Conservation Compass

Press release

  • Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship logo

    New IDALS Nitrogen Soil Sampling Project to Help Farmers Save Money, Benefit Water Quality

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    Residual nitrogen data coupled with N-FACT help farmers optimize fertilizer application rates, delivering monetary and environmental benefits  DES MOINES, Iowa (Apr. 13, 2026) – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig and the Iowa Nutrient Research & Education Council (INREC) today announced a new, three-year Nitrogen Soil Sampling Project that will conduct nitrogen soil testing for farmers in targeted areas upstream from the Des Moines metro. Testing for residual nitrogen in the soil can help farmers dial in their…

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  • IAWA Launches Conservation Compass

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    News Release  CONTACT: Rebekah Jones, Cell: 515- 901-3147 | rjones@iaagwater.org  MEDIA KIT: Conservation Photos & Videos | Compass materials  Additional media tools can be found in our media kit.  IAWA Launches Conservation Compass  A suite of tools, info, and people to navigate conservation funding options  ANKENY, Iowa — April 6, 2026 – The Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance is proud to announce Conservation Compass – a suite of tools and education…

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  • New IAWA Resource Helps Farmers, Public Break Down Complex Cycle

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    Nitrogen makes up 78% of Earth’s atmosphere; it is an essential building block for life, and it is also a topic of many water quality discussions in Iowa. With Iowa’s water nitrate level a concern for many, it is understandable that people have questions like what it is, how it works, and why farmers are…

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  • Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance Wins Marketing Award for Farmer-Focused Website

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    News Release  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Jan 19, 2026   CONTACT: Rebekah Jones, Cell: 515- 901-3147 | rjones@iaagwater.org  DES MOINES, Iowa – The Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance (IAWA) has been recognized with first place in Region Three for “Website Directed at Farmers and Ranchers” in the Best of NAMA competition. The award honors IAWA’s website, iaagwater.org, which launched in fall 2025. “This…

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  • FREE TICKETS: Iowa Hockey Games for Farmers

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    Two Farmer Appreciation Nights Coming to Iowa Hockey Games in 2026 Iowa’s farmers play a vital role in feeding our communities and protecting our natural resources, and in 2026, we’re excited to honor them with two special Farmer Appreciation Nights at hockey arenas across the state. IAWA is proud to partner with two USHL teams,…

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  • Drainage water recycling improves crop yields and water quality

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    Emerging Farm Resiliency Practice Provides Significant Farm-Level and Public Benefits, New Report from EDF New economic analysis of drainage water recycling shows the practice can increase crop yields and improve water quality, highlighting the opportunity for public and private co-investment strategies October 21, 2025 – In the face of increasingly volatile and extreme weather across…

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  • What the government shutdown means for USDA

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    Federally Funded Conservation Halted by Shutdown A national government shutdown in October 2025 brings nearly all federal agricultural conservation assistance to a hault, furloughing the vast majority of staff at the USDA’s key conservation agency and stopping payments to farmers. Why it matters: Farmers and ranchers rely on the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) for…

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  • IAWA Launches New Water Quality Website

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    IAWA Launches New Water Quality Website Iowa Ag Water Alliance’s new website includes goals-based conservation resources ANKENY, IA (IAWA) – Farmers, agri-businesses, and water quality professionals can access powerful resources on The Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance’s (IAWA) newly launched website at iaagwater.org. With pages organized by the user’s end goal, such as reducing erosion or…

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  • Melissa Frederick headshot

    Iowa Cover Crop wins Team Award

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    Iowa Cover Crop wins team award for statewide network of cover crop advocates By Rebekah Jones JEFFERSON, IA (IAWA) —  Iowa Cover Crop (ICC), a Jefferson-based conservation business co-owned by Bill and Melissa Frederick and James and Megan Holz, has been named the 2025 recipient of the Iowa Watershed Team Impact Award. They will be recognized…

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  • Marty Lenss headshot in airport

    FlyCID Director Wins Iowa Watershed Impact Award 

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    FlyCID Director Wins Iowa Watershed Impact Award  By Tom Collins CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IAWA) – Marty Lenss, Airport Director for the Eastern Iowa Airport, has won the Individual Impact Award for water quality in Iowa. His efforts include founding a nonprofit for water quality, employing conservation practices on the farmland surrounding the airport, and working…

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