Practical Farmers talk cover crops at Farm Progress Show
PFI board President Mark Peterson, PFI Executive Director Sally Worley, CDI Executive Director Clare Lindahl and CDI Project Manager Courtney Slagle take a selfie in the PFI Booth.
PFI members Dan Hayes (front) and Mark Peterson (back) talk to farmers about cover crops at the PFI booth at FPS.
The Farm Progress Show was in Boone, IA last week. Practical Farmers of Iowa has been hosting a booth at the show the past three times its been held in Boone, IA. The booth was filled with cover crop plants, PFI materials and most importantly PFI farmer experts who shared advice about cover crops with other farmers. This year’s show was different. It felt different when staff and PFI farmers asked others if they were using cover crops. Or if they had considered using them. More farmers came into the booth this year than in previous years. More farmers asked our PFI crew in-depth practical questions about how to make cover crops work on their farms. There was genuine interest about this important conservation practice.
Have we turned the corner on acceptance of cover crops? It really seemed so. In addition to all the great conversations at the PFI booth in the Varied Industries Tent. We also partnered with Conservation Districts of Iowa to show off cover crops in the field and helped seed a cover crop plot near Conservation Central. Other PFI farmers also staffed a tent nearby that plot where they could show off cover crops. If you missed the show see below the farmers who staffed the booth and some of the topics they talked about.
On Tuesday, Aug. 30, farmers met with:
Ruth and Robert Harvey, of Redfield (central Iowa), have been using cover crops on more than 1,000 acres and answered questions on:
- no-till and cover crops
- aerial-seeding cover crops
- planter setup for planting corn and soybeans into cover crops
Jeremy Gustafson, of Boone (central Iowa) farms corn, soybeans and small grains close to the Farm Progress Show site and can answered questions on:
- using cover crops on heavy, wet soils
- summer cover crop mixtures
- planting soybeans into green rye
Sarah Carlson, Midwest cover crops research coordinator at Practical Farmers, and Meghan Filbert,livestock coordinator at PFI, were available all day to answer questions about cover crops in crop and livestock systems.
On Wednesday, Aug. 31, farmers met with:
Nathan Anderson, of Cherokee (northwest Iowa), and his family raise corn, soybeans, cattle, small grains and hay. They have been using cover crops for more than four years and answered questions on:
- grazing cover crops
- aerial seeding multi-species mixes
- making cover crops work with a corn-soybean rotation
Mark Peterson, of Stanton (southwest Iowa), was at the booth throughout the day. Mark and his wife, Melanie, raise corn, soybeans and small grains on about 500 acres, and have been using cover crops for eight years. Mark answered questions on:
- spring nitrogen program for corn following cereal rye cover crop
- drilling versus aerial-seeding with helicopters
- cover crop variety trial observations
Wade Dooley, of Albion (central Iowa),and his father farm about 1,500 acres, raising corn, soybeans, cereal rye, alfalfa hay and pasture, as well as watermelons, squash and popcorn. Wade answered questions on:
- grazing cover crops
- aerial- and drill-seeding cover crops
- making cover crops work with a corn-soybean rotation
Stefan Gailans, research and field crops director at Practical Farmers, was available all day to answer questions on cover crops in crop production systems.
On Thursday, Sept. 1, farmers met with:
Dan Hayes, of Stanley, raises asparagus and guinea fowl, and talked about:
- the benefits of cover crops
- using cover crops after asparagus
- cover crops for home gardeners
Mark Peterson, of Stanton (southwest Iowa), answered questions on:
- spring nitrogen program for corn following cereal rye cover crop
- drilling versus aerial-seeding with helicopters
- cover crop variety trial observations
Mark Schleisman, of Lake City farms more than 2,000 acres, using cover crops on at least 1,000 acres, and has a cow-calf operation. He answered questions on:
- grazing cover crops
- aerial-, highboy- and drill-seeding cover crops
- making cover crops work with a corn-soybean-seed corn production system
Sally Worley, executive director of Practical Farmers, answered questions about Practical Farmers of Iowa.