Prairie seed harvest season is here!

Now through October is the peak of the prairie seed harvest season, and Golden Hills has numerous volunteer opportunities scheduled throughout the Loess Hills.

KETV joined us at our first event at Hitchcock earlier this month.

See their story here.

Our next seed harvest events are:

• Thursday, August 28 at Hitchcock Nature Center, 6:30-8:00pm
• Friday, August 29 at Folsom Point Preserve, 3:30-5:30pm
• Sunday, August 31 at Pony Creek Nature Center, 1:00-3:00pm

Full schedule and details at

goldenhillsrcd.org/prairieseed

Golden Hills sponsoring PFI Field Days

Golden Hills is sponsoring two Practical Farmers of Iowa field days in western Iowa the first week of September:

Small Grains, Diverse Cover Crops + Livestock at Whiterock Conservancy

Wednesday, Sept. 3

9-11:30 a.m.

Whiterock Conservancy, Coon Rapids

Tyler Bruck is the land stewardship director at Whiterock Conservancy, a 5,500-acre nonprofit land trust in Coon Rapids, Iowa, that offers outdoor recreation while working to conserve land and showcase sustainable agriculture. During this field day, Tyler will highlight different soil health practices used at Whiterock. The conservancy has been no-tilling and using cover crops for 20-plus years. Recently, they started growing more rye and oats, keeping some seed to plant the next year. The rest is sold to area producers.

The conservancy also bales and sells the straw, then plants a diverse cover crop mix grazed by cattle or sheep in the fall. Past mixes included cowpeas, buckwheat, sunflower, rye, oats, tillage radish and clover. Come visit this Iowa gem while learning about the cost benefits of cover crops and small grains.

Details & registration.

Planting Trees and Grazing for the Future

Thursday, Sept. 4

4-6 p.m.

Pinhook Farm, Clarinda

Seth Watkins runs Pinhook Farm, his family’s heritage farm near Clarinda, Iowa. Seth raises alfalfa along with a cow-calf herd, sheep and bees. As part of his management, he has adopted a range of conservation practices like prairies strips, tree planting, integrated pest management and more. He’s also transitioned many acres out of production entirely, transforming those spaces into valuable habitat. Much of his work is guided by his vision of the future for his farm and the Iowa agricultural landscape.

Join Seth to learn how he’s using a permanent agricultural land easement in his transition planning. You’ll hear about tools he’s using to combine nature and farming, such as adding sheep to boost forage use and diversity. He’ll also share the successes and challenges he’s had establishing silvopasture.

Details & registration.

Land Stewardship class series continues monthly through November

Thank you to Loess Hills Nordic Ski Patrol for teaching our August Land Stewardship Series: Soft Trail Planning & Development class at Hitchcock Nature Center!

Our next class in this series with Iowa Western Business & Community Education is Intro to OSHA on Tuesday, September 9.

Details and registration at goldenhillsrcd.org/iwcc

Save the Dates!

Iowa Bike & Trails Summits October 9-10

This year, the Iowa Trails Summit and Iowa Bike Summit are being hosted together on October 9-10 at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls.

Iowa Trails Summit - October 9th: The Iowa Trails Summit brings together trail builders, supporters, volunteers, advocates and enthusiasts from across Iowa and beyond to delve into trail development topics ranging from corridor acquisition, engineering and enhancements, to funding, maintenance and marketing.

Iowa Bike Summit - October 10th: The Iowa Bike Summit is a gathering of bicycle enthusiasts, advocates, and professionals from across the state of Iowa. It provides a platform for discussion and collaboration on a variety of topics related to bicycling, including infrastructure, policy, technology, and tourism. The summit aims to inspire, educate, and empower attendees to make Iowa a more bicycle-friendly state. It features keynote speeches, panel discussions, workshops, and networking opportunities. The summit is open to anyone who is interested in promoting bicycling as a means of transportation, recreation, and community building in Iowa.

Details & registration at iowatrailssummit.com