IARN — The nomination period is open to recognize the 2022 Iowa Conservation Farmer of the Year.
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig says this prestigious honor has been awarded to celebrate conservation progress and Iowa farmers who are committed to exceptional environmental stewardship and conservation efforts.
The award is in its 70th year and is co-sponsored by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the Iowa Farm Bureau.
“We know that our natural resources, that soil and water, are the basis for our productive agriculture in this state, and if we’re going to continue to be productive and profitable for many, many years to come, we’re going to have to take care of those natural resources,” said Naig. “So making sure that we’re keeping soil in place, we’re fighting soil erosion, and also looking at water quality for those downstream from us.”
Naig says future generations will benefit from the concerted effort these farmers and landowners have made today to protect our soil and water quality and their families’ farming legacies.
“Even in the last couple of years, when we’ve seen a disruption in all of our lives, we have set records on conservation adoption in the state of Iowa,” said Naig. “That tells you a story about even in some uncertain times, folks are still seeing the value of this and we’re really accelerating the adoption of practices like cover crops, wetlands, and terraces all across the state.”
Naig believes the farmer of the year award enhances farmer-to-farmer education.
“We have a farmer saying ‘look, this is what I’ve done, this is what we tried but that didn’t work very well, but then we changed, and we did this and that helped,’” said Naig. “Those are real stories that are very, very credible, and I think those are some of the most important interactions we can see across the state.”
The grand prize winner will receive the use of a new John Deere 6E utility tractor for one year. The winner will be announced during the Iowa State Fair. Nominations are due May 13th to your local Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) office.
Story courtesy of the Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network.
Photo by Iowa Soybean Association
