ISU research project shows farmers recommend conservation practice to improve soil and water quality.

Research presented by Iowa State University indicates that farmers who have implemented prairie strips on their farms recommend the practice to improve water quality and soil conditions — while also offering a deeper emotional connection to the land.

Derek Franklin, a postdoctoral research associate at ISU, said for his dissertation he interviewed farmers and landowners in Iowa and Minnesota who had implemented prairie strips and maintained them for multiple years.

What he found is that farmers view prairie strips as a viable conservation measure. They’re impressed by how planting strips of native ...