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).