Summer Field Day adds cover crop discussion

The event is slated for 9:30 a.m. Aug. 21 at Jerry and Barb Daniels’ farm east of Juda

Francisco Arriaga, UW Madison Department of Soil Science Assistant Professor, speaks to a group from a soil pit. He will help field day attendees understand what they can see in the soil. Corn roots will be exposed at the Summer Field Day, on Aug. 21, to understand how they interact with the soil.

summer field day 1 — Francisco Arriaga, UW Madison Department of Soil Science Assistant Professor, speaks to a group from a soil pit. He will help field day attendees understand what they can see in the soil. Corn roots will be exposed at the Summer Field Day, on Aug. 21, to understand how they interact with the soil.

JUDA — Farmers of the Sugar River, a DATCP-funded watershed group representing the Middle and Lower Sugar River Watersheds in Green, Rock and Dane Counties, will host a summer field day on Aug. 21 at Jerry and Barb Daniels’ farm, east of Juda at W2340 Wisconsin 11-81. Registration is at 9:30 a.m. and the program will start at 10 a.m. The Daniels couple hopes to answer questions for others and share ideas.

The agenda includes a soil pit in a corn field, rainfall simulator with local soils, lunch and a cover crop discussion. Farmers, producers and interested public are encouraged to attend. A free lunch will be served. The cover crop discussion will have questions and suggestions on cover crops that work for local farming systems.

This time is meant to have producer’s questions answered and for them to be able to network ideas for making covers successful. Cover crops help to protect soil from erosion, feed the living biology in the soil and add diversity to a system.

A NRCS rainfall simulator shows what happens to our soils when it rains. It showcases different management practices side by side as to whether the rain will infiltrate or run off. Rain that runs off a field often has soil suspended in it, which is bad for water quality. Luckily, there are ways to fix that problem. Attendees to the Summer Field Day on Aug. 21 near Juda will see a rainfall simulator and learn methods to improve their soil’s infiltration capabilities.

summer field day 2 — A NRCS rainfall simulator shows what happens to our soils when it rains. It showcases different management practices side by side as to whether the rain will infiltrate or run off. Rain that runs off a field often has soil suspended in it, which is bad for water quality. Luckily, there are ways to fix that problem. Attendees to the Summer Field Day on Aug. 21 near Juda will see a rainfall simulator and learn methods to improve their soil’s infiltration capabilities.

The event is made possible through Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) producer-led watershed grant and local sponsors: Pleasant Grain LLC, Jerry and Barb Daniels, Alpine Auto Electric, Bank of New Glarus/ Sugar River Bank Branches, Compeer Financial, Helena Chemical Company, L & S Automotive Truck Service Inc., Badger State Ethanol, Schwartzlow Fertilizer, Stine Seed, Baker Precision Planter Works, MP Services- Mike Plucinski, Al McGuire, UB & T Bank, Colony Brands Inc., New Glarus Brewing Company, Kuhn, Super Soy LLC and INSIGHT FS.

Contact Tonya Gratz with the Green County Land and Water Conservation Department at 608-325-4195 extension 121 or email Tonya.Gratz@wi.nacdnet.net to RSVP for the field day lunch or if you would like more information.

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