Budget cuts that could have spelled the end of some Iowa State University (ISU) Ext­en­sion research stations instead sparked innovation that has served as a blueprint for a growing program across the state.

Reluctant to see local public research abandoned, northwest Iowa farmers and Extension staff proposed to conduct larger-scale research on private farms in 2006. That idea was the beginning of ISU’s Farmer Assisted Research and Management (FARM) program, which has since expanded to seven locations across the state.

"We’re trying to figure out a way to change and meet the needs of a rapidly changing agriculture," said Mark Honeyman, coordinator of the ISU Research and Demonstration Farms. "We’re excited to work closely with a group of farmers developing data that others can use. It’s...