West Kansas cattleman and YouTuber Jay Young. PHOTO COURTESY OF YOUNG RED ANGUS

TOLEDO – Join Tama Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) for its upcoming event, “Above, Below & Cattle: the ABCs of soil health and profitability.” It will be held on Tuesday, February 13 at the Reinig Toledo Civic Center, 1007 S. Prospect Drive in Toledo from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

This free event is open to the public, and a complimentary lunch will be provided by Tama SWCD and State Bank of Toledo. An RSVP is required by February 5 by phoning 641-484-2702, ext. 305 or by emailing melody.bro@ia.nacdnet.net.

“Above, Below & Cattle: the ABCs of soil health and profitability” will feature several speakers focusing on incorporating cover crops and cattle into a farm’s management system to improve soil health and the operation’s profitability.

Cattleman and YouTuber Jay Young will share his journey into regenerative agriculture. Jay is eager to share his experience in using cover crops and compost extract to improve soil health and save money on inputs. The Young family has been farming in western Kansas since 1906. They have a long history with cattle and have been raising stockers since the 1940s. As a kid, Jay always wanted to have a cow/calf operation, but limited grass in Greeley County made this dream seem impossible. However, a dream was born in 2016 with the renewed popularity of cover crops in the farming industry. Jay and his father, Jerry, combine cover crops, no-till and cattle into a bulletproof management plan to feed their livestock, their soil biology and their cash crops.

Denise Schwab is a well-known ISU Extension & Outreach Beef Specialist in and around Tama County. She will be sharing on blending cattle and cover crops in a livestock operation. Denise serves as Northeast Iowa Beef Field Specialist and is co-leader of Extension’s Beef Team. She has been instrumental in forage and grazing education statewide and has a long history of developing programs for emerging producers. Her young cattlemen’s peer groups were the prototype for Extension’s Beginning and Young Livestock Producers, which has expanded statewide and across livestock species. She was also key in the development and implementation of Boots in the Barn, a popular program for Iowa cattlewomen.

Adam Nechanicky of rural Buckingham in northeastern Tama County will also be speaking. Adam is a farmer, livestock producer and cover cropper who has proven an incredible local resource in peer mentoring soil conservation and water quality practices on his family’s Century Farm. He and his wife, Lindsey, are raising four young boys as well operating their farming and livestock operation. With an engineering background, a diversity of on-farm enterprises and a strong desire to improve the health of his soil resources and the quality of water flowing from his farm, Adam has created a reputation for developing a systems approach to solving resource problems. The Nechanickys have taken in stride trying new cover crop mixes, growth periods and planting techniques, and Adam will share their outcomes to help make other operations more profitable.

Please join in and RSVP by February 5.