Blog

Use the blog search to learn how farmers are incorporating 4R Plus practices to improve soil health and water quality.

Drone shot of oxbow

Oxbow Restoration: A Beautiful and Practical Conservation Solution

Interest in oxbow restoration is rising across Iowa. These small bodies of water provide a great habitat for fish and wildlife, plus they improve water management during both wet and dry years. Their status as a relatively low-cost and low-maintenance conservation project adds to their appeal.

A large field

Keep Fields Covered to Protect Yields from Erosion

Rick Cruse, Ph.D., director of the Iowa Water Center, encourages Iowa farmers to use 4R Plus practices to protect yields.

Bryan Sievers standing in cover crops field

New Horizons for Conservation in Agriculture

Cows and cover crops are helping produce a renewable fuel source on Bryan Sievers’s Scott County, Iowa, farm. He’s using anaerobic digesters to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and sequester carbon. And now, through a USDA-funded project, he’s demonstrating how other farms can do the same.

Farm that uses 4R Plus Practices

Poll Shows Majority of Iowa Farmers Influenced by 4R Plus Practices

The Iowa Farm and Rural Life poll shows a majority of farmers are being influenced by the 4R Plus program to adopt nutrient stewardship and conservation practices to help Iowa reach its nutrient reduction goals.

Iowa farmer with cover crops

Agronomists, conservation professionals invited to cover crop workshop in Ames

Join us at the Practical Farmers of Iowa (PFI)’s free event this June, Cover Iowa: Agronomists in the Know Workshop, to learn and share information about cover crops, reduced tillage, extended rotation, and more.

Legler Family on their farm in Iowa

Working Smarter, Not Harder, to Reap Benefits of Soil Conservation Practices in North-Central Iowa

This fifth-generation farmer uses soil conservation practices to improve soil structure and fine-tune his fertility program. While it takes a lot of patience and planning, benefits such as savings on fuel, fertilizer and time have him convinced it’s a worthy system.

Justin and Lacie Robbins, 2021 Iowa Environmental Stewardship Award Program winners

A Love for the Land and Livestock Drives Conservation Decisions

When it comes to improving crop and pasture ground, Justin Robbins of Greene County isn’t one to follow the herd. He’s willing to do what it takes to protect the environment and improve his land.

Improving farm profitability in 2022 with 4R Plus practices

4R Plus Can Improve Farmers’ Bottom Line in Pricey Input Environment

The benefits of 4R Plus practices are front of mind as farmers look ahead to the 2022 growing season, when pricey inputs will likely narrow margins.