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, he 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 each year since he became 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 5 th 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.

Over the past several years, the Madison County Fair has become an annual tradition and opportunity for the Madison County Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) to recognize stewards of our natural resources and to reach out to members of the community, especially those who may not be familiar with the SWCD.

On Wednesday evening, the Madison SWCD commissioners presented the 2025 Conservation Award to Weeks Family Farm in a ceremony at the North Show Ring. They also drew the winner of the pair of tickets to the Hinterland Music Festival that the SWCD was raffling off for a fundraiser.

Thanks to the Madison County Farm Bureau, which has offered to share space in their building, the SWCD has been able to set up a booth for educational activities and demonstrations, informational materials, and freebies.

This year, the activities and giveaways focused on native plants and habitats, and the wildlife that rely on those resources. The root depth box was on display; visitors could guess how deep different native plants’ roots grow and then pull out the ropes for each species to see how long the roots were. Visitors could also pick up a free “Trees for Bees” poster and get a conservation-themed temporary tattoo.

This year the SWCD partnered with the Madison County Conservation Board and their Cultivating Connections project to give away free native prairie plants on Friday and Saturday. Over the course of both days, about 80 individuals and families took home plants to improve wildlife habitat on their property!

Plant species included butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), silky aster (Aster sericeus), western sunflower (Helianthus occidentalis), black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), and old field goldenrod (Solidago nemoralis). To learn more about any of these species, view the Plant Care Sheets below.

Madison SWCD would like to thank the Madison County Fair, Madison County Farm Bureau, Madison County Conservation Board and Cultivating Connections, and Hinterland Music Festival for opportunities to recognize stewards, raise money for the district, and connect with the community!

Cultivating Connections Plant Care Sheets

• Black-eyed Susan
• Butterfly Milkweed
• Old Field Goldenrod
• Silky Aster
• Western Sunflower

To learn more about Cultivating Connections, visit:
https://www.madisoncountyparks.org/cultivating-connections/

Over the years, the Madison County Soil & Water Conservationist District (SWCD) has recognized hundreds of individuals and families that have done outstanding work to conserve our natural resources and embody what it means to be a steward of the land.

This year, the Madison County SWCD commissioners presented the 2025 Conservation Award to Weeks Family Farm in recognition of the stewardship efforts of Steve and Patty Weeks. Steve and Patty Weeks’ families have deep roots in farming. As Steve says, “I was born a farmer.” Steve and Patty purchased their original 275-acre farm in Monroe Township in 1974. They made their home on the property and actively farmed until the farm crisis of the 1980s.

Today, their 45-acre property includes prairie that was established in 1990 with assistance from the USDA, as well as 8 acres in the Conservation Reserve Program. The prairie is a mixture of grasses and forbs, and they keep a constant vigil for noxious weeds and cedar tree starts. Prairie burns every few years help keep tree starts in check and the prairie healthy.

Other conservation features on their property include 10 acres of timber, a waterway, and a 3-acre pond. Their farm has become a wildlife sanctuary; in addition to the habitat provided by the prairie, woodland, and pond, they have also constructed owl boxes, wood duck boxes, and goose nests. Steve and Patty’s parents instilled in them a love of the land and a desire to save it for future generations. Steven and Patty recently sold a 5-acre parcel with the farmstead to their daughter and son-in-law, Jessie and Justin Lowry, so Jessie has returned to her roots and is enjoying the prairie with
her husband and daughter.

Steve said that they have always tried to take care of the farmland, but beyond their stewardship efforts on their farm, other notable conservation activities include:

Patty Weeks has been a member of the Winterset Tree Commission for several years. She also served on the Winterset Municipal Utilities Board of Trustees, where she helped re-energize conservation efforts in Cedar Lake Watershed. Patty was also a longtime member of MCFEE, the Madison County Foundation for Environmental Education, where she has served as Board Chair. Patty and Steve both help out with activities for the Madison County Conservation Board.

The 2025 Conservation Award presentation was held on Wednesday, July 16 at the Madison County Fair. The SWCD commissioners and staff presented a metal award sign to Patty Weeks, who was joined by her daughter Jessie Lowry and granddaughter Elena (Steve was out of town).

Madison County SWCD would like to thank the Madison County Fair Board for providing an opportunity to recognize stewards of our natural resources at the fair, and Madison County Farm Bureau for sponsoring the metal award sign.