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Iowa Learning Farms


Resources

All of our resources are available from this page. You can also visit the specific pages for individual topics to get focused information on those areas.

Conservation

Conservation encompasses many areas - soil, water, and crop considerations all play a part. We offer a variety of practical resources to help you find the answers to your questions.

"How resilient are our lands here in the Midwest? What is our ability to retain productivity if we have another long drought or continual flooding? Will people still be farming in Iowa 1,500 years from now? Or even 200 years from now? The decisions we make today about our natural resources will affect agricultural production 50 years from now."

--from the video "The Work of Our Hands"

Conservation Resources

Cover Crops

Cover crops are a great way to improve soil health. Many Iowa farmers are adding cover crops to their crop rotations so soil stays covered when the fields are not growing other crops. Cover crops also improve soil organic matter and slow water runoff.

Farmers have many questions about incorporating cover crops. Most asked questions include: what kinds of plants can be used, when and how to seed and when and how to terminate. With field days and workshops, Iowa Learning Farms strives to help farmers, and other interested people, find the answers to these questions and more. 

Cover Crop Resources
 

Edge of Field

Edge-of-field practices play a crucial role in meeting the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy goals of improving water quality through reducing nitrogen and phosphorus in Iowa's water bodies. Edge-of-field practices involve drainage water management, bioreactors, buffers, saturated buffers, denitrifying wetlands, terraces and sediment control.

Edge of Field Resources

Relay Intercropping

Relay intercropping is a multi-year, multi-species cropping system that allows for 3 harvestable crops (small grain, soybean, corn) in 2 years.

View recent webinars, blogs and publications from ongoing research farm and on-farm demonstrations.

Relay Intercropping
 

Field Day Toolkit

This Field Day Toolkit is the product of Iowa Learning Farms’ many years of planning and hosting field day events across the state of Iowa. While ILF utilizes many different outreach approaches, the importance of farmer-to-farmer interactions cannot be overstated. Field days do matter!

 
Field Day Toolkit
 
 

Recent Resources

View by Category
  • Conservation 41
  • Water Conservation 23
  • Edge of Field 20
  • Soil Conservation 15
  • Webinars 14
  • Cover Crops 12
  • Conservation Crops 8
  • Field Day Archive 3
  • Livestock 2
January 15, 2025: 2024 Relay Cropping Management & Results
January 15, 2025: 2024 Relay Cropping Management & Results

With Alex Schaffer

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Conservation, Webinars, Conservation CropsAlena WhitakerJanuary 15, 2025relay intercropping, relay cropping, soybeans, cereal rye, wheat
January 8, 2025: Exploring the Ecology of Water Quality Wetlands in Iowa
January 8, 2025: Exploring the Ecology of Water Quality Wetlands in Iowa

With Adam Janke

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Conservation, Webinars, Edge of Field, Water ConservationAlena WhitakerJanuary 9, 2025wetlands, wildlife, birds, waterfowl, marsh birds, marsh, nitrate
Iowa Wetlands
Iowa Wetlands

Iowa is home to a diverse array of wetland ecosystems that provide multiple benefits to humans and the natural world. These wetlands are essential for the survival of plants and animals adapted to life in a wet environment, including many rare and endangered species.

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Conservation, Water Conservation, Edge of FieldLiz RipleyNovember 14, 2024water quality, wetlands
A Closer Look: Beavers as Superheroes of Water Quality
A Closer Look: Beavers as Superheroes of Water Quality

Learn about how humans and beavers can work together to coexist on our landscapes in both rural and urban settings.

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Conservation, Water ConservationLiz RipleyMay 3, 2024beavers, beaver dams, water quality
Oxbow Restoration Toolkit
Oxbow Restoration Toolkit

Learn about the oxbow wetland restoration process with this toolkit.

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Edge of FieldAlena WhitakerFebruary 1, 2024wetlands, oxbow, restoration
Long Term Winter Cereal Rye Demonstration
Long Term Winter Cereal Rye Demonstration

A study looking at the impact of winter cereal rye on crop yield and soil 12 Iowa farms from 2008-2019.

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Cover Crops, Soil Conservation, ConservationLiz RipleyJanuary 3, 2023soil conservation, long term rye, winter cereal rye
Anaerobic Digesters for Renewable Natural Gas
Anaerobic Digesters for Renewable Natural Gas

Anaerobic Digesters for Renewable Natural Gas

One way farmers can participate in the shift towards more renewable energy is by building an anaerobic digester on their farm or supplying feedstock for a nearby digester.

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Soil Conservation, Conservation Crops, Water ConservationLiz RipleyNovember 28, 2022redefining the field edge, prairie, profitability
Redefining the Field Edge: Improving Farm Profitability with Strategically Placed Prairie
Redefining the Field Edge: Improving Farm Profitability with Strategically Placed Prairie

What is redefining the field edge?
A land-use-change concept that alters a field’s cropping boundaries, converting some parts of the field to perennial prairie vegetation.

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Soil Conservation, Conservation Crops, Water ConservationLiz RipleyAugust 22, 2022redefining the field edge, prairie, profitability
Whole Farm Conservation Best Practices Manual
Whole Farm Conservation Best Practices Manual

This publication provides best management recommendations for farmers and landowners getting started with conservation and water quality practices by helping select and incorporate in-field and edge-of-field conservation practices most appropriate to the decision maker's land and preferences.

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Conservation, Edge of Field, Water Conservation, Soil ConservationLiz RipleyJuly 6, 2022
Oxbow Restoration - Iowa Watershed Approach
Oxbow Restoration - Iowa Watershed Approach

Restoring oxbows can be a low cost way to improve water quality. Learn more in this publication from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.

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Edge of FieldLiz RipleyJuly 6, 2022structures
Grade Stabilization Structures - Iowa Watershed Approach

Information on grade stabilization structures from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.

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Edge of FieldErin RollenhagenJuly 6, 2022structures
Water and Sediment Control Basins - Iowa Watershed Approach
Water and Sediment Control Basins - Iowa Watershed Approach

Learn about sediment control basins in this 2-page report from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.

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Edge of FieldErin RollenhagenJuly 6, 2022structures
Farm Ponds - Iowa Watershed Approach
Farm Ponds - Iowa Watershed Approach

Learn about the role farm ponds play in water quality in this quick read 2-page PDF.

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Edge of FieldLiz RipleyJuly 6, 2022structures
Conservation Buffers and Water Quality
Conservation Buffers and Water Quality

Learn about how conservation buffers affect water quality in this 4-page report by Iowa State University.

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Edge of FieldLiz RipleyJuly 6, 2022structures
Questions and Answers about Saturated Buffers for the Midwest
Questions and Answers about Saturated Buffers for the Midwest

Learn about saturated buffers from a panel of experts in this in-depth publication.

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Edge of FieldLiz RipleyJuly 6, 2022saturated buffers
Cleaning Iowa’s Waters with Saturated Buffers
Cleaning Iowa’s Waters with Saturated Buffers

Learn about cleaning Iowa’s waters with saturated buffers in this Iowa State University Extension publication.

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Edge of FieldLiz RipleyJuly 6, 2022saturated buffers
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