Spring 2009

[ BACK ]

Iowa Learning Farm Teams Up with Farmers to Build a Culture of Conservation

Jackie Comito gets some footage for the ILF video series on preserving Iowa’s soil and water.

Building a culture of conservation is a lofty goal, but the people involved with the Iowa Learning Farm are seeing solid progress.

The Iowa Learning Farm project, initiated in 2005 and headquartered at Iowa State, uses a grassroots approach to generate public awareness of the importance of protecting and enhancing Iowa’s natural resources.

Members of the Iowa Learning Farm (ILF) partner with farmers in Iowa conducting on-field demonstrations of conservation practices including reduced tillage and cover crops.

The ILF team studies the agronomic, economic, environmental and social aspects of increasing conservation. A second tier of involvement includes “ILF Conservationists,” who serve as local spokespersons for the project. They are conservationists, leaders in their communities and among their peers.

ISU’s Jacqueline Comito, ILF associate project manager, realizes that to enact change on Iowa’s fields, there are many factors at play.

“It’s not just a technical issue. Emotions and personal choices have as much of an impact on how a farmer treats the land,” says Comito. “Most farmers know the facts supporting conservation practices but are still reluctant to change. We are trying to reach this audience and strike a chord.”

Comito serves ILF with ISU sociology professors Paul Lasley and Lois Wright Morton. In addition, Iowa State faculty from the agronomy, economics and agricultural and biosystems engineering departments and staff from conservation organizations and state government agencies contribute to the project.

Rick Juchems, an ILF farmer-cooperator from Plainfield, Iowa, received a strong reminder about the importance of conservation during last summer’s floods. After the flood waters receded from his fields, he could see what practices worked. He says if the land isn’t taken care of today, it may not be there for his children. His daughter, Liz, a sophomore in agricultural business at Iowa State, wants to return to the family farm.

ILF cooperator Rick Juchems and daughter Liz pose on their farm.

“It is important for my generation to acknowledge that management choices made today play a significant role in the sustainability of agriculture,” says Liz.

Liz spent last summer working for ILF, demonstrating the rainfall simulator at venues across the state.

“Because of this project and my father’s involvement with conservation, I have found a passion for conservation. Being an advocate for soil and water quality plays a large role in my life now and will continue,” says Liz.

Education is a key to ILF goals. Recently Comito produced a series of videos “A Culture of Conservation,” the ILF uses to begin dialogue about preserving Iowa’s soil and water. They have been distributed through partner organizations and to Iowa agricultural educators.

ILF evaluations are showing that farmers realize the status quo needs to change. The project is truly making gains towards its goal of building a culture of conservation — farmer to farmer, Iowan to Iowan.

STORIES online Extra:

Iowa Learning Farm Partner Organizations: