Senator Joni Ernst and Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey were guests at the Water Quality & Ag Field Day for Legislators last Friday. Environmental Technology Director Shawn Richmond participated on behalf of the Agribusiness Association of Iowa (AAI) and the Iowa Nutrient Research and Education Council (INREC).
The field day is an opportunity for legislators to learn more about the various conservation practices being used on Iowa farms, to answer legislator questions about the practices, and to provide a working, visual demonstration of edge of field practices. The joint field day is a joint effort of the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Iowa Corn Growers Association, and the Iowa Land Improvement Contractors Association.
Senator Joni Ernst (left) and Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey (back right) look on as LICA member Tim Recker (front right) explains the bioreactor flow control mechanism on a demonstration farm in Melbourne.
The Iowa Land Improvement Contractors Association (LICA) demonstration farm in Melbourne, Iowa, has a variety of structures in place including sediment basins, terraces, a wetland, and a soon-to-be-completed deep water pond.
Tim Recker says, “Little did we know at the time that we’re building an entire water quality system on an 80 acre farm and so what you’re seeing today is a farm that has every kind of conservation practice probably known to Iowa. That can be implemented on any Iowa farmland.” Recker welcomes anyone to visit the farm in Melborne to see the variety of conservation projects, “There’s nothing special about this farm. These practices can be done by any Iowa farmer, anybody in the Midwest.”
Learn more about the field day here: Agribusiness Report.