Farmer-Led Research

Thirteen farms participated in fruit and vegetable production recordkeeping. The purpose of the project was to create Iowa-specific production histories for: producers to have baseline comparisons, the advancement of crop insurance options, and to provide information about typical …

Winter small grains are used as cover crops. The life cycle of winter grains lends itself to interseeding of a forage legume. Interseeded legumes increase ground cover late in the season and contribute nitrogen to succeeding cash crops. …

Cover crops are an important addition to any farming system to improve soil quality and decrease soil erosion and nutrient loss. When this project began, farmers were concerned that a winter rye cover crop could negatively impact their …

In a Nutshell Cover crop entries were hand seeded at locations into standing corn and soybeans and evaluated for fall ground cover, spring ground cover, and spring biomass production. Key Findings Cereal rye and mustard tended to produce …

A number of corn hybrids have been developed to have elevated nutrient content. Four high-protein or high-lysine non-GMO corn hybrids were selected for testing: Master’s Choice 535, GEI 101, Channel 213, and eMerge 600. Yield, test weight, protein …

Grass- or forage-finished meat is gaining in popularity for perceived environmental and health benefits. Cooperator John Arbuckle designed a trial to test whether hogs could be finished solely with forage and other non-concentrate feeds. The experimental group received …

Livestock farmers who manage animals on pasture face the challenge and opportunity of improving profitability and productivity on what is often a fixed land area. The Schmidts run 30 cows on their farm, which includes 75 acres pasture. …

Feeding and maintaining the cowherd during the winter months is one of the major expenses on cow-calf farms. Cooperators kept records of herd feeding and management during the winter months. In both years, the feed (both stored feeds …

Cover crops are increasingly popular. Variable weather can pose challenges for establishment and effectiveness of cover crops. There are multiple options for seeding including aerial application, broadcast and drill seeding. In this study, earlier aerial seeding of a …

Apple cider vinegar has been long advocated for its health benefits. Apple cider vinegar is held to have multiple medicinal purposes, ranging from improved haircoat, to greater milk production and reduced mastitis, to decreased urinary calculi in bucks, …

In a Nutshell Control of flies and other parasites is important for livestock health, productivity, and farm economics. Fly observations were conducted approximately twice monthly. Tests were done to detect effects of different days, weather conditions, and other …

Livestock farmers who manage animals on pasture face the challenge and opportunity of improving profitability and productivity on what is often a fixed land area. The Hopkins manage a meat goat herd of just over 100 animals. Mike …