Glenn and Coleen Van Dyke live by a simple philosophy on their farm located in southern Poweshiek County: they want to care for the land, improve it and leave it in better condition for future generations.

"It’s really all about saving the soil, because it’s the most precious resource we have," Coleen Van Dyke said last week. "Soil conservation has become even more important with the big rains that we have had the past few years."

Since they purchased their farm in 1969, the Poweshiek...