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Conservation Districts of Iowa (CDI) and the Madison County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) are offering Conservation Scholarships for graduating high school students who plan to pursue college studies in agriculture, conservation, or related fields.

Applications must be submitted to the local SWCD office in the county where the student resides. The deadline to apply is Friday, February 6, 2026. SWCD commissioners will select an application to forward to the CDI Region, and then the CDI Regional Director will choose an application to forward to the state level for consideration.

The top three applicants in the state will be awarded scholarships in the amounts of $3,000, $2,000, and $1,000. Winners from the remaining six regions will receive $500. The scholarship will be paid directly to the applicant’s school of choice, to be used for the student’s first year of college education. The Madison County SWCD is offering an additional local scholarship in the amount of $250.

Application forms and scholarship rules are available on CDI’s website: https://cdiowa.org/get-involved/scholarships/

Students residing in Madison County should submit their application materials to the Madison County SWCD located at 815 E. Hwy 92 in Winterset by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, February 6. Students residing in other counties can find their local SWCD office by visiting https://costshare.iowaagriculture.gov/districts

Learn more about all opportunities for students at www.Madison-SWCD.org/for-students/
Madison County Soil and Water Conservation District is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) established a national Jan. 15, 2026, batching deadline for the first funding round of key conservation programs. This national batching date ensures producers have a clear, consistent timeline for participating in the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), and Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). This includes NRCS’ new Regenerative Pilot Program, which provides targeted Farmer First assistance through EQIP and CSP.

“The NRCS team continues its commitment to Iowa’s producers — advancing conservation, strengthening service delivery, and keeping our promise to the men and women who feed and fuel our nation,” said NRCS State Conservationist Jon Hubbert.

NRCS programs are continuous sign-up programs, but due to the government shutdown, the agency is implementing an initial national batching period to ensure producers have access to funding and support.

Updated NRCS Program Timelines

• All NRCS conservation programs remain continuous sign-up.
• Farmers and ranchers have until Jan. 15, 2026, to apply for the first batching period.
• National Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) will follow later in the year.
• PL-566 and Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) opportunities remain open for sponsors based on available funding.

Programs with a January 15, 2026, batching period deadline include:

• Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
• Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)
• Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)
• New NRCS Regenerative Pilot Program (EQIP & CSP)

Through EQIP, CSP and RCPP, Iowa NRCS obligated more than $68 million, covering 258,000 private land acres through 1,334 program contracts during Fiscal Year 2025.

For more information, please visit nrcs.usda.gov or contact your local USDA Service Center.

The Madison County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) is proud to announce that Jim Gillespie was presented the Ruth Wagner Award Honoring SWCD Assistant Commissioner on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, at the 79th Annual Conference of Soil and Water Conservation Districts of Iowa.

After Jim Gillespie retired from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s Division of Soil Conservation and Water Quality in 2018, he continued to be involved in soil and water stewardship. First, by working as a Conservation Consultant in Cedar Lake Watershed in Madison County, and then as an Assistant Commissioner with Madison SWCD since 2021.

Jim’s background, including his career with IDALS and being a vocational ag teacher before that, has made him an incredible asset to the Madison SWCD board. He has been able to provide guidance to the commissioners and staff on a wide variety of topics, which has been valuable in itself, but Jim’s participation with the SWCD board and its activities goes beyond just attending board meetings.

Jim has assisted the district by participating in the Annual Financial Review every year since he was appointed as an Assistant Commissioner. He encouraged the district to review its 5-year Soil & Water Resource Conservation Plan on a regular basis, and has served on the committee responsible for that since it was established in 2023. He has also participated in Watershed Management Authority meetings.

Jim has also made a difference with the district’s education and outreach activities. In 2022, he volunteered an entire day to speak to Madison County 5th graders as part of Ag4Kids Day. When Madison County offered the Master Conservationist program in 2022 and 2023, Jim co-presented the Watersheds module both years. He has helped staff the district’s booth at the Madison County Fair for several years. Jim has also assisted with providing nominations for the Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Award and helped with the district’s annual Conservation Award.

Jim has been involved in a variety of activities and functions of Madison SWCD, and the district has benefited greatly from his knowledge and willingness to participate. In addition to all of the things he has done and helped with, he is also a genuinely nice person and someone the district can count on. Jim shows up, is present, and offers not only his time, attention, and knowledge, but brings with him a passion for agriculture and conservation that isn’t just admirable; it’s inspiring!