Dennis McLaughlin

Dennis is a 5th generation farmer in Madison County on his family farm that was established in 1854. He has a 40 head cow/calf herd, grows corn and soybeans, and has an alfalfa and grass mix for the cattle.

Dennis started farming in 1979 and almost immediately started trying different conservation practices. He and his dad attended a Practical Farmers of Iowa field day and started transitioning the farm away from conventional agricultural practices. In the ‘80s he switched to ridge-till and then all the farm’s acres were switched to no-till in the ‘90s. In 2012 Dennis started using cover crops and now all his acres have them applied in the fall.

Dennis’ cattle spend all their time on a field or pasture and are a big part of his rotational grazing system. The calves are weaned on pasture instead of a lot and the herd calves on a new field every spring. In his rotation, one field is sacrificed for calving every three or four years.

Preserving natural resources while still making a profit is Dennis’ main goal. When he first started farming with his dad that meant building ponds and terraces, now it means improving soil health and retaining water in the soil.

Building a Culture of Conservation: 
“In terms of restoring the land, setting up my rotational grazing system was the best choice I have made,” said Dennis.

Contact Information

Dennis McLaughlin
3272 140th Street
Cumming, Iowa 50061
denniscmcl@yahoo.com
515/981-4956