BYRON, Minn. — Farmer Martin Larsen will host a virtual field day in partnership with Practical Farmers of Iowa and the Land Stewardship Project exploring no-till oat and rye production on Wednesday, June 24, from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
The event is free to attend and will take place on Facebook Live. For more information and to join in, click here. You do not need to have a Facebook account to participate — but those without an account will not be able to comment or ask questions. The field day is sponsored by Bio Till.
Larsen is a fifth-generation farmer using no-till and cover cropping practices to grow conventional corn, soybeans, oats, and rye near Byron. It was his cover crop that got him into growing rye for his own cover crop seed. He then decided to further diversify his farm with an oat crop.
During the field day, Larsen will showcase both rye and oats in the field. He will also share lessons he’s learned about producing both crops, from no-till planting in soybean residue to harvesting and cleaning the product.
Topics covered will include:
• Growing oats and rye
• Cover crop seed production
• No-till and extended rotations
• Small-grain cost-share opportunities
Larsen also works for the Olmsted County Soil and Water Conservation District, where he has done research on cover crops and nitrate reduction in local waterways. He is an avid caver and serves as president of the Minnesota Caving Club.
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