April 2024 Webinar Rewind

You can now find our webinars (2023-present) on YouTube! Go to: youtube.com/@ialearningfarms-webinars. Be sure to subscribe and be notified when a new recording is posted. All our previously recorded webinars can still be found on our website by clicking on one of the two different archive buttons, 2011-2022 or 2023-Present.

Pasture Management Following a Drought: If you turn livestock out on a pasture, then this webinar is a must watch! Denise Schwab shares many tips and insights for managing pastures during dry conditions. Your pasture this spring will need additional attention compared to a normal year to ensure the livestock are getting the correct nutritional content and to prevent overgrazing.  

One Size Does Not Fit All: Targeting Conservation Practices to Reduce Phosphorus Loss Risk in the Lake Erie Watershed: Take a look at customized conservation management strategies for a watershed with great variability in temperature, land use, and snow cover. The NE part of the Lake Erie watershed and the SW part show the biggest differences between each other. Therefore, conservation practices work differently in each area, showing the need for customization.

Pay for Performance: Cost-share Alternative to Increase Nonpoint Source Pollution Reduction: Is traditional cost-share with its incentivized and voluntary approach actually working to meet nutrient reduction goals? Short answer, no. Learn about how ShoreRivers, located in the Chesapeake Bay region, is advocating for performance-based incentives, which means monitoring practices once implemented. Farmers are then further rewarded based on actual nitrogen removed or carbon sequestered.

Social-ecological Suitability of Agroforestry in the Midwest: Agroforestry is a growing industry, but how do you know what practice is best for you and the land you farm? Well, researchers at the University of Illinois are creating an interactive tool that will allow landowners to identify which practice is most suitable. Check out the webinar to find out more about what went into building this tool.

–Alena Whitaker

Could Agroforestry Work on Your Land?

Agroforestry and its socio-economic suitability in the Midwest was the topic of our most recent webinar by Sarah Castle, Ph.D. candidate, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois – Urbana-Champaign. So what exactly is agroforestry?

There is growing interest and federal investment in agroforestry across the country. Over the next five years, $36 million will be paid out to producers in direct incentive payments to transform 30,000 acres spanning 30 states into agroforestry systems.

EXPANDING AGROFORESTRY Agroforestry currently represents less than 2% of U.S. agriculture. This project aims to create 30,000 acres of new agroforestry plantings over the next five years. © TNC

Using modeling and mapping criteria, Castle and her team are developing an interactive tool to help landowners and conservation professionals develop customized high-resolution maps to help identify the suitability of different agroforestry practices. The tool is anticipated for beta testing in August 2024.

Until then, be sure to check out the webinar to learn more about this project and the resources available to assist with adding agroforestry to your farmland.

–Liz Ripley

Agroforestry Suitability in the Midwest

Please join us for the Iowa Learning Farms webinar at noon CDT, Wednesday, April 24, featuring Sarah Castle, Ph.D. candidate, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois – Urbana-Champaign. Castle’s research focuses on advancing knowledge of agroforestry systems, including silvopasture, windbreaks, riparian buffers and alley cropping. Through her work, she aims to illuminate spatial targeting opportunities for agroforestry, understand its potential contributions to conservation and profitability, and examine the broader policy implications to support the adoption of these practices.

In the webinar, “Social-ecological Suitability of Agroforestry in the Midwest,” Castle will highlight study results indicating best opportunities for conservation and alternative income through agroforestry implementations in the Midwestern U.S. Drawing on the results of a study assessing the suitability of agroforestry to areas in the Midwest, she will introduce agroforestry concepts and practices. Castle will also discuss key inputs and factors considered in the design of this study, including environmental priority areas, tree growth requirements and socio-economic feasibility, as well as the use of existing data and producer and program administrator interviews. She will also highlight the implications for potential carbon sequestration and farm profitability as well as potential pathways to support the effective adoption of agroforestry through policy and practice.

“Landowners looking to expand revenue opportunities and improve conservation outcomes should take into account the suitability of their land for multi-functional trees as a part of a comprehensive agroforestry plan,” said Castle. “I hope that participants in this webinar will come away with a better understanding of the opportunities for agroforestry as a farm-scale and regional solution for achieving conservation and rural development goals.”

Webinar participants are encouraged to ask questions of the presenters. People from all backgrounds and areas of interest are encouraged to join.

Webinar Access Instructions

To participate in the live webinar, shortly before noon CDT April 24:

Click this URL, or type this web address into your internet browser: https://iastate.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xtAwWXycQZW8iwtNLz34GA#/registration

Or, go to https://iastate.zoom.us/join and enter webinar ID: 999 3709 5398

Or join from a dial-in phone line:

Dial: +1 646 876 9923

Meeting ID: 999 3709 5398

The webinar will also be recorded and archived on the ILF website, so that it can be watched at any time. Archived webinars are available at https://www.iowalearningfarms.org/webinars For a list of upcoming webinars visit https://www.iowalearningfarms.org/events-1

A Certified Crop Adviser board-approved continuing education unit (CEU) has been applied for. Those who participate in the live webinar are eligible. Information about how to apply to receive the credit will be provided at the end of the live webinar.

Exploring and Assessing Your On-Farm Woodlands: Tips and Resources

On-farm woodland and tree resources have potential to add significant value to agricultural enterprises and landscapes through income diversification, livestock and crop protection, soil stability, enhanced water quality, wildlife and pollinator habitat, recreation, aesthetics and mental health benefits. However, “back 40 timber” and other on-farm woodlands are often forgotten, underutilized, undervalued, and even degraded.

As a forester from the Midwest and Great Plains, the “forests as an afterthought” mentality is analogous to a turbo-diesel truck up on blocks with the engine revved – tons of potential but going nowhere. Maximization of on-farm woodland resources can be confusing and overwhelming at first – as there are many routes that woodland stewardship may take. The first steps in this important process are goal setting and planning – and these start with exploring and assessing the resources present on your farm (Photo 1), and thinking deeply and strategically to craft goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).

Below, I present my “top 3 tips” for the exploration/assessment and goalsetting/planning facets of woodland stewardship. Don’t worry about being perfect with these right off the bat. Your journey starts with simply stepping out into your woodlands and observing – can’t beat that assignment!

Photo 1: Farmers and forester walking through crops fields to access woodlands for general assessment. Sometimes it takes legwork to access on-farm woodlands, but the effort is worth it.

Exploration and Assessment: Top 3 Tips and Resources

1. Walk your woodlands, windbreaks, and other tree resources once per season. Many landowners I engage with have not visited portions of their woodlands for decades – some never at all! It is critical to walk your woodlands regularly (ideally seasonally) to assess for threats, opportunities, changes (Photo 2).
2. You can start this process, even without an extensive (or any) forest management background, by using an in-field Woodland Assessment Worksheet.
3. Historic aerial photos and other records provide an opportunity to participate in “forest forensics” (Figure 1). Observing how your woodlands have changed over the decades (and considering the drivers of that change) provide important insight as you craft management goals and contemplate what is realistic in your woodlands.

Photo 2: Seasonal assessment of woodlands is important, as each season offers new opportunities to observe and record issues, threats, and opportunities.

Figure 1: Aerial photos from 1930s and 2020s comparing forest density and extent on a central Iowa Farm. Star indicates historic farmstead site, for spatial reference. Notice increased forest density within stands A and B as time progresses.

Goal Setting and Planning: Top 3 Tips and Resources

1. Prior, during, and following assessment, check out the newly-revised Planning for Wooded Acreages and Woodlands online resource. This resource will help you craft goals, prioritize actions, and introduce you to terminology and technical service that will be essential for your efforts.
2. Think SMART! Too often, landowners set goals that are vague and thus ineffective. For example, “I want a healthy woodland”. Great intention for sure, but not Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Stating the latter in SMART terms may sound something like “I will achieve 80% control of invasive honeysuckle on a 5-acre stand over the next 3 seasons to improve pollinator habitat.”
3. Walk the woods with a professional forester. These folks are your guide through this complex process, from initiation and through perpetuity. They’ll listen to you your goals and work with you to craft a forest stewardship plan to achieve these goals. You may locate professional foresters that serve your county at this link.

Although intimidating at first thought, the road to forest stewardship starts with the simple acts of exploring your property, assessing and observing, and thinking deeply about what YOU want out of your on-farm woodlands.

Billy Beck

ILF Staff Picks: 2023 Webinars

2023 is wrapping up but there is still time to watch an Iowa Learning Farms webinar. If you need help narrowing down to a must watch webinar of the year, check out these Staff Picks!

Jacqueline Comito and Liz Ripley recommend: May 3, Beaver on the Des Moines Lobe: Impacts on Water Quality and Sediment Transport with Andrew Rupiper, Iowa State University.

“Folks should check out this webinar. First of all, as a Graduate Research Associate, Andrew Rupiper is a fantastic presenter and his knowledge and enthusiasm for beaver is contagious. Secondly, Beaver are import for the overall health of our ecosystems so learning how landowners can live in harmony with them is really important.” – Jackie

“Andrew Rupiper does a great job describing how beavers build their dams and how these original water engineers provide benefits to water quality and other wildlife.” – Liz

Mitch Harting recommends: June 28, In-Field and Edge-of-Field Opportunities for Nutrient Reductions at a Community College with Dr. Matthew Streeter, University of Iowa.

“I really liked how he covered a variety of conservation practices, and I was interested to hear about the research he was doing on modified blind inlets. That was a new concept to me!” – Mitch

Alena Whitaker recommends: July 26, Agriculture and Climate Change in Iowa and the Midwest – Adaptation, Mitigation and Decision-Making with Dr. Dennis Todey, USDA Midwest Climate Hub.

“In this webinar Dennis Todey dives into specifics of how all life in Iowa is being affected by climate change. Highlighting trends seen in Iowa of changing precipitation amounts and warmer overnight temperatures affecting crops and livestock.” – Alena

Ann Staudt recommends: February 1, Monarch Butterfly Biology, Ecology, and Conservation Needs with Dr. Kelsey Fisher, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station.

“Dr. Fisher takes viewers on a fascinating journey through the iconic monarch butterfly’s life cycle, the intricacies of its movements, patterns, and preferred food sources, and the reality of its population decline. Also, I learned the meaning of the word vagile!” – Ann

Nathan Stevenson recommends: June 21, Incorporating Trees to Your Farms with Agroforestry with Jenn Ripp, Savanna Institute.

“This webinar was all about incorporating trees into your farming system and the benefits those trees provide like water quality, soil health, and diversified income.”  – Nathan

Jon Dahlem recommends: August 2, Bee Health in Iowa’s Agricultural Landscape with Dr. Randall Cass, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.

“While accessibly presenting a variety of research using a curated selection of charts, maps, and even audio recordings, Randall’s discussion of bee species well-being provides a clear window into the general ecological health of Iowa today while also demonstrating the benefits of prairie strips, a promising conservation practice being pioneered right now, right here in Iowa.” – Jon

Matt Helmers recommends: May 10, Designing Multi-Purpose Drainage Systems to Meet Modern Demands with Spencer Pech, ISG, Inc.

“It is exciting to hear about the multi-purpose drainage work ABE graduates are helping lead.” – Matt

Do you agree with any of us? Let us know your favorites and join us for another great year of webinars on January 3 with Mike Castellano, How Do We Best Define and Promote Soil Health?

Diversifying Iowa Through Food and Fiber

The colder weather and lack of daylight may put a damper on in-person field days, but they haven’t stopped Iowa Learning Farms from hosting them virtually. In partnership with the Iowa Nutrient Research Center and Conservation Learning Group, ILF recently hosted a free online field day with farmer partner Wendy Johnson.

When compared to most Iowa farms, Wendy’s is unique. Along with her husband, Johnny Rankin, Wendy has put great focus on turning her operation into a food farm. Moving away from conventional agriculture, Wendy and Johnny have put the entire farm into pasture and perennials like Kernza®, which allows her to raise sheep, pigs, cattle, turkeys, and chickens. In addition, she is working to integrate fruit and nut trees into her pastureland. Despite common belief, there are markets for all these products, which Wendy shares in further detail during the virtual field day recording below.

Through this system, Wendy has found great joy. Being able to, “see life – growing life and supporting wildlife,” has pushed Wendy to continually grow her operation. She co-owns Jóia Food & Fiber Farm and has recently started selling Kernza® flour. But the change to a highly diverse operation isn’t always simple. Through her virtual field day, Wendy offers three steps a person looking to diversify their operation can take. Many organizations also offer help in these endeavors. The virtual field day was also joined by Jenn Ripp with the Savannah Institute to share about agroforestry programs for those interested in integrating trees into their operation.

Wendy Johnson’s full virtual field day can be found on the ILF YouTube Channel, along with past virtual field days. Please join us for our upcoming virtual field days beginning in January 2024.

–Mitch Harting

Virtual Field Day Dec. 15 – A Vision for Iowa: Growing Food for People through Diversified Agriculture Systems

Iowa Learning Farms, in partnership with the Iowa Nutrient Research Center, and Conservation Learning Group (CLG), is hosting a free virtual field day on Friday, December 15th at 1 p.m. CT. Join us for a live discussion with Wendy Johnson, Floyd County Iowa Learning Farms farmer partner and co-owner of Jóia Food & Fiber Farm.

“The future of agriculture is this! It’s diverse, it’s fun, and it’s joyful. You see life – growing life and supporting wildlife,” explains Johnson on the growing interest in this form of diversified agricultural system.

The virtual field day will explore how host Wendy Johnson and her husband Johnny Rankin, started and continue to manage Jóia Food & Fiber Farm with a mission to farm holistically and grow food for people through the use of a diversified agricultural system and direct marketing of meat, grain, wool and other products they are producing.

“Following significant flooding, specifically in 2016 and 2018, my husband and I made the decision to pasture more and crop less,” noted Johnson. “We have also integrated custom grazing of cow/calf pairs as added income and have added Kerzna®, a perennial no-till small grain. On these 130 acres, we are now 100% perennial. Now, in a drought, we have not had to use hay during the last three growing seasons due to our use of adaptive grazing system, increasing our resiliency to changing weather.”

Not only is their landscape diverse, but Johnson also cares for certified Animal Welfare Approved sheep and lambs, as well as raising pigs, broiler chickens, layer chickens, turkeys, a few cows of their own, and custom grazing a cow/calf herd. With growing interest in agroforestry, they are utilizing silvopasture through the integration of trees and shrubs, including fruit and nut types, in their pastures.

Additionally, Wendy co-owns Counting Sheep Sleep Company, a wool fiber business utilizing Jóia’s wool, and co-manages the family farm, Center View Farms Co, with her father. Wendy has helped to expand conservation practices on her family’s traditional row-crop farm to become more sustainable and regenerative by implementing 100% no-till, adding cover crops, and reducing costly inputs.

Virtual Field Day Access Instructions:

To participate in the live virtual field day at 1:00 pm CT on December 15 to learn more, click this URL: https://iastate.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUpduihpj8iE9ZHcjpsenc2DWQILG41wg0D or visit https://www.iowalearningfarms.org/events-1.

 Or, join from a dial-in phone line:
Dial: +1 646 876 9923 or +1 301 715 8592  
Meeting ID: 945 3331 7620

The field day will be recorded and archived on the ILF website so that it can be watched at any time. The archive will be available at https://www.iowalearningfarms.org/virtual-field-day-archive.

Participants may be eligible for a Certified Crop Adviser board-approved continuing education unit. Information about how to apply to receive the CEU (if approved) will be provided at the end of the event.

Building Resiliency and Sustainability with Diversified Agriculture Systems

Earlier this month, we had the opportunity to host a field day with Wendy Johnson and Johnny Rafkin’s farm near Charles City to explore how they use diversified agricultural systems to enhance their farm’s climate resiliency and financial sustainability.

Wendy and John started Jóia Food & Fiber Farm in 2010 with a mission to farm holistically. While farming organic row crops, they decided to keep some of the land to pasture for soil health, water quality, and drainage concerns. The farm is now certified organic, with some acres in transition to organic using Kernza. Sheep and lambs are certified Animal Welfare Approved and they also raise pigs, broiler chickens, layer chickens, turkeys, a few cows of their own and custom graze a 25 cow/calf herd. With growing interest in agroforestry, they are utilizing silvopasture by integrating trees and shrubs, including fruit and nut types, in their pastures.

The field day featured four stops around their farm to take a closer look at how they have integrated perennial vegetation, agroforestry, and livestock on their farm. The first two stops focused on agroforestry with Jenn Ripp, agroforestry educator with the Savanna Institute, and Omar de Kok-Mercado, Mad Agriculture Midwest regional manager, discussing the integration of enhanced windbreaks and silvopasture.

Wendy and Johnny are utilizing a combination of alley cropping and silvopasture that allows them to hay the areas between the rows, which they intend to begin grazing with sheep in the next three years as the trees mature. As Omar noted, “This type of silvopasture can be viewed as a long-term rotation where the trees can be harvested and the area seeded back to pasture, hay or row crops. They aim to mimic the savanna that was once present on Iowa’s landscape with 10-15% canopy cover and have a more productive system than prairie or forest on their own.”

The third stop was a discussion of adaptive grazing with Johnny describing their rotational grazing system for the cow/calf and sheep herd. They have been able to graze 50 acres with 50 animal units all summer without supplementing feed, despite only having 8 inches of rain since May.

“We use adaptive grazing to set up paddocks to rotate them daily to help allow for rest and regrowth with an ideal 60 days of rest and a minimum of 45 days,” noted Jonny. “I also highly encourage you to map your pastures and track your paddocks to ensure proper rest is provided for regrowth.”

Using adaptive management has also significantly reduced their need to treat their sheep herd for worms. Prior to adopting their current system, they would treat every animal three times annually. In the past four years, they noted they have had to treat only 5 animals total which has saved time and expenses, as well as reduced the treatment resistance potential in their herd.

Our final stop was the recently harvested Kernza field with Matt Leavitt, perennial grains and winter annuals agronomy specialist at the University of Minnesota Forever Green. Kernza, an intermediate wheatgrass (scientific name: Thinopyrum intermedium) was selected our of nearly 300 screened species because it had many desirable traits and was already being used in the United States as a pasture and rangeland grass.

Wendy and Johnny are harvesting and marketing the Kernza grain through the Perennial Promise Growers Cooperative. With the harvest completed about 3 weeks prior and the need for additional forage for the cattle, they are now having their herd graze the field. They anticipate having three years of grain harvest before a noticeable yield decline and will seed the next portion of their rotation. As a food grain, Kernza made an appearance in the bread and dessert provided for lunch and beer samples from BANG Brewing that featured Kernza in the brewing process.

Be sure to save the date for a virtual field day with Wendy and their farm on Thursday, December 7th at 1pm CT.

–Liz Ripley

June 2023 Webinar Rewind

Did you miss tuning in live to our June webinars? Don’t fret! You can watch any of the webinars in our archive on demand.

Maximizing N Availability to Crops While Minimizing N Losses to the Air: Are you looking to improve your nitrogen use efficiency? Give this webinar a watch to learn more about different types of placement, injection vs. broadcasting, inhibitors, and how cover crops, conservation tillage, or a diverse crop rotation can help.

Water Quality Wetlands in Iowa: On average, water quality wetlands remove 52% of the nitrate concentration in tile-drainage water coming from cropland areas. Watch for an update on different types of wetlands that can be constructed or restored on your land and how IDALS and other funding sources can help with the cost.

Incorporating Trees to Your Farms with Agroforestry: What even is agroforestry? It is windbreaks and riparian buffers but also alley cropping and silvopasture. Don’t know what those words mean? Watch the webinar as Jenn Ripp gives great explanations with fantastic photos!  

In-Field and Edge-of-Field Opportunities for Nutrient Reduction at a Community College: Get an overview of projects currently being tested by the Iowa Geological Survey at Kirkwood Community College. The projects focus on nutrients being lost from manure application depending on soil type, denitrification with saturated grassed waterways, and modified blind inlets denitrification.

Blast from the Past: June 10, 2020 – Making Nutrient Reducing Prairie Strips More Predictably Successful, Multi-Functional, and Cost Effective: If you are new to establishing prairie strips or an area of prairie, give this webinar a watch. Justin Meissen from the Tallgrass Prairie Center shares implementation tips, how to have multiple ecological benefits, and ways to improve cost-effectiveness. Also, check out Iowa Learning Farm’s own What to Expect: Establishing Prairie Vegetation on Your Farm for more information, including a timeline of the first seven years.

All Iowa Learning Farms webinars can be found in the archive on our website. There you can also find upcoming speakers and topics to add to your calendar!

–Alena Whitaker

Trees are a Pretty Big Deal

If you asked me to list the top words and phrases that come to mind related to Midwest agriculture, you’d get things like conservation, corn, soybean, field, tractor, plant, harvest, livestock, and barns (maybe even barn quilts)—trees would admittedly not be on that list. The Savanna Institute’s Jenn Ripp is out to change that and help us all rethink the roles and benefits of trees in our working lands across the Midwest.

You can hear from Ripp in the most recent webinar in the Iowa Learning Farms Conservation Webinar Series,  Incorporating Trees to Your Farms with Agroforestry, for a holistic overview of what agroforestry is (hint: you probably know a bit about it – think windbreaks and riparian buffers) and the many ways trees can be part of an integrated agricultural system (think alley cropping and silvopasture – lots of new and fascinating information here!).

Agroforestry is all about intentionally stacking the benefits of forestry and annual cropping systems. There are so many ways to put agroforestry into practice on your land, and organizations like the Savanna Institute are there to assist along the way.

When it comes to planning, planting, and caring for trees as part of an integrated system, we’re playing the long game. It’s often one or more generations later that actually harvest the fruits of these labors. In addition to diversified farm income, soil health, and water quality, trees offer incredible intangible benefits of legacy building and generational connections with the land. I loved the generational connections Ripp shared: “There’s a hackberry tree in my mom’s yard that we can trace back to when the house was being constructed eighty years ago—it was this little sapling there. It’s beautiful, and it connects me with my ancestors that I’ve never met.”

AGROFORESTRY IN ACTION: Integrated potato and hazelnut production in SW Wisconsin

Tune in to Ripp’s full presentation, Incorporating Trees to Your Farms with Agroforestry, for a fantastic introduction to agroforestry, its many benefits, and the numerous ways it can be implemented on lands across the Midwest. To catch up on any other webinars in the ILF Conservation Webinar series, all past presentations are archived on the ILF Webinars page for your viewing pleasure.

–Ann Staudt