Mark Comstock Farm in West Concord, Minn., will host a cover crop and strip-till demonstration day on Aug. 24, an event organized by the Southeast Minnesota Cover Crop Consortium. Featuring over 3 hours of live demonstrations and interactive panels from representatives across the Midwest, the agenda includes:

* 9 unique planting demonstrations for some of the most reliable cover crop combinations.

* A detailed examination of the root pits of each cover crop, showing the depth of root expression, the beneficial effects of soil compaction and the benefits of erosion.

* A tutorial on strip-till equipment, running through each cover crop to show how machines handle residue, in addition to preparing a seedbed properly for the next year.

* Inter-seeding demonstrations of cover crops into V6 corn.

* A discussion with industry representatives on the merits of different cover crop/strip-till systems.

* A production panel featuring country producers Jim Purfeerst, Lowell Schafer and Jeff Beckman detailing their firsthand experiences using cover crops.

* A presentation on Iowa’s Clean Water Initiative from Will Myers, a representative from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and coordinator of water quality projects.

For more information, please contact cooperating producer Mark Comstock at 507-398-5846 or coordinator Ed McNamara at 651-380-8183.