Iowa State University Extension and Outreach to Host Windbreak School on April 8

AMES, Iowa – Farmers, rural landowners and natural resource professionals can attend the in-field and hands-on Windbreak School on Wednesday, April 8, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Southeast Research and Demonstration Farm near Crawfordsville. The workshop is hosted by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and aims to provide the knowledge and skills needed to effectively plan, implement, maintain and renovate windbreaks. Check-in will begin at 9:30 a.m.

“Windbreaks and shelterbelts act as critical farm infrastructure. They provide energy savings, livestock growth gains, timber and non-timber forest products, wildlife habitat, odor and dust control, aesthetics, privacy and mental health benefits,” said Billy Beck, extension forestry specialist and assistant professor at Iowa State. “However, Iowa’s aging windbreaks are simply not functioning as they should be due to general decline, storm damage and insect and disease issues."

The Windbreak School will cover windbreak planning and design, including a discussion on species selection, site preparation, identifying site characteristics, incorporating pollinators and disease management. Because the Southeast Research and Demonstration Farm is establishing a new windbreak, there will be a field demonstration on how to plant and establish one.

Featured speakers include representatives from ISU Extension and Outreach, the ISU Plant and Insect Diagnostic Clinic, Iowa Department of Natural Resources district foresters and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

To attend, online pre-registration is required by April 3. The registration fee is $30, which covers lunch, refreshments and course materials. This fee, payable by cash or check, is due to ISU Extension and Outreach Washington County by April 5.

For more information, contact the Washington County Extension Office at 319-653-4811 or email Holly Beinhart at hollyb1@iastate.edu.