AMES, IOWA, Aug. 19, 2024 – Third generation farmer Lillie Beringer-Crock of Cascade was named 2024 Iowa Conservation Woman of the Year at the Conservation Districts of Iowa annual meeting earlier today in Ames.

A 2018 Iowa State University graduate, Beringer-Crock took over Beringer Family Farms about five years ago. She inherited an operation with a strong beef focus, including a cow-calf herd and a 1,500-head feedlot, along with cropland with corn, soybeans and alfalfa.

Beringer-Crock is taking new strides each day to improve the operation her family has worked on for decades, says District Conservationist Addie Manternach with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Jones County. “Lillie is a young female who is super passionate about farming and the agricultural community,” said Manternach. “She believes our food should tell a story – not just be a label.”

Conservation Practice Implementation

Since taking over the farm, Beringer-Crock has made significant soil and water conservation improvements. For example, she converted her tilled corn-on-corn acres to a no-till corn/soybean rotation with cover crops. Each spring, she grazes about 120 cow-calf pairs on 100 acres of cereal rye during the spring calving season.

Lillie said she started using cover crops primarily for the supplemental livestock feeding benefits but has seen the soil health benefits and reduced erosion on very sandy soil.  “We were farming straight corn every year and tilling it all up with no rain. It wasn’t helping us make money,” said Beringer-Crock. “I might have given up a little bit of yield on the corn side, but when I fed 200 cows for three weeks on a cover crop and didn’t have to treat a sick calf, those dollars add up.” 

Beringer-Crock has also made recent improvements to her grazing system. With planning and financial assistance through NRCS, she converted 40 acres of cropland to permanent pasture and set up a rotational grazing system with new watering systems and fencing, creating five grazing paddocks. 

She says the new rotational grazing system prevents overgrazing of forages, improves soil structure to help grass rest and grow, and creates a natural source of fertilization.

“The meaning of conservation to me, as a young woman, has changed recently. Conservation is about preserving our land for the next generation,” said Beringer-Crock. “It’s about making sure my son and future generations have the same opportunities to farm as I do.” 

Marketing Her Business

Another major change Beringer-Crock has made to the family farm is the way she markets beef. She created an online business, shipping 21-day dry-aged individual beef cuts to all 50 states. She also supplies beef to a local restaurant and several schools in the area.

And recently, Beringer-Crock opened a farm store that gives the local community an opportunity to shop for beef and other products from local farmers and businesses such as eggs, milk, cheese, fresh greens, maple syrup, honey, and baked goods.

The Iowa Conservation Woman of the Year award is selected annually by the USDA-NRCS Federal Women’s Program Committee in Iowa. To nominate an Iowa farmer or landowner for a conservation award, visit www.cdiowa.org/recognition/awards/.

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