University News
WIU School of Ag to Host 2026 Organic Field Day
July 28, 2026
MACOMB, IL — "Making the most of legumes" is the theme of Western Illinois University's 2026 Allison Organic Research and Demonstration Farm Field Day, Friday, Aug. 7.
The field day will start at 9 a.m. in the Dakin Farm shop with presentations followed by a complimentary lunch at noon featuring local farm products. The field day will conclude with a tour of the research and demonstration plots at the Allison Farm starting at 1:15 p.m.
The keynote presentation will be shared by USDA Research Geneticist Lisa Kissing-Kucek. As a leader in the US Cover Crop Breeding Network, Lisa works to improve cover crops, including cereal rye, legumes such as hairy vetch, winter pea, crimson clover and fava bean and buckwheat. Her presentation will share practical ideas about managing legume cover crops to supply N, improve soil health and address other cropping system objectives.
The rest of the morning will include presentations related to corn with improved nutritional quality, managing soybean cyst nematodes and recent research at Allison Farm. In addition, an interactive panel discussion will take place.
After lunch, the field day will transition to the Allison Farm where WIU Agriculture Professor Joel Gruver will lead a walking tour of research and demonstration plots featuring organic corn and soybeans and alternative cropping systems including seed crops, horticultural crops, diverse cover crop mixes and a new grazing project.
On-site registration begins at 8:30 a.m. To pre-register or obtain more information about the Field Day, contact Andrea Venturi at A-Venturi2@wiu.edu or the WIU School of Agriculture at (309) 298-1080. Pre-registration is strongly recommended for planning purposes.
Directions to the Dakin Farm shop - 130 20th St., Roseville, IL 61473
If arriving from the north, travel on U.S. Rt. 67 five miles south of the U.S. Rt. 67 and IL Rt. 116 intersection in Roseville to County Rd. 20th Ave. N, then turn west at the Allison Farm highway sign and travel four miles on 20th Ave. to the southeast corner of the Allison Farm (intersection of 20th Ave. and 20th St.). Turn left and proceed south 0.7 miles on 20th St. to the Dakin Farm shop located on the west side of the road.
If arriving from the south, travel on U.S. Rt. 67 seven miles north of the U.S. Rt. 67 and IL Rt. 9 intersection in Good Hope to County Rd. 20th Ave. N (2 miles north of the McDonough/Warren County line), then turn west at the Allison Farm highway sign and travel four miles on 20th Ave. to the southeast corner of the Allison Farm (intersection of 20th Ave. and 20th St.). Turn left and proceed south 0.7 miles on 20th St. to the Dakin Farm shop located on the west side of the road.
Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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