Cover Crops
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The Great Conservation Cost Share Rush
Posted onA look into the forces driving accelerated adoption of conservation in Iowa By Dan Looker Joel Rasmussen and his father, Kevin, are strong conservationists, using strip tillage for years to reduce erosion on their farm near Humboldt, Iowa. But when Joel’s father tried seeding a cover crop of oats after combining corn a few years…
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MATT FRANA WINS IOWA WATERSHED COORDINATOR OF THE YEAR
Posted onCounty coordinator recognized for source water protection work in the Central Turkey River Watershed DECORAH, IA (IAWA) – Matt Frana has been named a recipient of the prestigious Iowa Watershed Coordinator of the Year Award for his work as the Central Turkey River Watershed Project Coordinator with the Winneshiek Soil and Water Conservation District. He…
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DUBUQUE COUNTY WATERSHEDS WINS IOWA WATERSHED TEAM IMPACT AWARD
Posted onCounty-led drone cover crop program cut costs, scales cover crop acres like never before in Iowa DUBUQUE COUNTY, IA (IAWA) — Dubuque County Watersheds has been named the 2026 recipient of the Iowa Watershed Team Impact Award for its work protecting water quality across the driftless region’s karst landscape. The team was recognized at the…
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Iowa’s agriculture secretary announces major cattle conservation expansion
Posted onDES MOINES, Iowa (IAWA) – At a time when the market is demanding more beef production and central Iowans want cleaner water, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced a conservation program expansion that could meet both needs. On Tuesday, speaking at the Iowa State Fair, Naig said the popular Cattle and Conservation Working Lands…
Posted in Central Iowa, Cover Crops, Dan Looker, Industry News, livestock practices, NW Iowa, Uncategorized -
IAWA featured in water quality podcast
Posted onIowa Soybean Association Interviews Communications Director Rebekah Jones as part of a water lineup of speakers. DES MOINES, Iowa (ISA) – August is National Water Quality Month, and the Iowa Soybean Associatoin is celebrating by exploring an often-overlooked part of Iowa’s water story: urban and rural collaboration. This episode follows Iowa’s water upstream — from…
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Cover crops get big boost in 22 Iowa counties
Posted onDES MOINES, Iowa – Farmers in 22 counties upstream of the Des Moines area will have access to more cover crop cost share from a newly announced initiative called the “Greater Des Moines Watershed Program.” The initiative has goals to accelerate and scale up the use of conservation practices to improve water quality, and falls under…
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Nutrient Reduction Strategy Dashboards Receive New Updates, Show Positive Trends
Posted onRecently, the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy Interactive Dashboards received an update with 2024 data. With nearly every data set showing an improvement, here are some highlights from two of the updated dashboards, “Land Use and In-Field Practices” and “Edge-of-Field Practices and Structural Erosion Control.” If you’re interested in exploring the data for yourself, visit the…
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Cover crop interest strong, despite tough farm economy
Posted onBy Dan Looker, IAWA writer DES MOINES, Iowa – March 25, 2026 – In a struggling farm economy, will Iowa’s progress with cover crops be dragged down by burdensome operational costs and prices? It’s too early to tell, but our insights say, “no.” Multiple vendors of cover crop seed and cost share say demand continues…
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Farmers have rising concerns about soil compaction
Posted onDES MOINES, Iowa – March 24, 2026 – Conservation adoption is often motivated by financial factors like improved yields with soil health or reduced inputs using cover crops. Another related factor is emerging as a top concern: compaction. This knowledge could help conservation professionals and agronomists promote compaction reducing practices like cover crops, which also…
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Popular Iowa livestock program gets green light for 3 more years
Posted onSouthwest Iowa – March 24, 2026 – A newly announced extension of Iowa’s Cattle and Conservation Working Lands Project through 2028 signals growing momentum behind a simple idea: healthier soil leads to cleaner water—and grazing can help deliver both. Secretary Mike Naig announced the extension this month (March 2, 2026). The project is active in…