Affiliate Projects

Decoding Iowa Farmers’ Understanding of Edge-of-Field Conservation Practices

Widespread adoption of edge-of-field (EOF) practices—such as saturated buffers, bioreactors, and water quality enhancement wetlands—is vital to achieving the goal of 45% nutrient reduction outlined in the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy. However, few farmers in the state have embraced EOF practices on their land—the Decoding Iowa Farmers’ Understanding of Edge-of-Field Conservation Practices project investigates why.

Emerging Farmers Project

The Emerging Farmers project is a proactive approach to address the need to reach out to emerging farmers and future landowners. We define an emerging farmer as someone with ties to agricultural land who would like to return to the farm as an operator or have a voice in its management.

Conservation Learning Labs

The Conservation Learning Labs project studies how implementation of conservation practices can reduce nitrogen and phosphorus loss at the watershed scale in Iowa. The project was funded by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) and the United States Department of Agriculture – Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS) of Iowa.