Attend the ISA Farmer Research Tour

The Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) will depart from the traditional format of one, centrally located annual research conference in favor of regional meetings to be held later this winter in Storm Lake, Ames and Cedar Rapids.

Dubbed the ISA Farmer Research Tour, the discussions will provide localized soybean production data, tips for managing new and emerging pests, and strategies for optimizing soil health and fertility to boost yields.

Attendees can choose from one or more of the following dates and locations: Tuesday, Feb. 5, King’s Pointe Resort, Storm Lake; Thursday, Feb. 7, Gateway Hotel, Ames; and Tuesday, Feb. 12, Hotel at Kirkwood Center, Cedar Rapids. Meetings will start at 8 a.m. and adjourn by 5 p.m.

“The sharing, comparing and discussion of on-farm soybean production research data is invaluable for farmers wanting to make the most of every acre,” says Chris Gaesser,

an ISA member from Corning and frequent conference attendee. “While the information is always valuable, this year’s approach promises to be even more effective as farmers will benefit from research trials conducted in closer proximity to where they live and farm.”

Conference registration is now open. It includes lunch and refreshments. Registration is at no cost for farmers participating in ISA research trials, $25 for ISA farmer members not participating in research trials with ISA and $50 for non-members. Continuing education credits will be available.

All tour stops will feature the ISA Analytics, Environmental Programs and Services and the On-Farm Network® teams presenting results from 2018 projects.

Several unique topics will also be featured during the tour. The Storm Lake tour stop will include information specific to soybean gall midge, a pest that hit soybean farmers in western

Iowa particularly hard last growing season. Leading the discussion will be Erin Hodgson, Iowa State University Extension entomologist.

The morning session in Cedar Rapids will be keynoted by the city utilities director, Steve Hershner. He’ll share how Cedar Rapids is working with farmers upstream for improved water quality. Just as important as producing soybeans is finding a market for them. Al Kluis, commodity trader, chartist, author and producer of the Al Kluis Report, will keynote all conferences. He’ll offer insights to assist farmers in identifying sale opportunities during a period of volatile markets.

ISA Farmer Research Tour sponsors include Asgrow, Farm Credit Services of America, Agriculture’s Clean Water Alliance and Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance. For sponsorship or registration information, contact Sue Derscheid at sderscheid@iasoybeans.com or 515-334-1063.