Allee Demonstration Farm

Location

Newell, Buena Vista County

Directions: 1.5 miles west on the gravel road that intersects Highway 7 at the curve southeast of Newell

Allee Demonstration Farm
2030 640th Street
Newell, IA 50568

click here for a map view

Size

288 acres

Owners

Iowa State University and Newell American Legion Post

History

The farm was started in 1958 when George M. Allee bequeathed 160 acres to ISU. The university leases an additional 128 acres that Allee willed to the Newell American Legion Post.

Superintendent

Lyle Rossiter
(712) 272-3512 office and FAX

Agro-Climatic Zone

North Central/Northwest Iowa

Soils

The terrain is nearly level to gently sloping and contains numerous depressions and low knobs. Predominant soils are:

Clarion:
2-5 percent slope, occurs on upland slopes, very well drained

Nicollet:
1-3 percent slope, occurs between uplands and low areas, poorly drained

Canisteo:
0-2 percent slope, poorly drained

Research

The farm is used for whole-farm agricultural demonstrations focused on modest-sized, sustainable, family-based farming. The farm is used to develop profitable farming systems for these farm units. All the farm's enterprises are incorporated into studies of whole-farm systems rather than studying individual components.

Innovative techniques are used for growing traditional crops and livestock. These techniques will be used to develop systems which complement the crop, livestock and management components of modest-sized farms.

Demonstration plans are developed by an advisory committee of ISU researchers and agricultural leaders from across the state.

Facilities

The farm has outdoor and confinement cattle-feeding lots with a capacity of 250 head. Farrow-to-finish hog production facilities include three hoop structures.

A demonstration home garden provides growers with information about flower and vegetable varieties and gardening techniques.