Iowa Learning Farms will host a no-till and soil health field day on Tuesday, Nov. 25, from noon to 2:00 p.m. at the Badger Community Center. The event is open to farmers and landowners at no cost and includes a complimentary meal.

Located in the heart of the Des Moines Lobe, known for the rich, dark soil, field day host Mark Thompson has been utilizing no-till on all soybean acres since 2002 and has made the transition to no-till corn in recent years. During the field day, Thompson will share his experiences adjusting machinery settings to handle the additional residue in a no-till system and timing of operations work best for his system. 

“At first, it was an economics thing, then I found out that conservation, nutrient management and erosion control came along with it,” said Thompson. “If you have never tried no-till, try some no-till beans. You will be shocked how well it works and how easy it is – just hesitate to do any tillage in the fall and plant right into the corn stalks.”

Additionally, the field day will feature Angie Rieck-Hinz, ISU Extension and Outreach Field Agronomist, discussing residue management in a no-till system and Humboldt County farmer Doug Adams sharing his experiences with cover crops, no-till and strip-till and their benefits to soil health. Weather permitting, the event will also feature a field tour.

The field day will be held at the Badger Community Center, 211 1st Ave SE, Badger, IA 50516. 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 Nov. 18.  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.