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The first stop at the Rosmanns’ field day was at the beef herd. Above, Ron Rosmann is talking about their grass-finishing program (as Todd Churchill stands by).

Todd Churchill, of Thousand Hills Cattle Company, talked about how grass-fed beef can fit into a diversified crop and livestock system.

Next, we moved to Ron’s soybean field, where he talked (among other things) about the PFI aphid-resistant vs. susceptible soybean trial that he is part of (that’s the chart that PFI staffer Kevin Dietzel is holding).

After seeing the soybean field, the rain started to pour, and more importantly, there was lightning in the air, so we moved to the shed, where we heard from several speakers including ISU Extension entomologist Erin Hodgson (pictured above) who talked about soybean aphids and other crop pests.

Dr. Annette O’Connor, a professor at the ISU College of Veterinary Medicine, is working with the Rosmanns on a research project about organic control methods for pinkeye in cattle. They will not have any results from this year, as the Rosmanns had no cases of pinkeye this year.

After listening to a lot of talk, we got to eat a delicious organic meal!