Iowa Learning Farms will host a relay intercropping field day near Oskaloosa on Tuesday, Jul. 28
from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Lucas DeBruin’s farm. The no-cost event is open to farmers and landowners and
includes a complimentary meal.
In a relay intercropping system, where three crops are grown in two years, the benefits include a marketable
small grain for use as cover crops and additional revenue for the farmer. Similar to cover crops, a relay
intercropping system can provide many benefits to farmers and landowners, including reduced soil erosion,
weed suppression, reduced nutrient loads entering water bodies, increased organic matter in the soil, and
substantial flood reduction potential.
The field day will feature host and Mahaska County farmers Lucas and Gene DeBruin sharing how they have
successfully incorporated cover crops into the operation and have begun adding relay intercropping in the
rotation to grow cover crop seed. Looking at the whole farm system, Billy Beck, ISU Extension Forestry
Specialist, will highlight ways to incorporate woodland management to promote healthy trees on the farm.
The Iowa Learning Farms will also present their Conservation Station On The Edge trailer. Weather permitting,
the field day will include a field tour of a neighboring relay intercropping field.
The field day will be held at the DeBruin Farm, 2839 Newland Way, Oskaloosa, IA 52577. The no-cost event
and open to farmers and landowners, though we require reservations to ensure adequate space and food. For
reasonable accommodations and to RSVP, please contact Liz Ripley at 515-294-5429 or ilf@iastate.edu by July 21st.
Attendees will be entered in a drawing for ISU Prairie Strips honey.
Iowa Learning Farms field days and workshops are supported by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation
Service. This event is supported by a USDA NRCS Conservation Innovation grant award NR233A750011G012.
For more information about Iowa Learning Farms, visit www.iowalearningfarms.org.
