Make plans now to attend the 2025 Iowa Forage and Grassland Council Annual Conference set for February 3 in Ames. The event returns to Reiman Gardens, 1407 University Blvd., just to the southwest of Jack Trice Stadium.

After a number of years of drought conditions across the state, this year’s conference is focused on improving forage productivity and exploring alternative options that best meet your production goals.  

Conference topics and speakers include:

• Important Considerations for Forage Weed Management Decisions, Dr. Wesley Everman, Iowa State Extension Weed Specialist
• The Right Alfalfa for Your Farm, Dr. Scott Newell, Alfalfa Outreach Specialist, University of Wisconsin
• Market Outlook for Forage and Beef Cattle, Dr. Christopher Pudenz, Economics and Research Manager, Iowa Farm Bureau
• Iowa Forage Research Update, Dr. Shelby Gruss, Forage Extension Specialist, Iowa State University

The conference will run from 10 AM – 3 PM, with lunch at noon followed by IFGC annual meeting. The day will include opportunities to visit with fellow attendees and tradeshow vendors.

For more details or register for the conference, please visit the registration website: 2025 Iowa Forage & Grassland Council Annual Meeting. 

The Iowa Forage and Grassland Council board of directors is comprised of producers, industry representatives, and industry stakeholders sharing the mission of promoting profitable production and utilization of forages in Iowa. As we’re rounding out another year, we are looking for new board members to fill vacant spots. If you’re interested in learning more about our board of directors and potentially joining the group, please reach out to our executive secretary, Ben Gleason, at bgleason@agribiz.org. Elections will take place during the IFGC annual meeting held over the lunch hour of Annual Conference.

New this year!  A tradeshow will be incorporated in the annual conference once again to encourage building relationships and brand awareness between attendees. Current IFGC industry memberships will have the option of having a booth free of charge. For more details about the tradeshow or to sign up for a booth, please contact Erika Lundy-Woolfolk at ellundy@iastate.edu. Spots are limited! 

With the increased focus to optimize existing forage resources has come an increased interest in new technologies available to assist in reaching forage production goals, including virtual fencing. The technology brings the potential for improved grazing management and forage utilization, more flexible rotational grazing systems, and expands the potential to reach previously underutilized forage acres that are hard to access. Since this technology has only recently become commercially available, the Iowa Forage and Grassland Council partnered with the Iowa State beef extension team, NoFence, and Iowa NRCS to demonstrate the application of virtual fencing grazing collars and facilitate peer to peer sharing of experiences. A field day was held in September at Brice Hundling’s family farm in Carroll County. Hundling, a beef and goat producer, has been piloting NoFence grazing collars for 1 year.

The pasture walk reached 34 livestock producers from across 11 counties in Western Iowa and beyond. The focus of the pasture walk was on utilizing virtual fencing grazing collars, the host’s experiences, potential applications, and potential government-funded cost-sharing opportunities. Additionally, managing fall forages and weed control were on the agenda.

IFGC members and Audubon County beef producers, Steve and Michelle Sprague from Sprague Farms, were featured on NCBA’s Cattlemen to Cattlemen for their dedication to improving their land, the profit potential of their cow herd, and sustainability of their grazing management. The Sprague’s credit the Natural Resource Conservation Service for providing invaluable support to farmers and ranchers by helping them conserve, manage, and improve the resources on their land. Watch the segment here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQjx2ijQqXs. 

 The Iowa Beef Center at Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and University of Nebraska – Lincoln Extension partnered to offer a webinar on grazing corn residue. The recordings are now available on the Iowa Beef Center’s YouTube channel. The team received an Educational Grant from the Iowa Forage and Grassland Council for the webinar series. 

• Considerations when Negotiating Lease Agreements
• Determining Stocking Rates
• Nutritional Considerations
• Study Results: Comparing Residue Harvested with a Chopping Corn Head Compared to a Conventional Corn Head 

The Iowa NRCS updated their fence policy by expanding the situations that are eligible for EQIP financial assistance for 2025. Property line and exterior fence are now allowed to be funded through EQIP without requiring a cropland conversion to pasture as in prior years. Property Line and Exterior Fence contracted through EQIP must support and include the practice Prescribed Grazing in the same contract. The fence must also address identified resource concerns on at least one side of the fence such as degraded plant health, soil health, and feed/forage imbalances.

Interior fence for paddock subdivision, limit livestock access to conservation practices (Ponds), and limit access to surface waters and streambanks is still eligible for assistance when it supports Prescribed Grazing and/or Access Control, respectively.

If interested in seeing if fencing thru EQIP is right for your operation, contact your local NRCS office.

Planning a forage-related meeting and looking for sponsorship dollars to offset meeting expenses? The Iowa Forage & Grassland Council provides Education Grants Program which is designed to assist with funding forage education activities in Iowa including forage field days, informational meetings, and pasture walks. The grant limit is $250 per meeting. Learn more about the grant on the IFGC website.