Iowa State University Extension and Outreach is hosting its next Urban Agriculture Field Day on Tuesday, Sept. 17, from noon to 2:00 p.m. at the Sinsinawa Mound Collaborative Farm in Wisconsin.

The event offers a unique opportunity to tour two farms and connect with the farmers behind them:

• Dropseed Farm (Jess Hepker) produces seasonal vegetables and unique varieties of corn, beans and squash, including an interplanted trial plot.
• Sandhill Farm (Andie Donnan and Ashley Neises) grows a diverse array of lettuce, herbs, root vegetables and garden plants. They distribute their produce weekly to members of their community-supported agriculture (CSA) program.

Participants will take part in hands-on demonstrations and Q&A sessions, including a showcase of paper chain pots for sustainable and efficient transplanting, and quantitative results from the Dropseed Farm trial plot. Iowa State extension specialists will be on-site to answer questions and share more about urban agriculture and organic farming practices.

The field day is funded by Iowa State University and the Midwest Transition to Organic Partnership Program, a United States Department of Agriculture program that supports farmers working toward organic certification.

ISU Extension and Outreach Dubuque County is partnering with the Urban Agriculture Project.

“We are really excited to work with these farms. They are helping us expand our impact in the region, and we love to see them at the Dubuque Farmers’ Market,” said Sandi Helgerson, extension county director for Dubuque County.

To attend this field day, organizers ask that those interested register online.

The field day is located 10 minutes from downtown Dubuque, Iowa, at 2551 Co Rd Z, Sinsinawa, Wis., 53824. Directions from Dubuque are listed below.

• Get on US-151 North/US-61 North.
• Take exit 1 to merge onto WI-11 East/WI-35 South/Wisconsin Trunk Highway 11 East toward Hazel Green/Janesville.
• In two miles, turn right onto County Road Z.
• In another two miles, turn right to arrive at the Sinsinawa Mound Collaborative Farm.

For more information, visit the Urban Agriculture webpage.