Madison County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) invites the public to attend the All About Wetlands Field Day on Thursday, June 29^th at the Martens CREP Wetland. The event will begin at 10:00 a.m. at the McBroom-Hargis Barn located at 1218 U.S. Highway 169 north of Winterset.

This field day will celebrate wetlands, the multi-tool of conservation practices for water quality! They act like sponges as they soak up rainwater and surface runoff, they act as filters to remove pollutants, and they provide excellent wildlife habitat for a wide variety of species. This field day will highlight the many benefits that wetlands provide and discuss the variety of programs available to landowners.

Speakers will include representatives from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Madison County SWCD, Iowa State University and Iowa Learning Farms, Heartland Co-op, and the local landowner. Iowa Learning Farms will be bringing their new Marsh Madness conservation station, the newest of Iowa Learning Farms’ four traveling conservation education trailers, which features 3-D models of three wetland types found in Iowa! Madison County SWCD will also have a model of Badger Creek Lake Watershed on display. There will be an opportunity to  tour the Martens CREP Wetland.

Afterward, participants can stop by a food truck for a complimentary lunch sponsored by Heartland Co-op. A few chairs will be provided, but attendees are welcome to bring a lawn chair.

This event is free and open to the public. RSVPs are appreciated, but not required. Attendees needing accommodations should explain when they RSVP. Attendees can RSVP by calling the Madison County SWCD at 515-462-4884 extension 3, or by sending an email to Anna.Golightly@ia.nacdnet.net. 

For more information, see the links to the News Release and Event Flyer. 

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

Hi, my name is Rebekah Veldboom, and I am the intern for Madison County’s SWCD this summer! I am originally from Williamsburg, IA and later Grinnell, IA, where my family and I moved so that my parents could begin co-farming with my grandparents. This fall I will be entering my senior year at ISU as an Environmental Science major, with a certificate in Soil Science and minor in Sustainability.

Although particularly uninterested in a career in or related to agriculture as a freshman, repeated course crossover and opportunities in the agronomy department quickly grew my appreciation and eventual fondness for agriculture and its relation to the environment. I was also introduced to the exciting world of research within my first semester – shout out to Dr. Hornbuckle! – and to the specific area of soils research in my sophomore year – shout out to the McDaniel Lab! Since then, I have been enjoying classes covering everything soils and picking up my own research projects!

Outside of classes, I have enjoyed various activities on campus. Over the past three years I’ve had the incredible privilege to be involved with the iconic Bells of Iowa State, by learning to play the carillon (aka the bell instrument), occasionally playing noon concerts in the Campanile (including The Fight Song!!), and leading the carillon student group. I’ve also enjoyed volunteering at ISU’s on-campus food pantry (The SHOP) and becoming involved with various ministries at my church as well as its recent installation of honeybees!

As I anticipate my graduation (in less than a year!), I look forward to completing my capstone research project – an exciting project studying the effects of bio digestate applications on enzyme activity in the soil – and taking more soils and conservation courses.

I’m excited to be with the Madison SWCD field office this summer and see land management and conservation practices in person!

The Madison County SWCD commissioners and staff invite the public to attend a Soil and Water Conservation Open House on Friday, May 5, 2023, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The event will be held in the Farm Bureau building at the Madison County Fairgrounds located at 1146 W. Summit St. in Winterset. This event is being held to celebrate Iowa Soil and Water Conservation Week and national Stewardship Week taking place April 30 – May 7.  This year’s theme is “One Water”, to raise awareness of how important it is to protect our water resources in Iowa and across the nation. 

There will be demonstrations and displays set up at the open house, including the NRCS rainfall simulator trailer, the soil health tunnel, Polk SWCD’s stream trailer, models of local watersheds (Badger Creek Lake and Cedar Lake), and others.  

A free lunch will be provided to the first 100 visitors, thanks to the generous sponsorship of the Iowa Soybean Association and Iowa Pork Producers Association. Visitors can get a lunch ticket at the Farm Bureau building and pick up their meal at the Pork Producers Food Booth down the street.

This event is free and open to the public. Please share with others who may be interested!

Printable Flyer

Madison County Fairgrounds Map

Facebook Event

Press Release