This field day is free, open to the public and includes talks, opportunities for networking, and snacks! Kickoff event for the new MiSTRIPS program. Featuring Melissa Shaw of SKS Farms, Doug Landis and Corinn Rutkoski of Michigan State University and Marc Hasenick of Hasenick Brothers Farm. 
Read more about Prairie Strips Field Day
Perforated tile are buried under cropland to remove excess water detrimental to crop production. Farmers and landowners considering installing strips of prairie plants in their fields have asked about the possibility of roots growing into tile lines. To address this potential, Tim Younquist and Matt Helmers used video cameras to evaluate root penetration into the tile lines under prairie and continuous corn. Read more about FAQ: Will prairie strips plug tile lines?
Please REGISTER so we can plan accordingly. Register here; https://go.wisc.edu/soilhealthclinic-register or call 608-590-5758. (Registration closes Oct 13, at 12 am (midnight)).
Agenda
• 10 am – Event Start
• 10:15 am - Welcome from Fond du Lac County Land & Water Conservation Dept.
Prairie strips are a farmland conservation practice that deliver disproportionate benefits to soil and water while providing wildlife habitat and retaining nutrients. Read more about Management Overview
Prairie strips are a farmland conservation practice that uses strategically placed native prairie plantings in crop fields. The practice has been tested by the STRIPS team since 2007 on experimental plots at the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge and increasingly on commercial farms across Iowa. Here we present our responses to the Frequently Asked Questions we receive on prairie strips at conferences and field days, and through email. The information was prepared by team members, and will be updated over time as needed, as we continue to learn. The answers below are general in nature, and may not apply in specific situations. Resources are provided with each answer. Read more about Frequently Asked Questions
To date, we’ve seen no effects of prairie strips on yields in adjacent cropped areas. Of course, converting cropland to prairie strips will reduce the amount of land that is cropped. Payments for prairie strips from federal conservation programs and other sources can help offset this cost. Read more about FAQ: Will prairie strips help increase my crop yield?
Iowa’s plentiful agriculture draws on the diminishing heritage of native prairies: rich soils, biodiversity, cleaned water and controlled erosion – services that are impaired by today’s agricultural practices. Are there practices that mix row-crop agriculture and prairie to develop win/win systems? The 6,400-acre Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge in Jasper County in central Iowa provided a unique opportunity for researchers to test practices on a "whole" watershed. Read more about FAQ: Why did you start your experiment at a National Wildlife Refuge?
Prairie strips provide both abundant and diverse flowering plants to agricultural landscapes, which are essential for supporting honey bees and conserving wild bees and butterflies. Flowers provide critical food resources for these insects: nectar for adult bees and butterflies, and pollen for the young bees. Furthermore, a growing body of scientific literature indicates that bee health is improved when they are provided a diverse diet of plants. Read more about FAQ: Will prairie strips help pollinators?
Prairie strips will not completely eliminate erosion, and you may still need grass waterways. Data from our initial work at Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge has shown that prairie strips can dramatically reduce sediment loss from the field, but there are still signs of in-field erosion, especially along the fall line of the watershed where a grass waterway could be quite effective. Read more about FAQ: Will prairie strips eliminate erosion completely?
