Conservation Compass

News

  • Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship

    April 8 deadline announced for certain conservation funding (MAWQP renewal)

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    [siteorigin_widget class=”SiteOrigin_Widget_Image_Widget”][/siteorigin_widget] [siteorigin_widget class=”SiteOrigin_Widget_Image_Widget”][/siteorigin_widget] By IAWA Staff (Published on March 9, 2022) If you’re a farmer doing important work to improve water quality, you may qualify for funding through USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The deadline for several conservation funding opportunities for fiscal year 2022 assistance is April 8, 2022. Fiscal year 2022 runs…

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  • Strong women and clean water: how two Iowa women are changing the ag landscape

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    By Kaitlin Little, IAWA (Published March 8, 2022) From the tractor to the board room, Iowa women are helping to solve the state’s water quality challenges while pioneering new strategies and new careers. On International Women’s Day, Iowa Ag Water Alliance is celebrating their success. When Rosie Roberts studied agriculture at Iowa State University, her…

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  • Farmer conservation of critical habitat helping to restore endangered fish species

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    Key Takeaways The Topeka shiner is making a comeback thanks to restoration of their natural habitat (oxbows) alongside farmland in Iowa. Landowners can restore oxbows for free through projects co-led by IAWA. Oxbow restoration has other benefits including increased water quality, recreational areas, and flood mitigation. By Rebekah Jones, IAWA (Published March 8, 2022) Conservation…

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  • Polk County achieves quicker farmland nitrate reduction, spreads success to other counties

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    [siteorigin_widget class=”SiteOrigin_Widget_Image_Widget”][/siteorigin_widget] More Iowa counties aim to replicate the 50-fold increase in Polk County saturated buffers and bioreactors to improve water quality. By Kurt Lawton Remove the burdens for farm landowners to install voluntary water quality projects, and they sign up quickly. In fact, word-of-mouth project success has almost created a waiting list as 2023…

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  • Don’t miss the deadline to enroll in the CRP program for 2022

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    [siteorigin_widget class=”SiteOrigin_Widget_Image_Widget”][/siteorigin_widget] Farmers have until Friday, March 11, 2022 to enroll for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) for 2022 under the General CRP signup. Grassland CRP signup runs from April 4 to May 13.  Enrolling land in CRP is one way farmers and landowners can contribute to improving water quality. The amount of nitrogen and…

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  • rye cover crop sprouts in field

    USDA to pay farmers for cover crops second year in a row

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    [siteorigin_widget class=”SiteOrigin_Widget_Image_Widget”][/siteorigin_widget] Farmers who plant cover crops can get a $5 per acre savings on their crop insurance premiums for the second year in a row as part of the Pandemic Cover Crop Program. Farmers must report their cover crop acreage by March 15, 2022 to get payments. The USDA Pandemic Cover Crop Program was created in 2021 to make sure…

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  • Landowners Collaborate to Improve Water Quality and Soil Health

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    Central Iowa field day revealed owner-tenant partnership success on nitrate reduction, cover crops and prairie strips benefits, and drone seeding.   By Kurt Lawton Lee Tesdell isn’t shy about his passion for conservation innovation as the sustainability caretaker and non-farming landowner of Tesdell Century Farm near Slater, Iowa. Attendees at one of his dozen or…

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  • Polk County Accelerates Water Quality Efforts on Central Iowa Farms

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    More landowners sign up for nitrate filtration practices in farm fields thanks to a visionary new public-private partnership approach that is turnkey and systems-based By Kurt Lawton Creating a scalable system that can move the needle faster to reduce nitrate in Polk County watersheds began by rethinking the entire process of marketing and delivery of…

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  • Multiple Stakeholders Share Approaches for Source Water Protection

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    The Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance (IAWA) Advisory Council recently met and tackled the important topic of source water protection. Source water refers to sources of water (such as rivers, streams, lakes, reservoirs, springs, and groundwater) that provide water to public drinking water supplies and private wells. Cities and agencies are increasingly incorporating source water protection…

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  • A Passion to Showcase Soil Health Builds Consultant Success

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    By Kurt Lawton Taking a more holistic view of farming — from the health of microbes in the soil to the health of crop profits — has farmers paying attention to a young soil health consultant in eastern Iowa. Mitchell Hora’s data-driven approach to soil biology, combined with his passion for on-farm research and education…

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