Flo-Lo Farms, Fayette County 4-H’ers to host famed agriculture scientists

Fayette County 4-H’ers at the Growing Greener 4-H Greenhouse and the Steinlage family at Flolo Farms will host soil health expert and conservation agronomist Ray Archuleta for two field days- one focused on youth activities and another geared toward professional farmers.

Ray Archuleta is known around the world for his analysis of soils under different tillage systems and his promotion of healthy soils and conservation tillage systems, and is known affectionately by farmers around the world as “Ray the Soils Guy.” He has 25 years of experience with the USDA’s National Resources Conservation Service across the United States, and has lectured internationally.

Ray’s visit to Northeast Iowa will kick off with a Youth Field Day at Growing Greener 4-H Greenhouse, 12517 220th St, West Union July 9 from 4-6:30 p.m. In addition to Archuleta, Tannis Axten, a farmer from Saskatchewan, will be leading a session for the youth. The field-day is free to all interested youth 18 and under. 4-H clubs, FFA chapters, and Food and Fitness 4-H Youth Teams should consider attending together. Register at Fayette County Extension’s website: www.extension.iastate.edu/fayette or call 563-425-3331.

July 10, Flolo Farms will host an in-depth field day with a deep bench of experts, including Archuleta. Utilizing Steinlage’s fields as hands-on example, Archuleta will speak on tillage systems, cover cropping, and soil health. The speakers will also include Doug Peterson, Derek Axton, and Michael Thompson. Peterson is the Regional Soil Health Specialist with the USDA’s Natural Resources and Conservation Service, and he also runs a cow-calf operation in northern Missouri. Axton and Thompson are both innovative farmers who have extensive experience with cover cropping and grazing cover crops. Axton is based in Saskatchewan and Thompson is based in Kansas.

Registration begins at 8:30 a.m., with the program from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 12517 220th Street West Union, IA. Register at Fayette County Extension’s website: www.extension.iastate.edu/fayette or call 563-425-3331.

This will be the second year in a row that the 4-H’ers and the Steinlage family have invited scientists and provided opportunities for area farmers and youth.