Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship recently announced funding of two new water quality and soil conservation partnership projects that will increase the utilization and installation of proven conservation practices in key watersheds.

The first project, a partnership with Practical Farmers of Iowa, is designed to advance several land use and edge-of-field water quality practices. The 3-year project, funded at $480,000, will focus on direct one-on-one technical assistance and outreach to landowners to deploy strategically placed prairie plantings (prairie strips/precision conservation areas) and multipurpose oxbows to advance water quality and wildlife habitat efforts.

The second project, a partnership with the Soil and Water Conservation Society, is a 3-year project aiming to build capacity and edge-of-field infrastructure practices in four new locations within key watersheds. Leveraging existing local and national networks to streamline the installation process, this partnership, funded at $426,000, will deliver targeted outreach, technical assistance, resources, and training to build capacity. Learn More Here

IDALS also recently announced ongoing funding support for the next phase of a collaborative water quality and soil conservation project that seeks to increase the utilization of cover crops on seed corn production acres. The next 3-year phase of this project, funded at $226,750, will also incorporate edge-of-field (EOF) practice outreach and installations within the statewide network of seed corn producers. More than 30,000 acres are enrolled in the program in 2022 and an estimated one-third of acres utilized for seed corn production in Iowa are now utilizing cover crops. Learn More Here