AMES-Iowa Learning Farms, along with Tama County NRCS, will host a pasture walk on Tuesday, June 21, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on the Eric Werner farm, rural Vining. The field day will include a visit to a permanent and newly converted pasture and a complimentary supper.

As part of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy, cover crops added to a corn-soybean rotation can help reduce nitrogen and phosphorus loads, increase soil organic matter, and reduce soil erosion. Cover crops also provide a great opportunity for grazing and forage to extend feed sources without converting acres to pasture and hay.

Host farmer Eric Werner, will share about utilizing rotational grazing in his cattle operation. Eric recently converted 33 acres from CRP for rotational grazing and has two solar pumps on wells, one of which will be pulled for demonstration. Larry Jones, Tama County NRCS District Conservationist will answer questions about the transition and similar practices that may qualify for cost-share consideration.

Also speaking are Iowa State University Extension and Outreach (ISUEO) beef specialist Denise Schwab, who will discuss the benefits of rotational grazing of livestock, and ISUEO Field Agronomist Meaghan Anderson will address questions regarding herbicide restrictions for using cover crops as a grazing source. Hank Wehrman, a Benton County Soil and Water Conservation District Commissioner, will share his experiences and answer questions about grazing cover crops in his cattle operation.