This is information season! It’s time to hit late-summer field days before harvest begins. Here are six field days you ought to take a close look at if you're interesting in learning about ways to improve your farm operation.

1. Southeast Purdue Agricultural Center Field Day

Plan to be in Butlerville in Jennings County tomorrow, Aug. 17, to help celebrate 39 years of research and activities at SEPAC. This field day is special because Don Biehle, the one and only SEPAC superintendent until now, will be honored. He officially retired earlier this summer. Come to honor Biehle and meet Joel Wahlman, the new superintendent at the farm.

ATTEND AND LEARN: Don’t miss upcoming Purdue field days, including the Agronomy Field Day at ACRE on Sept. 8. Visit with Corey Gerber about the new crop scouting app for cellphones.

Field day hours are 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The afternoon is an optional field day devoted to touring pollinator and forestry areas.

2. Pinney Purdue Agricultural Center Field Day

Come to this center, located on the La Porte and Porter county line, on Aug. 24 to hear from several specialists. You can even learn about the potential for hops as a specialty crop in Indiana. Registration starts at 7:30 a.m. central time. A twilight tour begins at 6 p.m. CDT. The center will host a diagnostic training session Sept. 7.

3. Northeast Purdue Agricultural Center Field Day

If you live in northeast Indiana, plan to be in Whitley County at NEPAC on Aug. 25. The annual field day will highlight research going on at this location. For more details, email Phil Walker at [email protected].

4. Davis Purdue Agricultural Center Field Day

If you live in east-central Indiana, plan to attend the Davis Purdue Ag Center Field Day near Farmland on Aug. 30. This field day runs from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. EDT. Besides Purdue speakers, Ken Rulon, a Cicero farmer, will discuss why he believes cover crops pay on his family operation. Rulon Enterprises is a large no-till and cover crop-based farm in Hamilton County.

5. Agronomy Field Day at ACRE

Back again for the second straight year after a long absence, the Purdue Agronomy Center for Research and Education Field Day is Sept. 8. ACRE is located on U.S. 52 west of West Lafayette. It is home to the new Indian Corn and Soybean Innovation Center. You will have the opportunity to tour the center. The tour is sponsored by Extension educators in northwest Indiana. Contact your Extension office for more details.

6. Southern Indiana Purdue Agricultural Center Family and Ag Field Day

This event will be held at the farm in Dubois County on Sept. 10. This field day features the Your Pace Your Race Run/Walk through the SIPAC farm in the morning. Field day topics follow later in the day. There is an entry fee for participating in the 2.5-mile race/walk through the farm. For more information, email superintendent Jason Tower at [email protected].