The Madison County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) invites fairgoers to attend the Conservation Awards Presentation and stop by the Farm Bureau building to learn about soil and water during the Madison County Fair. 

The Farm Bureau building already draws people in to view photos of past fairs and enter daily drawings.  Kids come for the Ag Mystery Walk from 10:00 to 2:00 on Thursday and Friday.  Farm Bureau also hosts the Cook-out Contest on Sunday.

The Madison County SWCD and partners (the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship) will be set up in the Farm Bureau building Wednesday through Saturday.

Visitors can walk through the inflatable Soil Health Tunnel, see soil health demonstrations, get a conservation tattoo, and visit with staff.  There will be free posters and free home soil health test kits available while supplies last.  Visitors who take a soil health quiz will be entered into drawing to win tickets to the evening’s Grandstand Event.

Madison County SWCD will also be presenting Conservation Awards at the fair. The public is welcome to attend the presentation at 5:45 p.m. on Wednesday, July 20 at the North Show Ring (before the Queen and King Contest). The SWCD is honoring Tom and Juanita Beeler with the 2022 Conservation Award. In addition, conservation partners will also be presenting the plaque for the 2021 Region 6 Winner of the Conservation Farmer of the Year Award to Randy Gamble. The SWCD appreciates the opportunity to recognize conservation award winners at County Fair, and thanks Farm Bureau for sponsoring the award.

To learn more about the Madison County Fair, visit http://madisoncountyfair.net/

The North Thompson River Water Quality Project is sponsoring a coffee meeting to discuss water quality and soil health.  The event will take place on Tuesday, June 28 from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. at the Lorimor Community Center (503 Main St., Lorimor, IA).

The program includes “All About Prairie Strips” presented by Doug Davenport, “Real Life Experiences with Cover Crops” with local producers Randy Gamble and Jon Peterson, “How To Test Your Own Soil Health / Financial Assistance Available through the Watershed” with project coordinator Jodi Hitz.

This event is free and open to the public.  Coffee, water, and rolls will be provided.  Please RSVP to the Creston Field Office at 641-782-4218 or email Jodi Hitz at jodi.hitz@ia.nacdnet.net.

The North Thompson River Water Quality Project is supported by the Soil and Water Conservation Districts in Adair, Madison, and Union Counties.  The SWCDs are equal opportunity providers and employers. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.  Persons with disabilities who require accommodations to participate in this meeting should contact Jodi Hitz at 641-782-8426 or dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunication relay services. 

On May 27, 2022, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced that cost share is available for soil health and water quality practices through the state’s Water Quality Initiative fund. Read the news release here. 

Practices include cover crops ($15-25/acre), no-till/strip-till ($10/acre), and using a nitrification inhibitor ($3/acre) on up to 160 acres. See flyer for details. To learn more about these conservation practices, visit https://www.cleanwateriowa.org/rural.

In Madison County, cover crops have been the most popular WQI practice. In 2021, Madison SWCD received 19 applications, which resulted in over 2,100 acres being planted to cover crops through the WQI program (not including acres that farmers planted on their own or through other programs). 

First-time users are given priority for funding, but previous users of cover crops are also encouraged to apply. We will accept applications any time between now and when the funding is exhausted, but we strongly encourage applicants to apply early. 

To learn more, or to make an appointment to fill out application materials at the Winterset Field Office, please contact Anna Golightly at 515-462-2961 x 3 or Anna.Golightly@ia.nacdnet.net.