John Deere, Iowa State University partner on new demonstration farm for sustainable farming

MOLINE, Ill. (KWQC) - John Deere and Iowa State University have partnered to establish a new demonstration farm with four different fields and processes to help test sustainable farming solutions.

The demonstration farm is 80 acres that will allow Deere and ISU to test sustainable solutions for large grain production systems in real-world scenarios with trial and error, according to John Deere in a media release.

“Farmers are working in constantly changing environments where every decision will impact their end result, which means they can’t afford to adopt experimental practices that aren’t proven to deliver the yield they anticipate,” said Jill Sanchez, Director of Sustainability at John Deere. “This demonstration farm, in partnership with ISU, allows us to experience the same uncertainties and challenges as our customers, so that we can test and identify which methods are successful, and deliver proven, innovative, and sustainable solutions to farmers.”

According to the release, the production style will be on a five-year schedule, with four different crop production systems in the works. They will collect data on the measure of crop productivity, the economic cost of production, soil health, water quality, carbon intensity, and biodiversity.

“ISU has a longstanding relationship with John Deere, which has allowed us to translate agronomic sciences to practice through field demonstrations to unlock opportunities for farmers,” added Matt Darr, Professor of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering at ISU. “This new research allows us to test new sustainability solutions, so that farmers can adopt practices they have confidence in.”

John Deere said the demonstration farm will also give opportunities for educating employees and students, dealer and customer outreach, and equipment demonstrations.

The demonstration farm builds on Deere’s Leap Ambitions, according to John Deere. Which are focused goals designed to boost both economic value and sustainability for customers, ensuring that every hour, every drop, every seed, every pound and every pass counts to optimize their operations.