To Till or Not to Till? Building Soil Organically

- a workshop for ag advisors by OATS

Registrations for this event are managed by Iowa Organic Association

 

What: A field day for ag advisors and professionals discussing tillage in organic field crop production

When: July 18, 2022, 9a-4p CT

Where: Levi Lyle’s Farm in Keota, IA

Cost: $50.00 for non-IOA members; $25.00 for IOA members (includes lunch)

Co-hosted by Iowa Organic Association

One of the great questions in farming is whether or not to till the soil. Though progress has been made on organic no-till systems, most organic field crop farmers rely on tillage to control weeds and to prepare a good seedbed. At this field day, ag advisors and professionals will take a look into how much tillage is used on organic farms and how to protect and enhance the soil on their client’s organic field crop farms.

Agenda

9:00am Welcome

9:15am Presentation - Tillage in organic field crop production
Mallory Krieger, OATS

9:40am Presentation - National Organic Program 101
Mallory Krieger, OATS

10:00am Presentation - Implementing tillage judiciously on working farms

11:00am Panel Discussion - Farmer perspectives on tillage in organics and strategies to protect the soil
Matt Leavitt, Albert Lea Seed (moderator), Margaret Smith, Doug Allert, Eric Madson

12:00pm Lunch

1:30pm Tour of Levi Lyle’s farm and Iowa State University’s on-farm research
Levi Lyle, Kathleen Delate, Iowa State University

3:30pm Post-tour discussion

4:00pm Adjourn

Farm host:

Levi and his family farm near Keota, IA. They raise organic corn and soybeans and as well as, aronia berries, tart cherries, and various other fruits. Levi’s Indigenous Fruit Enterprises (LIFE) seeks to facilitate the profitability and sustainability of small farms. Previously an organic inspector, Levi now consults farmers transitioning to organic certified production. He recently started the Levi Lyle Podcast where thought-leaders and out-of-the-box thinking is provided a platform. He has two published books, available at www.levilyle.com and was a guest storyteller for PFIs 2022 winter conference.

Dr. Delate leads the ISU Extension organic research and extension program. Her research focuses on nutrient and pest management strategies that enhance production while lowering agriculture’s environmental footprint. She works in Ames, Iowa, and at the ISU Neely-Kinyon Farm in Greenfield, Iowa. In addition to hosting the Annual Iowa Organic Conference each November, she offers a “Transitioning to Organic” course every other year at ISU, starting January 26, 2021.

Are you a CCA? We have applied for CEUs. Check back soon for more information on the number of credits we can provide.

Huge thanks to our regional planning committee:

  • Roz Lehman, IOA

  • Matt Leavitt, Albert Lea Seed

  • Craig Tomera, Grain Millers

  • Kathleen Delate, Iowa State University

  • Erin Silva, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Funder Acknowledgement:

This material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under agreement number 2020-38640-31522 through the North Central Region SARE program under project number H008568303. USDA is an equal opportunity employer and service provider. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.