Grundy County’s Fred Abels is honored for conservation efforts that include no-till, cover crops, wetlands and buffer strips. 

Fred Abels’ moment of clarity came after a 3-inch, mid-July rain in the early 1990s.

Roughly three years into implementing no-till practices on his 380-acre Grundy County farm, Abels had just begun his conservation journey, hoping to mitigate erosion and build soil health. He had been attending field days, listening to experts and exploring new methods to better manage his land.

An early adopter of no-till, Abels learned that leaving residue on the ground and limiting soil disturbance could provide long-term benefits. On that July morning, he saw firsthand that he was on the right path.

“I’ll never forget … We used to get ruts running through the field when we got heavy rains,” Abels explained. “At some point, I said I have to be done with this … I knew I had to change.

“I started no-tilling in 1994. Then we got that 3-inch rain, and I went out to look and there wasn’t any water running. It had all soaked in. A neighbor over here had a stream running through the field. That really showed me the difference.”

No-till led to strip-till a decade later, adopted to help with nutrient placement, seedbed preparation, erosion control and residue management. 

Over time, Abels expanded his conservation efforts to include cover crops, a saturated buffer, filter strips, Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and pollinator habitat, nutrient management, a windbreak and wetlands designed to improve water quality and wildlife habitat.

The results have been remarkable, Abels said, as his farm has come to life.

“Those first years I didn’t have my earthworm populations, but now you dig and see worms all over the place,” Abels said. “That tells you something’s working.

“And you walk out in the field after rain, and it’s not squishy like it used to be … The water soaks in instead of running off. You don’t see the gullies like you did before. That’s the big payoff for me. I’m not fighting erosion like I used to … and the tilth … the soil condition … is much better … just crumbles.”

In recognition of his efforts, Abels was named the 2025 Iowa Conservation Farmer of the Year, an award sponsored by the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) in cooperation with the Conservation Districts of Iowa. 

Abels and his wife, Vicki, received the award last month.

“Iowa’s success in advancing soil conservation and water quality is driven by dedicated farmers and leaders like Fred Abels,” said Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig. “Through his proven practices such as no-till and strip-till farming, cover crops, saturated buffers and constructed wetlands, Fred not only protects his farm but also enhances wildlife habitat and nutrient management in partnership with programs like the Cedar River Clean Water Partnership. 

“As chair of the Grundy Soil and Water Conservation District and an active mentor to many, he generously shares his experiences through field days, conferences and social media, inspiring others to do even more. To accelerate conservation and water quality in Iowa through our Nutrient Reduction Strategy, we need even more farmers like Fred who lead by example and embrace innovative stewardship.”

PICTURED ABOVE: A 5-acre wetland project is the latest conservation effort employed on the Abels farm. PHOTO / CONRAD SCHMIDT


Farm and family roots

Abels has deep roots in Grundy County, where he has farmed for about 40 years. For decades, the operation included cattle, though today it focuses mainly on corn, soybeans and 20 acres of CRP ground.

The family includes stepchild­ren and step-grandchildren in Fort Dodge and Minnesota, and Abels said he hopes there may someday be family interest in continuing the farm.

“Vicki kind of hopes maybe the granddaughter might show some interest,” said Abels. “She was interested in the cows and the calves when we had them.”

Beyond his own acres, Abels has been an advocate for conservation locally and statewide. He has given presentations, hosted field days, conducted on-farm research and mentored other farmers interested in conservation.

He admits his approach looks much different now than when he started farming.

“We used to spring plow everything … We were more maximum tillage,” he explained. “But then that changed, and slowly, I started no-tilling.”

Cover crops followed, mostly cereal rye.

“We drill everything,” Abels explained. “We like to go in right behind the combine. Thinking about some camelina this fall.

“I had some cereal rye one year that got waist high, and it was like, wow, this is a mat,” Abels said. “And I planted right into it, and the corn came up through it. It looked ugly for a while, but by the Fourth of July, you couldn’t tell the difference. The weeds were basically nonexistent in that field. That was kind of an eye-opener.”


Water quality and wildlife

Wetlands and buffer strips have also become key parts of Abels’ system. A 600-foot saturated buffer filters water before it reaches nearby Holland Creek, installed with the help of the local Natural Resources Conservation (NRCS) office.

A 5-acre wetland project — 0.7 acre under water — completed a year ago with funding from IDALS has already made an impact. Wildlife populations around it have flourished, with pheasants, ducks and deer now common, Abels said.

“They say it will take 2-3 years to gauge how it’s doing … but the wetland does catch the tile water off about 80 acres,” he said. “Does a pretty good job of filtering things out.”

That’s critical, he added, as farmers work hand-in-hand with the City of Cedar Rapids, located downstream about an hour away. Many farmers in the Black Hawk Creek and Middle Cedar watersheds have installed wetlands and other measures to protect water quality.

Abels, farming on the northernmost portion of the watershed, said it’s encouraging to see others adopt practices that improve water quality from his farm south.

Construction is also underway on a batch-and-build project in Grundy and Tama counties that will install 14 saturated buffers and four bioreactors — edge-of-field practices expected to benefit the Middle Cedar watershed.

“Main reason for putting in our wetlands is to treat the water above … Cedar Rapids,” Abels said, “so that they’re able to provide safe drinking water. Working together … farmers and the city.”


Why he does it

For Abels, conservation is about more than economics. It’s about keeping the land viable for future generations and leaving the soil in better shape for the next crop of farmers.

Still, the economics work, he said. While there are upfront costs for equipment and cover crop seed, programs through IDALS and NRCS help offset expenses, and Abels has built some of his own equipment to save money.

“My first strip-till bar … it was a six-row,” Abels said. “I mounted boxes on it and put on dry fertilizer besides anhydrous.”

Improved soil health means more stable yields, and with no-till, he saves fuel by making fewer trips across the field.

“You add it up and it pencils out,” he said.

Abels encourages others considering conservation practices to take the leap.

“Don’t be afraid to try something new,” he said. “Start small if you have to. You don’t have to change everything overnight. Try it on the back 40 or a field and see what it does. I think you’ll be surprised.

“It’s not always easy the first couple years,” he added. “Stick with it, and you’ll see the benefits.”


Regional winners

In addition to the statewide award, regional winners in the 2025 Iowa Conservation Farmer of the Year program are Daniel Hair, Region 1; Gene Pleggenkuhle, Region 4; Michael Klocke, Region 5; James Harrison, Region 6; Manatt Enterprise Ltd., Region 7; and Mark Jansen, Region 9.