The Iowa Learning Farm project is being established by a group of organizations working to improve water and soil quality in Iowa. The five-year project will demonstrate and promote conservation systems with an emphasis on conservation tillage, cropping systems, and nutrient management across Iowa while tailoring educational activities to support government conservation programs such as the Conservation Security Program (CSP).
"This is a new, exciting conservation venture. The Iowa Learning Farm Project will improve our water and soil quality, providing a better working and living environment for all of us," said Patty Judge, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture.
"This five-year, state-wide project will be key to helping farmers see first-hand how conservation practices can work together in a system to best protect our state's soil and water," said Rick Van Klaveren. state conservationist. "By getting to see these systems, in their own neighborhoods, it is our hope that additional producers and landowners will adopt these practices on their own operations."
"The Iowa Learning Farm will be a model for learning and exchanging ideas among farmers, scientists, agribusinesses, government agencies and the general public," said Mahdi Al-Kaisi, ISU Extension soil management specialist and project leader.
The project's partners include the Conservation Districts of Iowa, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Iowa State University Extension, Iowa Department of Natural Resources and Natural Resources Conservation Service.
During the first phase, conservation systems demonstration and education projects will be established on six to ten farms in each of the five geographic areas of the project across Iowa (see attached map). The geographic areas were chosen based on soil and landscape conditions.
"Field demonstration plots will be established based on conservation plans in paired replicated field demonstrations of different tillage or row cropping systems in each area for five years," said Al-Kaisi.
In addition, an extensive education and outreach program will offer field demonstrations, field days, field training, regional meetings and a statewide conservation systems conference.
The social and economic aspects of the soil conservation systems also will be examined.
Steve Padgitt, ISU Extension sociologist, says "We'll be evaluating individual decision making behaviors among farm operators and land managers regarding changes in conservation practices, especially practices and performance measures associated with the USDA Conservation Security Program."
In addition, Padgitt will monitor efforts to get other community members, besides landowners and farm managers, involved in soil conservation.
Mike Duffy, ISU Extension agriculture economist, will assess the economic effectiveness of conservation systems for different regions. "We'll be looking at a number of economic factors and offer a more cost-benefit analysis based on a systems approach," he said.
Phase two of this project will focus on soil and water quality monitoring work and will be considered in the second or third year, based on funding availability and water quality needs.
A Web site, www.extension.iastate.edu/ilf has been created to share information and research results from this project.
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Machelle Shaffer, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, (515) 281-7808,