Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture

Compatible Wildlife Habitat and Livestock Grazing Tour September 1

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July 30, 2010

CHARITON, Iowa — Join the Iowa State University (ISU) Extension tour on Sept. 1 to view Creston-area examples of ways livestock pasture grazing can be used to enhance wildlife habitat. “We’ll travel the region by Iowa State vans to look at different systems where wildlife and grazing cattle can be compatible goals,” said Joe Sellers, ISU Extension livestock program specialist.

The tour will meet at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 1, at the Natural Resources Conservation Services office, 904 E. Taylor St., in Creston. Sellers is arranging transportation from Chariton to Creston; those interested should contact Sellers at 641-203-1270.

The tour begins at the Bill Beaman farm near Clearfield with the viewing of cattle grazing management practices and efforts to increase quail populations through cultural practices and seeding plots.

The next stop is the Dray Walter farm near Blockton. “Here we’ll see a CRP flash grazing demonstration and a wildlife seeding project along with many other wildlife habitat improvement efforts,” said Carl Neifert, grazing program consultant.

The last stop, the Grand River Wildlife unit near Kellerton, offers examples of grazing management practices implemented to increase prairie chicken populations, including burn management and grazing stocking rate studies on pastures.

The tour is provided, at no cost, by the following sponsors: Practical Farmers of Iowa, Iowa Beef Center-Iowa State University Extension, South Central Iowa Area Partnership, Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Services and Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

Registrations are required to accommodate transportation and food. Register by contacting Neifert at 515-250-8802 or cneifert@hotmail.com; Sellers at 641-203-1270 or sellers@iastate.edu; or Paul Goldsmith at 641-782-4218 paul.goldsmith@ia.usda.gov. 

For more info contact:

Joe Sellers, Extension Livestock Program Specialist, 641-203-1270, sellers@iastate.edu

Willy Klein, Extension Communications and External Relations, 515-294-0662, wklein@iastate.edu

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