Iowa Learning Farms is hosting a saturated buffer field day on Tuesday, July 25^th from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at Lee Tesdell’s farm near Slater. The free event is open to farmers and landowners and includes a complimentary meal.

The installation of edge-of-field practices likes saturated buffers and bioreactors has been prioritized by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship to improve water quality as they are some of the most cost-effective methods. These practices can be located within existing filter strips and are designed to work with the drainage system of the field. Following the success of the batch and build project in Polk County, there are similar projects launching across the state that provide technical assistance and provide up to 100% cost share for these practices to be installed.

Join us to learn more about how these practices work through the demonstration of the Conservation On The Edge trailer. Gabriel Johnson, PhD student in Sustainable Agriculture and Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering at Iowa State University, will share monitoring results from host Lee Tesdell’s sites along the Fourmile Creek. John Swanson Water Resources Supervisor with Polk County Public Works, will provide an update on the Polk County Batch and Build Project and share opportunities available to get involved. Weather permitting, host Lee Tesdell will lead a tour of the saturated buffers along the creek before a complimentary lunch is served.

The field day will be at Lee Tesdell’s farm located on NW 2^nd Street, 1/2 mile south of 300 NW 158th Avenue, Slater, IA 50244 on the west side of the road. The event is free 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.  Attendees will be entered in a drawing that evening for ISU Prairie Strips honey.