Beef specialist to discuss how cover crops can work on livestock farms
Soil health event in Tama County will feature Denise Schwab February 13
A beef specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach will discuss the ways that cattle and cover crops can coincide during a February 13 event in Tama County.
Denise Schwab will speak during the Tama Soil and Water Conservation District meeting called “Above, Below and Cattle: the ABCs of Soil Health and Profitability.” The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Reinig Toledo Civic Center, 1007 S. Prospect Drive, Toledo.
“By incorporating annual forages along with traditional perennial forages, cattlemen can stretch grazing days while providing rest to perennial pastures and improving cow condition,” said Schwab. “Annual forages also provide important crop rotations to corn-soybean rotations.
Schwab is a beef specialist located in northeast Iowa and is co-leader of the Extension Beef Team. She has provided forage and grazing education across Iowa and has a long history of developing programs for emerging producers.
Other speakers include cattleman and YouTuber Jay Young, who will share his journey into regenerative agriculture; and Adam Nechanicky, a cover crop and livestock farmer from Tama County.
Jay Young will share his experience in using cover crops and compost extract to improve soil health and save money on inputs. The Young family has been farming in western Kansas since 1906. They have a long history with cattle and have been raising stockers since the 1940s.
As a child, Young always wanted to have a cow/calf operation, but limited grass in Greeley County made this dream seem impossible. However, a dream was born in 2016 with the renewed popularity of cover crops in the farming industry.
Adam Nechanicky is a proven local resource in peer mentoring, soil conservation and water quality practices on his family’s Century Farm. He and his wife, Lindsey, are raising four young boys as well as operating their farming and livestock operation. With an engineering background, a diversity of on-farm enterprises and a strong desire to improve the health of his soil resources and the quality of water flowing from his farm, Nechanicky has created a reputation for developing a systems-based approach to solving resource problems.
This free event is open to the public, and a complimentary lunch will be provided by Tama SWCD and State Bank of Toledo. RSVP by Feb. 5 by calling 641-484-2702, ext. 305 or by emailing melody.bro@ia.nacdnet.net.
