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Conservation Cooperation Protects
Important Iowa Resource A few years ago conservationists from Dickinson County sent money to help their peers in Jackson County, Minnesota. They are now returning the favor by "sending back" cleaner water to the Iowa Great Lakes Watershed. One of the first Minnesota farmers to install conservation practices to improve water quality in the Iowa Great Lakes was Orville Sangl Sr. Conservation Cooperation Protects Important Iowa Resources (PDF, 945 KB) |
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Farmer Helps Protect Top Iowa Tourist
Attraction This year one million people will likely enjoy cleaner water at the Iowa Great Lakes thanks, in part, to Mark Ingwersen. He is a Spirit Lake farmer and chairman of the Dickinson County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD). Ingwersen worked the past 20 years to improve water quality in the area which is a top Iowa tourist attraction. Farmer Helps Protect Top Iowa Tourist Attraction (PDF, 922 KB) |
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Rotational Grazing Helps Organic Rancher
Accomplish Goals A passion for natural, wide-open spaces is driving southern Iowa organic grass farmers Mike and Dan DeCook to “re-wild” their land in the most holistic way possible. For their cattle business, this means adopting an organic grazing system that includes just grass, trees, mineral and water—no chemicals of any kind. Rotational Grazing Helps Organic Rancher Accomplish Goals (PDF, 1.5 MB) |
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Sediment Basin to Benefit Elk River,
Livestock Production Thanks to a newly constructed sediment basin built to reduce manure and sediment runoff and increase farm productivity, longtime livestock producer Loren Peters of Clinton County says he now feels good about the environmental condition of the operation he is leaving to his family. Sediment Basin to Benefit Elk River, Livestock Production (PDF, 1.2 MB) |
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Winnebago County Century Farm Now Youth
Conservation Area If her father Herbert Holland were still alive, Martha Olson is certain he would approve of the name change on their family's Winnebago County farm. Instead of "Holland Century Farm", it is now known as "Holland Prairie Conservation and Youth Hunting Area." The new name signals the start of another conservation chapter on this farmland. Winnebago County Farm Now Youth Conservation Area (PDF, 838 KB) |
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Living Snow Fence Grows Up Iowa spring storms can be fickle. But even if a late spring snowstorm hits northern Iowa this year, John Laflen will be happy. It isn't that he likes bad weather, it's just that blowing snow gives him the opportunity to test his maturing living snow fence. Protecting nearly a quarter mile of Highway 9 and a half-mile of 50th Avenue in Washington County, the trees, shrubs and native grasses planted in 2005 tame snow drifts and keep the roads open during winter storms. Living Snow Fence Grows Up (PDF, 870 KB) |
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Dickinson
County Wins National Conservation Competition Out of 3,000 counties in the country, the Dickinson County Soil and Water Conservation District in northwest Iowa was recently recognized as the best district in the nation in the Urban, Community and Coastal Resources category by the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD). Dickinson County Wins National Conservation Competition (PDF, 959 KB) |
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Terraces Popular in Protecting
Muchakinock Creek Mahaska County farmers are responding to a push to clean up Muchakinock Creek, which was added to Iowa’s impaired waters list in 2002 after falling below state standards for maintaining aquatic life. Cleaning up Muchakinock Creek with soil saving and water quality improving best management practices is part of the Mahaska County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) Muchakinock Creek Watershed Project. Terraces Popular in Protecting Muchakinock Creek (PDF, 1.3 MB) |
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No-Till Farmer Benefits Water Quality at
Little Brown Church There is a tradition at the Little Brown Church in the Vail near Nashua that newly married couples, at the close of the service, walk down the aisle and pull the rope to ring the church bell. Carried out by many of the 72,000 couples married at the church, the practice is designed to remind couples that they need to “pull together,” because life always has its ups and downs. Robert Wolff of Nashua can hear the bell ringing from his nearby farm. His land is on a hill that overlooks the historic 150-year-old church immortalized by the hymn “The Church in the Wildwood.” No-Till Farmer Benefits Water Quality at Little Brown Church (PDF, 970 KB) |
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Small Waterway Offers Big Challenges Farmers, like Bob and Judy Kremer of Jackson County in eastern Iowa, are supporting the Farmers Creek Watershed Project by installing conservation practices to prevent soil erosion and improve water quality. Small Waterway Offers Big Challenges (PDF, 1.3 MB) |
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New Farm Prompts Expert Conservationist
to Seek Help from the Experts Larry Cuddeback is a long-time farmer and an award-winning conservationist who just bought a second farm. Trained in forestry and a former park ranger for the Army Corps of Engineers, The Washington County farmer knows a lot about conservation practices and land management. And he knows where to get help with solving natural resource concerns. New Farm Prompts Expert Conservationist to Seek Help from the Experts (PDF, 1.1 MB) |
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Loess Hills Residential Development
Retains Rain A one-of-a-kind residential housing subdivision called Woodfield is developing in southwest Iowa, near Glenwood, along the Loess Hills Scenic Byway, which minimizes soil disturbing activities during construction and permanently manages storm water to protect water quality with low impact development (LID) practices that infiltrate water on-site. Loess Hills Residential Development Retains Rain (PDF, 1.4 MB) |
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Impaired Waterway List Provokes Farmer
to Act Polk County farmer Don Soutter installed several conservation practices through several state and federal cost-share and financial assistance programs to keep Camp Creek, an impaired waterway that runs through his farm, as clean as possible. Impaired Waterway List Provokes Farmer to Act (PDF, 744 KB) |
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Farming Trees for the Future Tree farmers Lee and Lynne Aldrich, in their mid-60s, plan to leave their grandchildren a legacy built on love of family, helping the environment and what they’ve learned from a lifetime of farming. That legacy has a cornerstone built on a Christmas tree farm and six acres of walnut trees that will grow to be worth $1.4 million, in today’s dollars, in 50 to 60 years. Farming Trees for the Future (PDF, 755 KB) |
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Racer Named Conservation Winner Randall “Randy” Burt, 52, of Rowan, is known locally for racing school buses and semi- tractor trucks at northern Iowa race tracks. But this part-time racer and full-time farmer is also recognized as a conservation leader in Wright County. Along with his uncle, John Burt, he was recently honored for their conservation stewardship by the Conservation Districts of Iowa; the best in thirteen Iowa counties. Racer Named Conservation Winner (PDF, 925 KB) |
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Will Buffer Benefits Disappear? Dave York is worried. He's afraid high land and corn prices and the expiration of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts will prompt farmers to take out many of the 1,300 miles of grass and tree buffers he's helped install along the streams and rivers in Carroll County. Those grass and riparian buffers provide pheasant habitat, keep soil in place and filter out pollutants from rainwater runoff entering Carroll County waterways. Will Buffer Benefits Disappear? (PDF, 780 KB) |
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Johnson Installs Hoop Structure with
EQIP Assistance After getting the scoop on hoop buildings at a southwest Iowa research farm, livestock producer Jacob Johnson installed one at his own operation, with assistance through the USDA’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). The 50-foot by 240-foot hoop structure houses 300 head of feeder cattle and helps reduce manure and sediment runoff at his Corwith farm. Johnson Installs Hoop Structure with EQIP Assistance (PDF, 1.5 MB) |
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Bremer County Project Saves Money,
Improves Environment It sounds very strange, but it is true. Taxpayers will save around $500,000 on a road reconstruction project in Bremer County and, at no additional cost, get a wetland that will reduce flooding on the Wapsipinicon River, clean the water and protect threatened and endangered species. Bremer County Project Saves Money, Improves Environment (PDF, 1.2 MB) |
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Hancock
County Farmer: Additional N Doesn't Pay Common sense conservation is paying dividends for farmer Dean Stromer of Klemme, Iowa. Results of required soils tests through his Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) contract and a little experimentation have Stromer convinced that additional nitrogen doesn’t necessarily pay off. He’s saved money on fertilizer this year by applying less nitrogen than in past years. Hancock County Farmer: Additional N Doesn't Pay (PDF, 1.1 MB) |
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Grant
Helps Stream Rehab on UNI Campus Sport fishing could soon be added as a campus activity thanks to a University of Northern Iowa project to improve water quality on its 900-acre Cedar Falls campus. This work entails a series of storm water management projects–including rehabilitation of a unique on-campus stream–Dry Run Creek, which flows through the northern part of campus. Grant Helps Stream Rehab on UNI Campus (PDF, 1.2 MB) |
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Controlling Erosion Expands Grass
Production for Cattle Roger Edwards loves raising cattle, but he didn’t like what was happening on his land. The year was 2004. Gullies were eating up the highly erodible land he was using for pasture. Edwards wanted the erosion stopped. He also wanted more water for his 130 head cow/calf herd and he wanted to make his operation more efficient. Controlling Erosion Expands Grass Production for Cattle (PDF, 1 MB) Download High Resolution Pictures from this Story: |
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Conservation Partners Help Boeck Fix
'Ugly Mess' Nearly two decades after purchasing what he calls “an ugly mess,” Bob Boeck of rural Black Hawk County is finally getting his money’s worth. With assistance from three conservation partners-the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Pheasants Forever-Boeck has 80 acres of priceless wildlife habitat. Conservation Partners Help Boeck Fix 'Ugly Mess' (PDF, 1 MB) |
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Patience, Persistence Pay Off for
Shephard John Shephard admits he didn’t know weeds from forbs in 1984, the year he purchased his very own piece of land, fulfilling a lifelong dream. Now, 23 years later, with guidance, a vision and a plan, this Black Hawk County landowner has his own 60-acre wildlife haven. Patience, Persistence Pay Off for Shephard (PDF, 1 MB) |
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Old Wild Rice Now a New Crop For the first time in his 49-year farming career Ivan Keller is growing wild rice on his land in Louisa County. Primarily a corn and soybean farmer, Keller is now growing wild rice through a cooperative research program, because he feels it will benefit wildlife and he is just curious about the plant. Old Wild Rice Now a New Crop (PDF, 1 MB) Download High Resolution Pictures from this Story: |
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EQIP Switchgrass Incentive Entices
Southeast Iowa Producers The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service offered landowners in southeast Iowa incentive payments and cost-share in the 2007 Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) signup to seed down switchgrass for use as a biomass energy crop and for other alternative energy uses. A total of 43 contracts totaling $690,513 that cover 1,920 acres were signed through this EQIP incentive. EQIP Switchgrass Incentive Entices Southeast Iowa Producers (PDF, 1 MB) |
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Washington County Wet & Wild Because of
Haeffner Leroy Haeffner retired June 29, 2007, after serving the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) for 27 years, the last 16 as a soil conservationist in Washington County. If you don’t think one person can dramatically alter a landscape, drive around this area of southeast Iowa. Instead of field after field of row crops, you will see an inordinate amount of wildlife habitat, including wetlands, buffers, native prairie plants and grasses, and trees. Much of that can be attributed to Haeffner, who promoted the restoration of wetlands and native prairie throughout his NRCS career; all to improve the soil and attract wildlife to the region. Washington County Wet & Wild Because of Haeffner (PDF, 1.3 MB) |
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Retired Teacher Converts to Full-Time
Cattleman In the spring of 2006, after teaching mathematics for more than 30 years in Lamoni, Ankeny, Underwood and Harlan, Tom Pattee decided to put down the chalk for good and become a full-time cattleman. Retired Teacher Converts to Full-Time Cattleman (PDF, 1.36 MB) |
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'Good Fences Make Good Neighbors' When Robert Frost wrote "Good fences make good neighbors" in his1914 poem "Mending Wall", he was referring to neighbors respecting each other's property. The line from that nearly century-old poem certainly rings true for Polk County cattlemen Mike Sweeney and John Olmstead. But these Mitchellville neighbors are not only respecting each other's property, they are sharing each other's property. 'Good Fences Make Good Neighbors' (PDF, 1.1 MB) |
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Iowa School for the Deaf Ready for Rain Iowa School for the Deaf in Council Bluffs is taking a proactive approach to managing storm water on their campus, and teachers are educating their students about the water quality benefits of the infiltration-based management practices the school is adopting. Iowa School for the Deaf Ready for Rain (PDF, 323 KB) |
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CRP Helps
Landowners Plant Trees in Iowa Five success stories about Iowans who are planting trees through the general Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) signup. The program cost-shares tree planting and grass establishment on highly erodible land and pays landowners an annual rental payment for up to 15 years. |
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Producers Find No-Till Corn-on-Corn
Success With corn prices doubling over the past two years, many producers are expected to expand their corn acreage and plant corn-on-corn this spring. Iowa NRCS is encouraging producers to resist the urge to till. Thad Bridges and Darrell Stamp are two Iowa crop producers who are resisting that urge. Producers Find No-Till Corn-on-Corn Success (PDF, 196 KB) |
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Special Project Clears Invasive Eastern
Red Cedars Western Iowa features one of Iowa’s most unique landscapes–the rolling Loess Hills prairie. The rare native species found in these hilltop prairies, however, are endangered by the encroachment of eastern red cedar trees that spread rapidly, cover and shade out native plants and grasses. The loss of these native plants and expansive growths of the cedars has left the loose, crumbly loess soil susceptible to erosion. Special Project Clears Invasive Eastern Red Cedars (PDF, 339 KB) |
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Blockton Watershed Project Still Holding
Strong Twenty-seven grade stabilization structures, also referred to as dams or farm ponds, were constructed as long as 40 years ago as part of a watershed project to protect the southern Iowa town of Blockton, and its farming community, from flooding and soil erosion. Blockton Watershed Project Still Holding Strong (PDF, 351 KB) |
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 Sioux
County Feedlot Owner 'Pumping It Up'Instead of tearing out pens and downsizing his 4,500-head cattle operation to make room for a new waste storage lagoon, Kevin Van Wyhe installed a pump system to move water from two sediment basins to a large lagoon at the top of the hill above the feedlot. Sioux County Feedlot Owner 'Pumping It Up' (PDF, 190 KB) |
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DeGroot
Adds Settling Area to Keep Sand Out of Lagoon Sand mixing into his waste storage lagoon prompted Sioux County dairy farmer Daryl DeGroot to look for a way to settle out the sand, which comes from bedding he uses for his dairy cows. DeGroot Adds Settling Area to Keep Sand Out of Lagoon (PDF, 302 KB) |
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High
Priority Letter Spurs Changes in Feedlot After receiving a letter from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in 2001 indicating his 4,500-head open cattle feedlot was a high environmental priority, Plymouth County farmer Rick Hansen knew he needed to make changes to his feedlot. High Priority Letter Spurs Changes in Feedlot (PDF, 390 KB) |
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Hinton Hog Farmer Adds Circular Manure
Storage Manure spilling onto cropland, years of dealing with messy liquid manure and striving to be a good neighbor prompted Hinton, Iowa, farmer Allen Binneboese to find a better way to store manure for his 360-head hog finishing operation. Hinton Hog Farmer Adds Circular Manure Storage (PDF, 229 KB) |
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Warm Water Stream Gets Cold Water Stream
Treatment Randy Fiddelke of Manchester, Iowa utilized the USDA's Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) to stop erosion and re-stabilize streambanks along Coffins Creek. He also got help from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. The DNR placed fish hides along his warm water stream to attract smallmouth bass and other fish species. Warm Water Stream Gets Cold Water Stream Treatment (PDF, 220 KB) |
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Kirkman Farmer Relocates Feedlot to
Prevent Runoff Perpetual runoff problems from Brandt Ferry’s 150-head cattle feedlot left him with two choices: permanently fix runoff issues or move the feedlot to a different location. After careful consideration, he decided the best way to manage his operation was to move the feedlot from one section of his farm to another. Kirkman Farmer Relocates Feedlot to Prevent Runoff (PDF, 163 KB) |
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Moreau, Beardsley Restore 112 Acres in
Dickinson County After a realtor’s tip, two outdoor-minded friends purchased Dickinson County farmland with the intent of bringing most of it back to wetlands. Moreau, Beardsley Restore 112 Acres in Dickinson County (PDF, 182 KB) |
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Professor Preserves Trout Stream In 2002 Michael Osterholm purchased 98 acres of cropland in scenic Allamakee County. Land that was once tall grass prairie and meandering coldwater trout streams was converted to cropland in the 1950s. But the Waukon native’s passion for coldwater trout streams and tall grass prairie coupled with assistance from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) led to Osterholm restoring the cropland to its pre-settlement condition. Professor Preserves Trout Stream (PDF, 232 KB) |
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No-Till Helps Andrew Score Big in 2005
CSP Jim Andrew began no-till farming 100 percent of his land in 1993. His decision to go complete no-till is paying off. Andrew’s 1,300-acre farm of corn and soybeans ranks as a Tier III Category A, the highest possible Tier and Category for the 2005 Conservation Security Program. No-Till Helps Andrew Score Big (PDF, 132 KB) |
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Caviness Succeeds with No-Till Randy Caviness of Greenfield, Iowa tried no-till farming after the 1985 Farm Bill. Shortly after, he saw the benefits. Today, Caviness runs both an economically successful and environmentally friendly operation. Caviness Succeeds with No-Till (PDF, 244 KB) |
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Des Moines' Greenwood Elementary
Installs Rain Garden For years, storm water runoff from Des Moines’ Greenwood Elementary parking lot washed away students’ playtime fun. Neighbor and avid gardener Jan Berg Kruse felt something finally must be done. Greenwood Elementary Installs Rain Garden (PDF, 369 KB) |
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Snow Catch Area to Help Iowa Farmers and
Motorists Iowa Motorists could see better winter driving conditions in the future thanks to a new conservation component of the continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Snow Catch Area to Help Iowa Farmers, Motorists (PDF, 226 KB) |
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SW Iowa Farmer Turns Mud Hole Into Oasis After years of frustration, Dirk Dunn and his father, Bill, install a wetland through the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), the first CP-23 Wetland Restoration project in Montgomery County. SW Iowa Farmer Turns Mud Hole Into Oasis (PDF, 193 KB) |
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