Cover Crop and Water Quality Field Day in Oskaloosa

By Andi Anderson

The Iowa Learning Farms (ILF) will host a Cover Crop and Water Quality Field Day on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Drost Farms, located at 2215 212th Street, Oskaloosa, Iowa.

The event is free and includes a complimentary meal, open to farmers and landowners interested in improving soil and water conservation practices.

This field day will highlight best management practices for establishing and managing cover crops. Cover crops play an essential role in sustainable agriculture by reducing soil erosion, suppressing weeds, improving soil organic matter, and minimizing nitrogen and phosphorus runoff into waterways.

Jackson and Amanda Drost, multi-generation farmers from Mahaska County, will host the event. The Drost family raises corn, soybeans, and alfalfa along with an Angus cow-calf herd. They began planting rye cover crops in 2010 for grazing and have since expanded their acreage, incorporating additional species like oats, turnips, and camelina.

Their farm also features conservation practices such as buffer strips, contour farming, sediment basins, terraces, and waterways, and they are currently implementing a saturated buffer through EQIP.

The program will include a presentation from Mark Licht, ISU Extension cropping systems specialist, who will discuss effective cover crop management during a guided field tour. Liz Ripley, ILF conservation and cover crop outreach specialist, will share updates on a smart agricultural drainage project led by ISU researchers.

The Conservation Station on the Edge trailer will also be on-site for hands-on demonstrations. Additionally, Ryan Wolf from Iowa Missouri Seed, LLC will be available to answer cover crop-related questions.

To attend, RSVP by October 28 by contacting Liz Ripley at 515-294-5429 or ilf@iastate.edu. Attendees will be entered into a drawing for ISU Prairie Strips honey.

This event is supported by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and funded through the U.S. National Science Foundation award 2125484.

Photo Credit: gettyimages-nes