Iowa Ag Connection - ISU McNay Field Day Set for Aug. 2

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ISU McNay Field Day Set for Aug. 2
Iowa Ag Connection - 07/28/2016

The 2016 fall field day at the Iowa State University McNay Memorial Research Farm southwest of Chariton will focus on grazing opportunities and issues, including sericea infestation, fescue pasture renovation and on-farm cereal rye research. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach beef program specialist Joe Sellers organizes this event, and said the Aug. 2 event provides access for people to see crops and grazing research in full growing mode.

"Presentations are scheduled from Iowa State faculty and staff and others who will offer information and results from a variety of beef-related research," Sellers said. "There's no cost to attend and no preregistration is necessary. The program starts with registration at 3:30 at the farm, and includes an evening meal prepared and served by the Lucas County Cattlemen's Association."

After registration, the group will move to the Richard Bishop farm for a weed and brush demonstration tour led by Scot Flynn with Dow AgriSciences. The group will return to McNay for four presentations from Iowa State speakers beginning at 5 p.m.

Animal science graduate student Ben Stokes will talk about the stockpiled grazing project and animal science professor Jim Russell and Kevin Maher with the McNay farm will describe the use of portable shades there. ISU Extension and Outreach water quality program manager Jamie Benning will talk about on-farm cereal rye research, including yield, soil and economic impacts. Extension field agronomist Rebecca Vittetoe and Iowa Beef Center program specialist Erika Lundy will continue in that topic area with information on the first year of a cereal rye cover crop grazing project.

Following a 7 p.m. dinner served by the Lucas County Cattlemen's Association, discussion will continue with more presentations, including fescue management and pasture renovation by Sellers and Logan Wallace from McNay Farm and beef cow reproduction and synchronization from Patrick Gunn with the Iowa Beef Center.

The event flier has all program details.

The McNay farm is located at 45249 170th Ave., Chariton. For directions to the facility, see the farm webpage or call the farm directly at 641-766-6465. For more information on the field day program, contact Sellers by phone at 641-203-1270 or email or call the McNay Farm at 641-766-6465.

All event attendees should follow Iowa State livestock farm visitor policies:

-- There is a five-day waiting period prior to visiting Iowa State University livestock farms for anyone who has traveled outside the United States.

-- If attendees have visited another livestock farm, they are asked to change clothing and footwear.

-- Visitors are not allowed to bring food to the research farms.

For more information, please call the Research and Demonstration Farms office at 515-294-5045 or read the Foot and Mouth Advisory.

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