The Iowa Learning Farms (ILF) conservation webinar taking place Oct. 23, at noon CDT will feature Erin Ogle, project coordinator, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Taylor County Soil & Water Conservation District. Ogle works with farmers in Taylor County, Iowa, with a focus on successful seeding of marginally producing crop areas and working with producers to help implement livestock on ‘working lands’.

In the webinar, “Cattle, Conservation and Community,” Ogle will showcase the conservation progress made in Taylor County since the receipt of a Water Quality Initiative (WQI) grant from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship in 2016. She will share details of land use changes, livestock influence, water quality, soil health, and how the impact on local communities have helped expand this project to other areas of Iowa. Ogle will also discuss how the success of the Taylor County initiatives has led to the expansion of federal dollars and additional practices that are now offered to producers. 

“As the business of farming continues, it is still important to remember: ‘Don’t change the land to fit your management; change your management to fit the land’,” said Ogle. “In helping farmers change the way their land it used, we lay the groundwork to improve profitability through diverse practices that can revive interest in farming. I like to say, if the livestock stay, the people stay.”

Participants are encouraged to ask questions of the presenters. People from all backgrounds and areas of interest are encouraged to join.