Tentative Pre-Conference Tour: Monday, July 31, 2017
Meet at the Courtyard Marriott Ankeny at 2405 SE Creekview Drive at 12:30 p.m. on Monday, July 31. Board bus to travel to the farm of Nancy and Bill Couser and their son, Tim, near Nevada. We’ll tour Couser Cattle Company, and meet in the Cousers’ renovated barn for a discussion about water quality featuring Nancy, who is one of five Iowa Environmental Protection Commissioners.
The Cousers use two monoslope feed barns, along with a system of berms, settlement basins, and bromegrass vegetative treatment areas to manage feedlot run-off. They have received national recognition for their efforts to improve sustainability.
At 2:30 p.m. our group will re-board the bus to head to Reiman Gardens in Ames. We will learn about creating pollinator habitats, and tour three areas: Butterfly Wing, indoor tropical plant Conservatory, and Rose Garden
4:30 p.m. Our group boards the bus to return to the Courtyard Marriott Ankeny.
5:30-7:30 p.m. Networking reception held at the Courtyard Marriott Ankeny.