Practical Farmers of Iowa are kicking off their summer field day sessions with a trip to Churdan Wednesday.

The event, “Effects of a Custom-Made Roller Crimper on Rye Cover” will allow attendees an opportunity to see how soybeans grow from a cereal rye cover crop that’s been terminated with a roller-crimper on George Naylor’s farm near Churdan. You will also see how well the roller-crimper did at terminating the cover crop and whether or not the straw mulch is suppressing weeds. The custom-made roller crimper by Minnehan Metal Works will also be on site. Plus, there will be special guest speakers with  Ajay Nair and Kathleen Delate, with Iowa State University’s Department of Horticulture, who will talk about using roller-crimpers in vegetable and grain production.

Naylor and fellow farmer Billy Sammons received a grant through the Sustainable Education Research and Education (SARE) from the North Central SARE Farmer-Rancher program to test their fields using a roller-crimper to terminate cover crops in corn and soybean production systems.

The event is sponsored by Blue River Hybrids Organic Seed, Greene County Soil and Water Conservation District, Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES), North Central SARE and Organic Crop Improvement Association International.

The event is free and open to public from 10am to 1pm. Naylor’s farm is located at 1204 120th Street, northeast of Churdan.