Grazing and Goat Browsing for Biodiversity Field Day, Sunday August 1

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July 26, 2010

Maxwell, IA – To see how cattle and goats are being used to increase biodiversity on reconstructed prairie and oak savanna and provide a win-win for farmers and the environment, a field day will take place on Sunday, August 1. The field day will be from 1:30pm-7:00pm and include a potluck dinner featuring local grass-fed beef. The public is invited.

Part one (1:30-4pm) at Chichaqua Bottoms Wildlife Area in northeast Polk County features 100 cow-calf pairs grazing on 363-acres of reconstructed prairie and 31 goats browsing in an oak savanna area degraded by invasive species. Field day participants will ride on hay wagons to each study area, see the animals and their impact, and talk with Drake University scientists Dr. Keith Summerville and Dr. Tom Rosburg; farmers Eric and Deb Finch, Bruce Carney, Jeff Boyd, and Norm McCoy; and Polk County Natural Resource Specialist Loren Lown, about the project and the benefits for the prairie and oak savanna areas and for farmers.

Part two (4:30-7pm) will take place at Carney Family Farms nearby. Bruce and Connie Carney and neighbor Jeff Boyd have 100 cow-calf pairs grazing at Chichaqua Bottoms while their home pastures rest for three months and grow a late season hay crop for winter feed. Participants will again use hay wagons to observe a variety of pasture improvements and talk with ISU Extension specialist, Joe Sellers, and Bruce Carney about pasture management. The potluck at 6pm will feature the Carney’s grass-fed beef. Bring a dish to share. Drinks and table service will be provided.

Directions: To get to the Chichaqua Bottoms Longhouse from I-35: Take Exit 96 (Elkhart); go east through Elkhart on NE 126th Avenue. At the T intersection, turn north onto NE 72nd Street. which turns into NE 134th Ave. Turn south onto NE 80th Street and follow signs. To get to Carney Family Farms from Chichaqua, turn east on 134th Avenue, go for two miles. Turn left onto NE 96th Street. The Carney homestead is .25 miles down the road, the first house on the left.

Project partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Iowa Heartland RC&D, Polk County Conservation, Iowa State University Extension, Drake University, Iowa Audubon Society, Jeff Boyd, Bruce Carney, Eric and Deb Finch, and Norm McCoy. Funding provided by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Polk County Conservation, Southern Iowa Forage and Livestock Committee, Iowa Forage and Grassland Council, and Iowa Prairie Network. 

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The Leopold Center was established by the 1987 Iowa Groundwater Protection Act as a research and education center at Iowa State University to develop sustainable agricultural practices that are both profitable and conserve natural resources. Iowa State does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. Vietnam Era Veteran. Any persons having inquiries concerning this may contact the Director of Affirmative Action, 3210 Beardshear Hall, (515) 294-7612.

This page was found at http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/news/07-26-2010/grazing-and-goat-browsing-biodiversity-field-day-sunday-august-1 on 01/21/2013