JULY 2017 STEWARDSHIP ADVOCATE UPDATE

MONTHLY UPDATE FROM BEN GLEASON, IOWA CORN SUSTAINABLE PROGRAMS MANAGER

With corn tasseling and harvest just a few months away, it’s not too late to be considering additional conservation practices for this fall. The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) is currently accepting applications for cost share for cover crops seeded this fall, nitrification inhibitors for fall fertilizer application, and no-till and strip-till.  Click here for more information.

In the meantime, be sure to attend one of the field days on our list of events and learn about topics, including watershed planning, cover crops and Palmer Amaranth.

Finally, if you haven’t already signed up for the Stewardship Advocate Program, please do so soon. Currently the monthly newsletters and other opportunities are sent to all ICGA members. However, later this fall, only those who have signed up will receive these updates. We have almost 1,000 farmers signed up but we’d love to share these resources with more! Click here to sign up and tell your friends!

Stewardship Advocate Program Survey

The Stewardship Advocate program was launched last spring to provide you with valuable stewardship and conservation information that you can apply to your farm. Please consider filling out this survey to help us know how we can best inform you about these important topics. We would appreciate your feedback by Monday, July 31.

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FARMER TO FARMER:

LET'S TALK protecting soil with cover crops

Tim Smith of Wright County talks about how he uses cover crops to protect his valuable soil. He also talks about his involvement with the Soil Health Partnership and the important role that conservation practices play on his farm. 

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UPCOMING EVENTS:

• July 26: Manure management field day, Iowa Falls

• July 27: Pasture Walk and Cover Crops, Vinton

• Aug. 1: Water Quality Summit, DeWitt

• Aug. 1: Saturated buffer and cover crop field day, Slater

• Aug. 1: Palmer Amaranth Workshop, Sigourney

• Aug. 2: McNay Research Farm Field Day, Chariton

• Aug. 3: Palmer Amaranth Workshop, Boone

• Aug. 3: Prairie Strips Workshop, Calmar

• Aug. 3: Managing Potholes Field Day, Charles City

• Aug. 3: Soil Health Partnership Field Day, La Porte City

• Aug. 3-4: National Strip Tillage Conference, Omaha

• Aug. 3-6: Soil health bus trip, Ohio

• Aug. 4: Manure management field day, Hills

• Aug. 8: 4R field day, Boone

• Aug. 8: Southfork Watershed Meeting, Iowa Falls

• Aug. 9: Cover crop field day, Spirit Lake

• Aug. 10: Upper Iowa Watershed Meeting, Decorah

• Aug. 16: Soil Health Partnership field day, Sioux Rapids

• Aug. 17: Aphid resistance workshop, Boone

• Aug. 17: English River Watershed Meeting, Montezuma

• Aug. 22: Soil Health Partnership field day, Rock Valley

• Aug. 22: Upper Wapsi Watershed Meeting, Independence

• Aug. 22-24: Drainage School, Nashua

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LATEST INFORMATION:

• Off-Target Dicamba Movement is Occurring in Illinois, Too 

• The Nutrient Reduction Strategy: Creating a More Resilient Iowa

• Trump Begins WOTUS Rollback

• Palmer Amaranth Eradication Requires Early Identification

• Farmers Return to Cover Crops to Improve Soil and Water Quality

• Trout Reintroduced to Iowa River Headwaters

• Monarch Conservation Efforts in Iowa Laying Foundation for Success

• Weeds Evolving Faster than Pesticides Can Keep Up

• Inquisitive Neighbors Encouraged at Soil Health Field Days

• Initiatives and Funds Help Improve Water Quality

 

Be sure to fill out our survey and let us know how we are doing.