The Iowa Learning Farms (ILF) February webinar will feature Iowa State University Extension Beef Specialist Joe Sellers. The free webinar will be live on Wednesday, February 18 at 1 p.m. and you can watch it on your computer.

Sellers will present the feeding value of various annual forage crops, the pros and cons of grazing these crops compared to harvesting them as silage or hay. He will also discuss issues with establishing and utilizing cover crops after Iowa grain crops, as well as other applications for forage crops including pasture renovation and using annuals to fill forage supply gaps.

GOOD GRAZING: Forages are seeing a surge in popularity in Iowa, partly as a result of increasing interest in planting cover crops to reduce loss of nutrients from fields. The way you harvest a forage crop is to graze it with livestock.

Joe Sellers has been with ISU Extension since 1987 and has worked primarily with beef, sheep and forage clients throughout his career. He has extensive background in beef and sheep management systems and works with producers as they decide feed rations, bull selection, grazing management and marketing. He has been a partner in the family farming operation in Lucas County since 1976.

Forage feeding value, establishing stands, cover crops and more
The ILF webinars are held on the third Wednesday of each month at 1 p.m. They are free and all that is needed to participate is a computer with Internet access. To participate, go to connect.extension.iastate.edu/ilf/ at 1 p.m. on the afternoon of the webinar and log in through the guest option. Webinar participants will be able to converse with Sellers by typing their questions through the chat function. The webinar will be recorded and archived on the ILF website for viewing any time. All past webinars are archived on the ILF website.

Since January 2011, ILF has hosted a webinar every month. There are over 45 webinars to view on a wide range of topics including soil erosion, cover crops, buffers, bioreactors, and farmer perspectives. The webinar archives are also available in podcast through iTunes.

Forage fit with best management practices to protect water quality
Established in 2004, Iowa Learning Farms is building a Culture of Conservation, encouraging adoption of conservation practices. Farmers, researchers and ILF team members are working together to identify and implement the best management practices that improve water quality and soil health while remaining profitable. Partners of Iowa Learning Farms are the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Iowa Natural Resources Conservation Service and Iowa Department of Natural Resources (USEPA section 319), Conserva­tion Districts of Iowa, Iowa Farm Bureau, Iowa Water Center and Practical Farmers of Iowa. For more information about Iowa Learning Farms, visit the website.