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Location
Greenfield, Adair County
Directions: Go 2 miles south of Greenfield on Highway
25, 1 mile east and a half mile north.
Size
160 acres
Owner
Wallace Foundation for Rural Research and Development
History
The Wallace Foundation was formed in 1990 to enhance agricultural
research and education for southwest Iowa. A donation of a 160-acre
farm in Adair County by Wayne and Margaret Neely in 1994 established
the Neely-Kinyon Research Farm. The farm is managed as a satellite
of the Armstrong Research Farm.
Agro-Climatic Zone
Southwest Iowa
Soils
Gently to strongly sloping well-drained loess soils characterize the area. Predominant soils are:
Shelby:
9-30 percent slope, moderately well drained glacial till derived soil, occurring on upland side slopes.
Macksburg:
0-4 percent slope, somewhat poorly drained loess derived soil, occurring on upland ridges.
Research & Demonstrations
The farm is an innovative working farm that researches and
demonstrates alternative agricultural approaches that are environmentally
sound and have a positive impact on the community.
Organic crops. A 17-acre block of 40 quarter-acre plots is dedicated to organic research. Plant, soil, pest, grain quality and economic performance of organic and conventional systems are studied.
Soils. The topography of the area makes soil erosion, cropping rotation and tillage research important. There is ongoing monitoring of soil quality for the organic research study.
Livestock. Researchers study sustainable livestock production. Studies include winter grazing of stockpiled forages and cornstalks, rotational grazing of dairy heifers and pasture improvements.
Facilities
An erosion control structure was completed in 1997 and new
fencing was recently constructed.
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