NOVEMBER STEWARDSHIP ADVOCATE UPDATE

MONTHLY UPDATE FROM BEN GLEASON, IOWA CORN SUSTAINABLE PROGRAMS MANAGER

We hope your harvest is wrapping up nicely. The warm fall weather has been great for extending the planting window for cover crops and encouraging tremendous fall growth. Soil Health Partnership field days continue into December and there are several other opportunities this winter to learn about cover crops and other water quality practices. See our complete list of upcoming events below. 

Iowa Corn is providing nitrate test strips to county corn growers associations who are interested in helping growers learn about nitrate levels in their local waters and practices they can implement to reduce those levels. Counties participating will:

• Host a late winter meeting in conjunction with their county Extension and Soil and Water Conservation District to distribute the test kits and learn how to use them

• Have corn growers test their farms' tiles and streams throughout the spring and summer

• Reconvene in the late summer to discuss their results and learn about conservation practices to reduce nitrate loss. 

Supplies are limited, so contact Ben Gleason if you and your county association are interested. More information can be found here.

FARMER TO FARMER:

LET'S TALK on-farm conservation

Iowa Corn grower Kevin Ross of Minden, IA, shares some of his on-farm conservation practices. As a sixth-generation farmer, Kevin takes the concept of land stewardship very seriously and recognizes the importance of preserving the land for future generations.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

• soil health partnership field day: Grinnell, Nov. 29

• Manure: your fertilizer source workshop: Carroll, Nov. 29

• Integrated Crop Management Conference: Ames, Nov. 30 – Dec. 1

• Soil Health Partnership Field Day: Lake Mills, Dec. 6

• Hypoxia Task Force: Online webcast, Dec. 6

• Nishnabotna Watershed Meeting: Oakland, Dec. 14

• Drainage Water Quality Practices Workshop: Fort Dodge, Dec. 15

• Iowa LICA Convention: Des Moines, Jan. 8 - 10

• Upper Iowa Watershed Meeting: Decorah, Jan. 11

• Middle Cedar Watershed Meeting: Vinton, Jan. 12

• Clear Creek Watershed Meeting: Coralville, Jan. 18

• Iowa Power Farming Show: Des Moines, Jan. 31 – Feb. 2

• Crop Advantage Series: 14 locations across Iowa, Various January dates

• Agribusiness Showcase & Conference: Des Moines, Feb. 14 - 15

• Soil Health Conference: Ames, Feb 16 - 17

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