2022 August Stewardship Advocate

This year at the Iowa State Fair 40 farm families were recognized with the Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Award. Congratulations to these families for their leadership and dedication to conservation.  Click here for more information about the awards including nomination forms for next year’s awards. 

In recent news, the Iowa Nutrient Research & Education Council (INREC) announced at the Iowa State Fair a $250,000 grant from Google that will work to improve water quality and support Iowa’s Nutrient Reduction Strategy here in our state. Iowa Corn Promotion Board Director, Roger Zylstra serves on the INREC board and was present at the announcement event.

The Iowa NRCS has posted draft Conservation Practice Standards on their website.  Comments are due to Christian Osborn September 15, 2022.  

Finally, don’t forget next week Iowa Corn will be hosting two days of soil health seminars, August 30 and 31 from 10 am to 2 pm at the Farm Progress Show.

LATEST INFORMATION: 

USDA Investing $197 Million in Partner-Driven, Locally led Conservation 

Soil Health Institute Announces Recommended Measurements for Evaluating Soil Health 

USDA Announces New Opportunities to Improve Nutrient Management 

EPA Seeks Input on Proposed Amendments to the New Source Performance Standards for Greenhouse Gas Emissions from New, Modified, and Reconstructed Stationary Sources: Electric Generating Units

UPCOMING EVENTS: 

August 25 – Iowa Learning Farms – Soil Health and Cover Crop Field Day – Marshall County  

August  27 – Practical Farmers of Iowa – Bringing Back the Edges With Precision Conservation – Cherokee  

August 29 – Iowa Soybean Association- 4R Stewardship Field Day – Cedar Rapids 

August 29 – Tama County Women, Land & Legacy Presents Pollinators: Farmstead to Field – Toledo 

August 30 & 31 – Pay Dirt Soil Health Seminars at Farm Progress Show – Des Moines 

August 30 – September 2 – Soil and Water Conservation Society – 11th International Drainage Symposium – Des Moines  

September 7– Iowa Learning Farms – Perennial Vegetation and Carbon Economy Field Day – Sioux Center  

September 8 – Wetland Field Day – Mark Mueller’s Farm – Waverly 

September 8 – ISU Northern Research Farm Field Day – Kanawha 

September 9 – Practical Farmers of Iowa – Drones, Extended Rotations and Cover Crop Grazing – Bloomfield 

September 14 – Practical Farmers of Iowa – On-Farm Cover Crop Research Trials – Prairie City    

September 28 – National Agricultural Law Center: A Farmer’s Guide to Carbon Contracts – Webinar –  

Various Dates in September – Commercial Manure Applicator Certification Reshows

FARMER TO FARMER VIDEO

Did you know cover crops can increase organic matter in your soil? IT’S TRUE!! The numbers don’t lie and our panelists from the Iowa Corn Ag Expo are here to share it all. Let’s talk about how cover crops can improve your soil health!