• ISA Shop Talk: Masonville

    Masonville Masonville, Iowa

    Join the Iowa Soybean Association Research Center for Farming Innovation and farmer Sean Dolan for a social event focused on practical cover crop management. Topics include establishment and drilling tips, equipment selection, grazing livestock on cover crops, seasonal management and termination strategies. Learn how to manage cover crops based on your goals — from holding…

  • PFI: Oats and Drones

    Osage Osage, Iowa

    Joe Rowe returned to farming in 2008 after growing up on a row crop farm but stepping away for a decade of schooling and other pursuits. Since then, he has farmed with a dedication to being curious and continually improving. He started strip-tilling and cover cropping in 2015 and has since adapted his fertilizer program…

  • PFI: Starting a Cover Crop Business, Flying Drones and Seeding Covers

    Forest City Forest City, Iowa

    Mark and Brenda Kingland farm on 1,700 acres in Winnebago County, Iowa. Eight years ago, they began strip-tilling to change efficiency in their fertilizer program and improve soil health. In 2022, Mark added a drone on his farm to apply cover crops and do precision spraying. His goal is to have a cover crop mix flown on…

  • Heartland: Fawcett Farms Field Day

    West Branch West Branch, Iowa

    Fawcett Field Day Flyer 7-28   Join Heartland Co-op for a field day at Fawcett Farms. Bring the whole family for this one! There will be a bounce house, swimming, and fishing. Be sure to RSVP if you’d like supper.   At this field day, expect to see cover crop equipment, a drone demonstration, riparian…

  • PFI: Cleaning Water With Edge-of-Field Practices

    Cedar Rapids Cedar Rapids, Iowa

    Jim O’Connell and his son, Casey, specialize in corn and soybeans at O’Connell Farms in Linn County, Iowa. For the past 17 years, Jim has planted cover crops green into both corn and beans on all his acres. His farming practices are focused on reducing nitrates from water that leaves his land. He uses a…

  • Heartland: Conservation on the River

    Cedar Rapids Cedar Rapids, Iowa

    The conservation team at Heartland Co-op and the Lower Cedar WMA are hosting a float on the river and welcome farmers to learn about projects happening in the Cedar River along with fun discussions from speakers regarding water quality, geology, biology, and the creatures roaming in and out of the water! Supper included! Bonfire to…

  • PFI: Cover Crops, Cattle and Corn Cobs

    Monticello Monticello, Iowa

    Nicole Vernon grew up on Monck Farms, a 700-acre corn and soybean farm near Monticello, Iowa, where her parents emphasized sustainable farming and conservation practices. While at Iowa State University, Nicole bought her own 100-acre farm, raising corn, soybeans and cattle. She uses no-till and cover crops, and has restored prairie and wetlands. She has…

  • PFI: No-till, Covers, & Livestock

    Waverly Waverly, Iowa

    Justin Wehling began farming in 2023 with a conventional approach. He is now making small changes and trialing different practices to improve the soil health on his land. Justin moved to no-till and is experimenting with roller-crimping. He is part of PFI’s N Rate Risk Protection Program to try to reduce his inputs. He is…

  • PFI: Increasing a Northeast Iowa Farm’s Resiliency by Adapting Practices and Equipment

    Farmersburg Farmersburg, Iowa

    Brian Keehner’s goal of adding diversity to his 820 acres of crop fields began when he took over the family farm in 2012. He is constantly trialing new approaches, like frost-seeding, to find the best practices for his farm. Brian plants rye on every acre in the fall and has trialed planting cover crops into that rye…