October 15, 2008

1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

1291 Rawson Lane, Platteville, Wisconsin

Southwest Badger Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Council, Inc has received funding from the Driftless Area Initiative (DAI) and Alliant Energy to conduct research to determine the best management practices for maximizing switchgrass yields in Southwest Wisconsin.  Southwest Badger RC&D has contracted with six agricultural producers to implement field-scale research on switchgrass establishment.

The field day will provide a tour of demonstration plots planted this spring on the Jim and Terry Schaefer farm and the Dan Schaefer farm.  NRCS and Southwest Badger staff will provide an overview of the project and discuss the various field trials being conducted.  Brett Hulsey of Better Environmental Solutions will provide an assessment of various biomass resources in the area.  Researchers from UW Madison will provide information on weed pressure resulting from the various herbicide treatments and how that corresponds to yield.  Weather permitting, harvesting of the switchgrass plots may occur during the field-day.  Travel between the two farms is approximately four miles.

Directions: From Platteville: Take highway 81 west for approximately 2 miles and turn right (north) on County D for 1.5 miles and turn right (east) onto Rawson Lane

Brought to you by: Southwest Badger RC & D Council, Inc.

In cooperation with :           Alliant Energy
Driftless Area Initiative
USDA-NRCS
UW Extension
Double T&D Grain Inc.

NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED

For more information contact SW Badger RC&D at 608-723-6377 ext 136 or email steve.bertjens@usda.gov