AMES, Iowa — A variety of crop, livestock and gardening topics are on the programs of this season's field days at Iowa State University's Research and Demonstration Farms. Horses is the subject of a specialty field day June 17 at the research farm near Sutherland in northwest Iowa. Two field days take up the topic of raising grapes on June 21 at the Armstrong research farm near Lewis and the Northeast research farm near Nashua Aug. 16. Also included in the 24 field days are eight field days that feature plants and flowers for home gardeners. Field days take place rain or shine. The public is welcome. Program information is subject to change. Southeast Research and Demonstration Farm June 18, 1 p.m. The farm is located 1.75 miles south and 2 miles east of Crawfordsville on the Washington/Louisa county-line road. Program topics: Tile effects on water quality, soybean planting dates, carbon sequestration, cyst-X soybeans for managing soybean cyst nematodes and new crop opportunities. Armstrong Research and Demonstration Farm and Lauren Christian Swine Farm June 19, identical tours at 3:30 and 5:30 p.m. Pork burgers will be served between tours at 5 p.m. The field day will be at the Lauren Christian Swine Farm, located 2.5 miles southwest of Atlantic on Highway 6. Program topics: Phosphorus runoff from manure, nitrogen study on non-responsive soil, specialty soybean breeding, odor control in manure containment structures, odor control in hog buildings and group sow gestation in bedded hoop buildings. Visitors to these farms, and any others with livestock, are asked to take precautions to prevent the spread of disease. Those who have recently come to the United States or have returned from a trip abroad are asked to participate in a five-day waiting period before visiting ISU farms with animals. Visitors to farms with livestock also are asked to change clothing and footwear after being in any livestock operation, foreign or domestic; and to refrain from bringing any food items to a research farm. If you have any questions, please call the Research and Demonstration Farms office at (515) 294-5045. Northeast Research and Demonstration Farm June 24, 1:30 p.m. The farm is located 2 miles south, 1 mile west, 1 mile north and .5 mile west of Nashua. Program topics: Crop growth and development, bean leaf beetles, windbreaks and nitrogen management. Northwest Research and Demonstration Farm June 25, 9 a.m. Lunch served following the program. The farm is located 11 miles north of Cherokee on U.S. Highway 59 and .25 mile east on County Road B-62. Program topics: Soybean issues, corn pollen management, corn rootworm control options and weed management. Northern Research and Demonstration Farm June 26, 9:30 a.m. The farm is just south of Kanawha on County Road R-35. Program topics: Chicken manure for crops, weed management, soybean cyst nematodes and nitrogen management. Muscatine Island Research and Demonstration Farm July 14, identical tours at 4 and 6:30 p.m. Meal served at 5:30 p.m. The farm is located at 111 North St. in Fruitland. Program topics: Commercial vegetable and melon research topics. Garden and Acreage Field Days This summer's garden field days will celebrate ISU Extension's centennial by featuring plants and varieties that were available 100 years ago and are still grown today. The garden plots also will have nine varieties of seedless watermelon that may be ready to taste at the field days and a healthy garden that will spotlight some vegetables considered nutrition "superstars," such as sweet potato, spinach and edible soybean. Also on display will be groundcover petunias, annual flowering vines and a productivity trial of more than a dozen varieties of bush beans. Field days also allow master gardeners to volunteer and obtain continuing education. The schedule: Southeast, Crawfordsville—July 31—6:30 p.m. Northern, Kanawha—Aug. 5—6:30 p.m. Northwest, Sutherland—Aug. 6—6:30 p.m. Armstrong, Lewis—Aug. 7—6:30 p.m. Muscatine Island, Fruitland—Aug. 8—6:30 p.m. Northwest, Doon—Aug. 19—6:30 p.m. Northeast, Nashua—Aug. 23—4 p.m. McNay, Chariton—Aug. 28—6:30 p.m. Specialty Field Days Five farms will hold field days devoted to one subject. The public is welcome. Farm—Date/time—Subject Northwest (Sutherland)—June 17/7 p.m.—Horses Armstrong—June 21/9 a.m.—Grapes Dairy Farm (Ames)—June 26/3:30 p.m.—Compost/filter strip Northern—July 8/6:30 p.m.—Weeds Northeast—Aug. 16/8:30 a.m.—Grapes Fall Field Days Aug. 19, 4 p.m.—Crops field day, Neely-Kinyon Research Farm, near Greenfield Aug. 20, 9 a.m.—Crops field day, Northwest Research Farm, near Doon Aug. 26, TBA—Livestock field day, Western Research Farm, near Castana Sept. 4, 1:30 p.m.—Crops field day, Northeast Research Farm, near Nashua Sept. 11, 9:30 a.m.—Crops field day, Northern Research Farm, near Kanawha For updates and information: https://farms.cals.iastate.edu/research-farms-field-days-and-meetings or call (515) 294-5045. ISU has research and demonstration farms across Iowa because land, climate and agricultural enterprises vary considerably from one area of the state to another. The Experiment Station puts researchers in the fields of research and demonstration farms across Iowa to find solutions to problems in each area and to study the impacts of regional differences.
Iowa State Research Farm Field Days Begin June 17
June 6, 2003