The Annual Northwest Iowa Research Farm Field Day will be held Tuesday, July 2, beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the farm, 6320 500th St., Sutherland. An optional Windbreak Management Workshop will follow lunch at 1 p.m.
The field day will focus on challenges and opportunities in the crop markets, a recap of navigating Nitrogen during the wet spring, Soybean Cyst Nematode management tips, and other timely agronomic topics.
“Farmers and agronomists can plan for a full day of learning at the Research Farm,” said Leah Ten Napel, field agronomist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. “We believe the day will provide a great deal of education and networking time for everyone in attendance.”
Registration opens at 9 a.m., with the program beginning at 9:30 a.m. with “Markets in 2024: Opportunities and Challenges,” led by Chad Hart, crop marketing specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach.
Following Hart, in-field learning will address:

• “Navigating Nitrogen,” led by Richard Roth, nitrogen specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach
• “Soybean Cyst Nematode Management,” led by Greg Tylka, Morrill Professor with ISU and director of the Iowa Soybean Research Center
• “Timely Agronomic Topics for the 2024 Growing Season,” led by Gentry Sorenson and Leah Ten Napel, field agronomists with ISU Extension and Outreach
  One NM, one IPM and two CM CCA credits will be available for the morning field day.
  At the completion of the morning field day, a complimentary noon lunch will be served.
  Following lunch at 1 p.m., an optional windbreak management workshop will begin. The workshop will be led by DNR District Forester Sarah Bell and O’Brien County District Conservationist Andrew Koehlmoos. One and one-half CM CCA credits will be available for the afternoon workshop.
  Attendance at the morning and/or afternoon field day is free and open to the public. Registration is not needed.
  Complimentary morning refreshments are sponsored by Security State Bank, with lunch sponsored by O’Brien County Ag Supply, J&K Insurance, C-S Agrow, and 5th Gen Ag.
  For more information, contact Field Agronomists Gentry Sorenson at 641-430-6715 or gentrys@iastate.edu or Leah Ten Napel at 712-541-3493 or lre@iastate.edu.
  A little about the Northwest Research Farm: In 1954, this new association, funded by Northwest Iowa farmers and businesses buying memberships, purchased two tracts of land to begin research cooperatively with ISU, 37 acres in Lyon County and 75 acres in O’Brien County. In 1989 and 1990, the organization purchased an additional 60 acres in Lyon County and 152 acres in O’Brien County and sold the original tracts. The cooperation between local association members and researchers from ISU has created the development of crop production knowledge used by farmers in Northwest Iowa and around the state, such as recommendations for soil fertility, weed management, date of planting and population, and lots more. Today, many replicated plot trials still occur at the farm near Calumet, and the Doon Farm is used more for replicated, field length, on-farm trials.