Farmer leadership shines in NW Iowa

By Rebekah Jones

In Northwest Iowa, a small but mighty movement is reshaping the way communities approach conservation. The Northwest Iowa Ag Stewardship Alliance, a grassroots coalition of local producers, is working to expand cover crops and no-till by putting farmers in the driver’s seat of sustainable agriculture.

What sets this alliance apart is its uniquely farmer-led model. While The Nature Conservancy (TNC) helped kickstart the group, seven local farmers from Clay, Dickinson, and Emmet Counties are the ones running show.

They have meetings, host field days, and are involved in other peer-to-peer outreach to share their firsthand experiences with soil health and cost-effective conservation practices.

Derek Young, a farmer member from Wallingford, IA, knows how important it is to share firsthand experience. He became a believer in no-till, strip-tillage, and cover crops after seeing erosion on some of their farms.

“We hated seeing the soil movement, and we knew we could do better,” he said. That realization led him to strip tilling and no-till practices and later, cover crops. “In soil tests, we noticed the soil gained structure and organic matter increased. And that really improved water infiltration.”

Young said some fields still need tillage, so he tries to balance sustainability that works for each individual farm. This is a great example of why grassroots, farmer-led conservation is successful.

Young held the Stewardship Alliance’s first field day this summer. His family farm, a century farm poised to become a heritage site, overlooks a lake, a daily reminder of the connection between farming and water quality.

This connection is central to the Alliance’s mission. Malu Menon, a conservation agronomist with TNC, says they are focused on Spirit Lake and Five Island Lake.

“These lakes are a defining feature of the area,” Menon said. She helps the group find resources, but says the farmers are the real experts. “We wanted to create a space for farmers interested in conservation to learn from each other.”

The Alliance plans to expand into Palo Alto. With support from partners like the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, The Wright Foundation, and Mosaic, the group hopes to develop localized cost-share programs tailored to area-specific conservation needs.

Another member, Dickinson County farmer, Emily Boettcher has farmed alongside her father since 2009.

“We farm on very hilly, highly erodible ground. Cover crops have been amazing for erosion control and weed suppression,” she said.

On her farm, she’s able to use some acres of cover crops for grazing or baling to benefit her livestock, showcasing the individuality of every farmer’s solution.

Like others in the group, her interest in helping other farmers comes from a family legacy.

“My love for conservation is something that my dad has engrained in me,” she said. “With this group, we are trying to accomplish things that would benefit a lot of people. I feel strongly about water quality and helping it get better.”

If you’d like to join the group or learn more, reach out via email at niasafarmers@gmail.com.

Published on June 16, 2025