Farmers can learn about a wide variety of ways to use cover crops at a field day next week.

Michael Vittetoe and his father Denny will be hosting a Practical Farmers of Iowa event titled “Thinking Outside the Box with Cover Crops.” The Vittetoes operate a multi-generation farm raising corn, soybeans, and hogs, and they strive to be good stewards of the land by using no-till and cover crops, while continuously searching for ways to learn and improve their practices. The Vittetoes will discuss the benefits and challenges they’ve experienced using cover crops from single species like cereal rye to diverse multi-species mixes. Iowa State University Extension Plant Pathologist Alison Robertson will also share research her lab has conducted to understand the role of seedling disease in yield drag, and discuss best management strategies to reduce disease.

Michael shares why this event is valuable to area farmers, “There’s a lot of people that use cover crops and are similar conservation-minded operations in our area. So there’s a lot of knowledge in the area but unless people kind of get together and say, ‘Hey let’s get together and talk about stuff,’ it doesn’t always seem to happen. So we’re just trying to provide a structured spot for people to come and talk about stuff and learn from each other.”

The field day takes place from 5-8 p.m. Tuesday at the Vittetoes’ property at 2630 Highway 92 east of Washington. To RSVP email debra@practicalfarmers.org or call 515-232-5661 or email mvittetoe761@gmail.com or call 319-461-3702.