March 17, 2004
A native plant establishment field day will be held March 29 at the Iowa State University Kelley research and demonstration farm.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resource and Soil Conservation (NRCS) offices of Boone and Story counties will sponsor the field day for producers who are planting areas under the Conservation Reserve Program or other government programs. The field day will run from 1 to 3 p.m. The rain date is March 31.
Alan Lange, NRCS soil conservation technician, and Jesse Wegner, NRCS soil conservationist, will speak about conservation enrollment opportunities in the federal farm program. James Devig, NCRS integrated roadside vegetation manager, will talk about growing native grasses and forbs, which are plants other than grasses. Tom Isenhart, a researcher in Iowa State's natural resource ecology and management department, will speak about the benefits of native grasses and forbs.
The presentations apply to the Kelley farm, which last year had 20 acres enrolled in the farmable wetland program. To get to the farm turn north on R38 from West Lincoln Way in Ames, go north one mile, turn west on 220th Street, go west one-half mile, turn north on XL Avenue, go north three-quarters of a mile. The event will be held on west site of road.