The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.
The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.
May is American Wetlands Month and this year we want to celebrate all the work private landowners have done to help wetlands thrive. In Iowa, private landowners have worked with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to enroll 144,756 acres in wetlands.
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is helping fruit and vegetable producer and military veteran Charles Puffer grow a variety of high-quality crops and protect the natural resources on his thriving new farm thanks to planning and financial assistance for a system of high tunnels.
After years struggling to consistently establish cover crops in the fall on cropland in Iowa’s northern tier counties, more than a dozen Allamakee County farmers are participating in a new USDA-sponsored soil health demonstration project that – after one growing season – shows promising results.
Following a dry Iowa summer where – at its height – more than 20 western Iowa counties fell into an “Extreme Drought,” NRCS is encouraging Iowa’s livestock producers to consider adopting weather resilient, long-term drinking water sources, and alternative forage and grazing solutions.
NRCS encourages livestock producers to consider adopting weather resilient, long-term drinking water sources, and alternative forage and grazing solutions for their pastures.
A decade ago, Maggie McQuown was figuring out what to do with the rest of her life. She had just taken early disability retirement from her business career in the Dallas Metro area after being diagnosed with Dystonia – a neuromuscular movement disorder causing the muscles to contract uncontrollably.
A simple, yet effective soil health demonstration called a Slake Test, or Soil Stability Test, presented by USDA helped convince Eastern Iowa Airport officials to step up measures to reduce erosion, improve soil health and protect water quality on the airport’s 2,000 cropland acres.
The next time you snack on almonds, add blueberries to your smoothie or eat pumpkin pie, thank a pollinator and thank Iowa farmers and private forestland owners who work hard to create and maintain their habitat.
Row crop farmers are beginning to focus more and more on improving soil health on their lands for long-term sustainability, but according to USDA soil health and grassland specialists, livestock producers can also implement soil health practices to improve their pastures.
Monona County farmer Bo Fox is working with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to more efficiently graze his 100-head cow/calf herd and to help improve soil health on his farm.
