and water quality. The workshop series is generously sponsored by a Wings2Water grant, www.wings2water.org.

The workshops are open to women that are working in ag as well as those that are not, such as off-farm landowners. The Nov. 8 workshop will be in Washington Hall at the Kirkwood Main Campus in Cedar Rapids and will include presentations on tile drainage related water quality practices, such as edge-of-field bioreactors, saturated buffers, conservation drainage, and more, as well as the opportunities for cost assistance. The March 20 workshop will be held at the Kirkwood Linn County Regional Center in Hiawatha and will include presentations on the basics of field tile drainage, the economics of tile drainage, and water quality considerations.

After the workshop series, attendees should feel better equipped to make educated decisions regarding drainage and water quality practices on the land that they own and/or operate and will be able to answer questions such as,

Would my field benefit from tile drainage and what makes a good drainage design?

What does tile drainage typically cost and what economic return should I expect?

How can tenants and landowners work together to meet drainage goals?

Which water quality practices might be suitable for my fields?

How can tenants and landowners work together to meet water quality goals?

What cost share opportunities exist?

The meetings will be informal with plenty of time for questions and discussion. Please register online at this link: https://go.iastate.edu/07JTGJ. Registration cost is $10 each or $15 if you register for both workshops, which includes a meal and educational materials to accompany presentations. For questions, call either the Linn County or Johnson County offices.

Linn County Extension Office — 319-377-9839

Johnson County Extension Office — 319-337-2145

Water Quality Workshop:

Nov. 8 from 5 p.m. — 8 p.m.

Kirkwood Main Campus, Washington Hall

7225 Washington View Pkwy SW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52404

Tile Drainage Workshop:

March 20 from 5:30 p.m. — 7:30 p.m.

Kirkwood Linn County Regional Center, Room 100

1770 Boyson Rd, Hiawatha, IA 52233