Iowa State University
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

ISU Research and Demonstration Farms

2013 Farm Field Days

Field days give farmers and the public a chance to see research projects in progress and talk with the researchers involved in the experiments. But they also provide the opportunity to view the latest in modern agriculture. Anyone is welcome to attend.

Topics of field days in the summer typically cover corn and soybean production, including insect and weed management, soil fertility, tillage systems, water quality, planting dates, crop population, manure management and value-added crops.

Those visiting Iowa State farms with livestock (locations are marked in bold) are asked to take several precautions if they have been at another livestock operation. Those who have recently returned from a trip abroad are asked to wait five days before visiting Iowa State farms with animals. Visitors to farms with livestock are asked to change clothing and footwear after being in any livestock operation, foreign or domestic; and to refrain from bringing any food items to the research farm. If you have any questions, please call the Research and Demonstration Farms office at (515) 294-5045 or read the Foot and Mouth Advisory (135K PDF).

Directions to the farms are on the farm pages.

Download the 2013 Field Days Schedule (.pdf)


Location Research Farm Topics Date Meal Served

Fruitland

Muscatine Island

Crops/Vegetables

June 18
5:30 pm

Y

Delhi

Brayton

Forestry

June 19
1 p.m.

N

Kanawha

Northern

Crops

June 25
9:30 a.m.

Y

Nashua

Northeast

Crops

June 26
1 p.m.

Refreshment

Sutherland

Northwest

Crops

June 26
9 a.m.

Y

Crawfordsville

Southeast

Crops

June 27
1 p.m.

Y

Ames

Horticulture

Turfgrass

August 1
8 a.m.

Y

Lewis*

Armstrong

Crops

August 1
5 p.m.

Y

Ames

Horticulture
Station

Vegetables

August 12
2 p.m.

Y

Nashua

Northeast

Crops

August 28
1 p.m.

Refreshment

Ames

Ag Engineering/
Agronomy

Crops

August 30
9 a.m.

Y

Sioux Center

Dordt College

Crops

Sept 4
6 p.m.

Y

Castana*

Western

Livestock

TBD

 

Chariton*

McNay

Livestock

TBD

 

Chariton*

McNay

Crops

TBD

 


2013 Demonstration Home Garden Field Days

Location Research Farm Topics Date

Kanawha

Northern

Garden

August 6
6:30 p.m.

Nashua

Northeast

Garden

August 10
4 p.m.

Rock Rapids

Northwest

Garden

July 23
6 p.m.

Ames

Horticulture
Station

Garden

August 6
6:30 p.m.

Fruitland

Muscatine Island

Garden

August 8
6:30 p.m.

Lewis*

Armstrong

Garden

July 22
6:30 p.m.


The public is welcome to attend these field days, which take place rain or shine. There is no charge.

Field days consist of tours of research and demonstration plots. Topics vary for each farm depending on local interest and conditions, but the early summer field days usually deal with corn and soybean production.

Many of the farms plant and maintain vegetable and flower gardens with help from the Department of Horticulture to provide gardening ideas and display new varieties available in Iowa.

Directions and contact information for each of the farms can be found at http://www.ag.iastate.edu/farms.

Livestock Farm Visitor Policies

Visitors are asked to follow these policies when attending a field day at a farm with livestock (bolded and marked with asterisks above):
  • There is a five-day waiting period prior to visiting Iowa State University livestock farms if you have traveled outside the United States.
  • If you have visited another livestock farm, you are asked to change clothing and footwear.
  • Visitors are not allowed to bring food to the research farms.

If you have any questions, please call the Research and Demonstration Farms office at (515) 294-5045 or read the Foot and Mouth Advisory (135K PDF).