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Cover Crop Tour: Combatting Compaction

Date: 08/21/2012
Time: 4-8 p.m.

A 4-farm tour, with dinner by the pond at the Ackley farm

Hosts:                                           

Kelly and Irene Tobin, Nick and Seth Evans, Steve and Mike Stockwell, Paul and Nancy Ackley

Contact: Paul Ackley, 712.523.3362; pnackley@unitedwb.coop

Description/Topics/The Farms:

• Stop 1) Kelly and Irene Tobin farm, 2056 Forrest Ave, New Market, 51646 (712.370.0321 cell). Kelly Tobin will discuss methods of loosening the soil hardpan without tillage, primarily through the use of cover crops. Kelly has prior experience with deep ripping and compares that to the use of cover crops.
• Stop 2) Caravan Nick and Seth Evans’ farm and learn about corn-on-corn production with strip tillage and no-till comparisons with hog manure as part of their fertility program. They also began experimenting with cover crops in fall of 2011. The farm includes cattle and hogs.
• Stop 3) Travel to the Stockwell farm and learn how they have incorporated cover crops into corn and soybean production to break up the hardpan without tillage. The farm includes a cow herd.
• Stop 4) Head to theAckley farm, where visitors will see soil pits demonstrating roots where corn has followed soy with a wheat cover crop and a grazed forage of sorghum/vetch/sunflower/pearl millet cover crop mix planted after the wheat harvest in 2011 and before 2012 corn. No additional phosphate or potash has been applied since 2010. Learn about intensive grazing management for the past 4 years to change the pasture composition from a fescue/orchardgrass pasture to a big bluestem, indian grass, little bluestem and switchgrass mix. The farm includes cattle and hair sheep.

Speakers:

NRCS staff will be present to answer questions about cost-share programs.

Directions:

To the Tobin farm: From Hwy 148 north of Bedford, turn west onto Co Rd J35 through Gravity. Travel almost 10 miles to Forrest Ave. Look for PFI field day signs and park along the road. From Bedford, travel west on Hwy 2 to N26 at New Market. Go north to Co Rd J35 and travel east to Forrest Ave.

From the Tobin farm to the Evans farm: Travel east on Co Rd J35; take Hwy 148 north to Co Rd J20. Turn east on J20 and travel 3 miles to Naples Ave. Turn right (south) and travel 1/2 mile; farm is on the east side.

From the Evans farm to the Stockwell field: Travel south on Naples Ave to Co Rd J35. Turn left (east) onto J35 and travel to Hwy 49; turn right (south) and travel to Hwy 2. Turn left onto Hwy 2 (east of Bedford) and continue less than 1/4 of a mile east (left). Look for PFI Field Day signs at the field.