Business : Forage Field Day to Focus on Summer Annuals

Cows grazing on sudangrass

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, in partnership with I-29 Moo University and the Northern Plains Forage Association, invites producers, agronomists and forage enthusiasts to attend the 2025 Forage Field Day on July 31 at the Western Research and Demonstration Farm near Castana.

This all-day event will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and feature field demonstrations, expert talks and hands-on learning opportunities. Forage topics will focus on summer annuals for silage, baleage and grazing, interseeding strategies, as well as pasture management.

Attendees will hear from leading Iowa State University researchers and industry professionals on topics such as the agronomics of grazing summer annuals, sorghum breeding objectives, interseeding summer annuals into alfalfa and heifer grazing economics.

Highlights from the day will include:

• Field demonstrations of forage sorghum for silage, summer annual grazing systems and nitrate and prussic acid testing
• Live nitrate and prussic acid testing demos to enhance in-season decision-making
• Interactive forage and weed ID competition with prizes
• Expert insights on topics ranging from grazing economics to breeding priorities for sorghum and strategies to extend alfalfa stand life

"This field day is a great opportunity to see the versatility of summer annuals in action - whether for silage, grazing or interseeding," said Shelby Gruss, extension forage specialist with Iowa State. "These crops offer flexible options to fill forage gaps, extend alfalfa stands and improve both productivity and profitability across diverse forage systems."

The cost to attend the field day is $20 for individuals or $50 for farms and family groups up to five people. All participants are asked to register online by July 21 to be eligible for a door prize. Members of the Northern Plains Forage Association may attend for free, but must register in advance for an accurate food count.

A complimentary lunch will be provided under the hoop barn, where participants can test their forage ID skills and network with speakers and fellow attendees.

The Western Research and Demonstration Farm is located at 36515 Highway E34, Castana.

For more information, contact Gail Carpenter at ajcarpen@iastate.edu.

About I-29 Moo University

I-29 Moo University is a consortium of extension dairy specialists from the land-grant universities in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota. The I-29 Moo University is a multi-state learning collaboration and connects extension dairy staff with the dairy community to share research, information and management practices through workshops, webinars, e-newsletters, podcasts, and on-farm tours. For more information about the I-29 Moo University Collaboration and programs visit the I-29 Moo University website.