Modern corn culture came to Iowa with the settlers that moved across the United States. Farmers, hopscotching westward to Indiana, Illinois and Iowa from the valleys of Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee, brought the agriculture of the Upland South with them- Dent corn and hogs.… Read More Why Do Iowa Farmers Grow Corn?
Soil and water conservation has long been recognized as a critical need for Iowa, the country, and the world. Two of the most important soil and water conservation ‘tools’ are terraces and grass waterways.… Read More Technology for Soil and Water Conservation Practices
The crops of Iowa yielded 100’s of trillion of calories in 2012. Those calories are feeding 100’s of millions of chickens, pigs, cattle and other livestock. They also help fuel millions of vehicles.… Read More Human-induced Soil Change in Iowa: Two Contrasting Examples
Soil is defined as media that supports plant growth and plant development. A soil consists of solids and spaces between the solids (voids). The solids include inorganic and organic materials. Inorganic materials include minerals such as quartz, feldspars, and mica. … Read More What Soils are Made of and How They Develop
We ask Marshall McDaniel, Assistant Professor in Agronomy at Iowa State University, the question: What does healthy soil look like?
… Read More Ask a Scientist – Healthy Soils
Written by Hanna Bates, Program Coordinator for the Iowa Water Center Regardless of who you are and what path you are on; we all make an impact on water. This belief was the overarching theme of the 74th Soil and Water Conservation Society International Annual Conference held July 28-31 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This city, at… Read More Bridging the Divide in Water Resource Management
Written by Hanna Bates, Program Coordinator for the Iowa Water Center Across the Midwest, farm fields are patterned with commodity crops, including corn and soybeans. Although supportive of our global economy, this agricultural system is a leaky one with shallow roots systems in the field that leaches nutrients and depletes the soil. In Iowa’s history,… Read More Establishing a Culture of Conservation with Prairie STRIPS
Post submitted by Josh Balk, Dry Run Creek Watershed Improvement Project Coordinator, and Shane Wulf, Miller Creek Water Quality Improvement Project Coordinator. In an ever-changing environmental landscape with increasing demands, tighter budgets, and a sense of uncertainty, partnerships are essential to provide resiliency for any water quality effort. Whether a watershed project, a community organization, or just an… Read More Forming Successful Partnerships: Connecting Water Quality and Communities for the Benefit of All
Written by Laurie Nowatzke, Measurement Coordinator for the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences at Iowa State University This week, the 2017 Annual Progress Report for the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy was published. The report is the fourth annual progress evaluation of the NRS, and represents the continued improvement in communicating… Read More Measuring Progress of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy: The 2017 Annual Progress Report
Student project from the Bluestem Institute (left). Image of the Southfork Watershed Alliance sign (right). Story submitted by Melissa Miller, Associate Director for the Iowa Water Center In fall of 2015, I met with a group of 60 high school students at the headwaters of the South Fork of the Iowa River, right off the… Read More Project-Based Learning for future water leaders
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