The Madison County Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) will once again have a booth at the Madison County Fair. The booth is located in the Farm Bureau building next to the fair office, and will be open from Wednesday, July 15 through Saturday, July 18.

Madison SWCD will continue celebrating this year’s theme for Stewardship Week: “Soil. Where it all begins.” There will be demonstrations and displays, and visitors can test their soils knowledge for a chance to win a prize.

There will also be free conservation-themed temporary tattoos, posters, and coloring books while supplies last. Madison SWCD is partnering with the Madison County Conservation Board and Cultivating Connections project again this year to give out free native prairie plants on Friday and Saturday.

Fairgoers are also invited to attend Madison SWCD’s Conservation Awards presentation on Wednesday, July 15 at 5:45 p.m. at the North Show Ring (before the Queen and King Contest). The 2026 Conservation Award will be presented to Mike and Cindy Koch, and Klara Oswald will be recognized for her winning poster contest entry!

To learn more about Madison SWCD activities and events, visit www.Madison-SWCD.org

Madison County Soil and Water Conservation District is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

The North Thompson River Water Quality Project, which is overseen by the Adair, Madison, and Union County Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs), has an opening for a Project Coordinator.  The position can be full-time or part-time, and the duty station is negotiable between the USDA Service Centers in Madison County (Winterset) and Union County (Creston).

The Project Coordinator position promotes, identifies, and follows the conservation planning process to implement conservation practices to reduce sediment pollution within the North Thompson River Watershed.

More details about the position and how to apply can be found in the Job Vacancy
Announcement below. 

The application deadline is Friday, July 10, 2026. 

To learn more about the North Thompson River Water Quality Project, visit this page.

The Madison County Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) invites the public to visit our one-time vendor booth at the Madison County Farmers Market on June 20 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The Farmers Market is held on the courthouse lawn; Madison SWCD will be set up in booth space number 65 on the southeast corner of the square.

In celebration of Pollinator Week (June 22-28), the booth will focus on pollinators (bees, butterflies, birds, etc.) and the habitats that support them. There will be an interactive exhibit to show how deep some native plants’ roots can grow, temporary tattoos, as well as information about native plants, pollinators, and Rainscaping practices. We will also be offering free prairie plants (through our partnership with Cultivating Connections) to help visitors get a jumpstart on creating their own pollinator garden!

The Iowa Learning Farms’ Conservation Station will also be at the Madison County Farmers Market on June 20! The Conservation Station will be parked near the food trucks on the southeast corner, and will feature a rainfall simulator, Enviroscape, and poo toss game.

Learn more here:

Conservation Station:
https://www.iowalearningfarms.org/conservation-station
https://www.facebook.com/ialearningfarms

Madison County Farmers Market:
https://www.madisoncofarmersmarket.com/
https://www.facebook.com/MadisonCoFarmersMarket

Pollinator Week:
https://pollinator.org/pollinator-week
https://www.facebook.com/PollinatorPartnershipOfficial

Cultivating Connections:
https://www.madisoncountyparks.org/cultivating-connections/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1159416045071180