Washington County Extension

06/12/2026

This week at the Washington County Extension.
Jr. Camp, Babysitting Basics, Broiler Chicks, and memories to last a lifetime.

06/11/2026

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06/10/2026

April 27, 2026 | Marta Grant Image Iowa Swine Day Logo AMES, Iowa - The 15th annual Iowa Swine Day is set for Thursday, June 25, at the Gateway Hotel and Conference Center in Ames. Hosted by the Iowa Pork Industry Center at Iowa State University, Iowa Swine Day is a one-day conference focused on top...

06/08/2026

Here is the June Crop Connection Newsletter.

The table below is from the ISU Environmental Mesonet website, and it summarizes precipitation and growing degree days (GDDs) for several weather stations across East-Central Iowa from April 10 - June 4, 2026.

06/08/2026

Washington County Extension has been busy over the last two weeks.
Ag Tour, Natural Resource Conference, Camp prep, MG Donation Garden, and Community Health Forum. So much work and so much fun.

06/04/2026

🚜🌽 Youth Ag Field Trip a Success! 🐖🐄🍇

Yesterday, Washington County and Keokuk County Ag in the Classroom teamed up to host a Youth Ag Field Trip for 4th–6th grade students, giving them a firsthand look at the many careers, businesses, and production systems that make up agriculture in southeast Iowa.

Students visited several local farms and agribusinesses, including:

🐖 Brenneman Pork – Students toured a commercial swine operation, viewing gestating sows, visiting the farrowing room to see mama pigs and piglets, and learning how feed is mixed and delivered to thousands of pigs. They were amazed to discover how much corn goes into a pig's diet and the logistics involved in feeding a modern livestock operation.

🐄 Hickory Hollow Farms – Students learned about beef cattle nutrition, reproduction, and animal care. They even heard about a rare occurrence that happened on the farm this year—triplet calves! The visit also included delicious beef stick snacks.

🌱 Pro Growers Solutions – Students explored the products and services that help farmers raise successful crops, including seed sales, seed treatments, crop protection products, and the equipment used to support modern farming operations.

🔨 Keoco Auction Co. – Students got a behind-the-scenes look at how livestock move through a sale barn, learned about the auctioneering process, and discovered the many jobs involved in livestock marketing. They also received some great souvenirs, including hats.

🍇 Wooden Wheel Vineyards – Students learned how grapes are grown, cared for, and harvested. They explored the differences between grapes grown for fresh eating versus those used for juice, jelly, and wine, and learned about the processing steps that turn grapes into finished products.

🍦 To top off a day full of learning, students made a final stop at Dutch Market for a product made directly from agriculture - a delicious ice cream treat!

A huge thank you to all of our host farms and businesses for opening your doors and sharing your knowledge with the next generation. The kids on our trip had great questions for all our speakers, were respectful of the businesses and facilities we toured, and had a great day learning about the different aspects of local agriculture. Opportunities like these help students connect classroom learning to real-world agriculture and gain a deeper appreciation for the people who produce our food, fiber, and fuel.

🚜🌽🐖🐄🍇

Keokuk County Farm Bureau

06/04/2026

Thank you to Hickory Hollow Farms for being one of our FANTASTIC stops yesterday for the Keokuk & Washington Counties Youth Ag Field Trip!! 🐂 The kids could not stop talking about their amazing beef sticks and cool barns!

More pictures to come soon!

06/03/2026

AMES, Iowa – Farmers, crop scouts and agricultural professionals looking to improve their in-season crop diagnostics and scouting skills are encouraged to register for the Crop Diagnostics In-Season Training on June 23 at the Iowa State University Southeast Research and Demonstration Farm near Cra...

05/28/2026

Join our Master Gardeners for a flower arrangement workshop on June 23rd!

Please join us and open to the public! Free for 4-H'ers and youth!

05/28/2026

Huge thank you to our Master Gardeners and their hard work this morning on the donation garden! 🪴 🪏