Many things feel different this year as we close out the summer and head into fall. We missed a lot of our summer rituals, such as the Iowa State Fair. Our fall activities, like watching high school sports and picking a big pumpkin for carving, won’t be quite the same as we strive to keep everyone safe. And it’s still hard to envision our Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations.

But something that hasn’t changed during the pandemic is Iowa farmers commitment to improving water quality, building their soils and increasing their...