AMES, Iowa — Women who own or manage farmland in Dallas and surrounding counties are invited to participate in a free conservation discussion focused on soil health Wednesday, April 3 from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Brenton Arboretum in rural Dallas Center.
The program, called Women Caring for the Land, is sponsored by the Women, Food and Agriculture Network, Prairie Rivers of Iowa and the Dallas County offices of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Registration and resource sharing start at 8:30 a.m., with the meeting beginning promptly at 9. Lunch will be served.
During an afternoon field tour, participants will travel via bus to a nearby farm to see conservation practices and watch a demonstration of soil testing. The tests will measure for soil structure, stability and infiltration.
Participants will walk a short distance into a field, so please wear or bring appropriate clothing and footwear. The meeting will end with dessert and wrap-up at the Arboretum by 3 p.m.
Maintaining healthy soil is the key to productivity and environmental health for our farmland. Nearly half the farmland in Iowa is currently owned or co-owned by women.
Current practices of farming are changing rapidly. Some common practices harm the land and water, and there are more options available to you than in the past. The informal atmosphere of this meeting allows discussion with women conservation professionals who can help with landowners’ management goals.
Women landowners who attend this meeting will learn to assess and improve the health of their soils through practices such as cover crops.
Space is limited for this meeting. Please RSVP by Monday, April 1 to wfan.org/iowa-spring or contact Carol carol@wfan.org or 641-430-2540. The Brenton Arboretum is located at 25141 260th St., Dallas Center.
