Farmers and conservation professionals took part in a choose-your-own-adventure field tour across western Iowa last week, exploring real-world conservation practices such as drainage water recycling, oxbow restoration, strip till, and cover crops, according to an April 15 announcement by the Iowa Soybean Association.
The event aimed to give participants hands-on experience with various conservation methods that support both environmental sustainability and farm profitability. The flexible format allowed attendees to follow guided routes or explore at their own pace.
Alex Logan, Iowa Soybean Association conservation agronomist, said, “We had a good group of engaged farmers and conservation professionals. Participants liked seeing the practices first-hand and talking to farmers and Iowa Soybean Association staff with experience in conservation. The weather cooperated and allowed us to have a successful event.”
At Mark Schleisman’s farms near Lake City, visitors observed drainage water recycling systems that capture tile water for later use during the growing season. Schleisman said he operates three systems irrigating nearly 300 acres: “If you are not making money, you won’t be here tomorrow, that’s about sustainability.” Farnhamville farmer Jeff True shared his experiences combining strip-till with cover crops since 2017. “I’m a huge advocate for conservation and water quality,” True said. “We can’t keep doing the same thing over and over again. We’ve got to change.” He described how these practices improved efficiency while reducing costs: “With strip-till, it’s a one-pass system ahead of planting.”
Doug Adams of Humboldt County highlighted the benefits of seeing these methods firsthand: “I really enjoyed seeing the irrigation pond and oxbow restoration,” Adams said. He added that being able to observe strip-till techniques was helpful as he implements similar approaches on his own farm: “You can read about this stuff, but to actually see it and talk to someone on-site really helps… It makes a difference.”
Self-guided tours hosted by ISA conservation agronomists are available through June 1 across eastern and western Iowa so farmers can visit sites on their own schedule.
The Iowa Soybean Association uses checkoff funds for programs that increase demand for soybeans, conduct research projects for producers’ benefit, deliver information directly to farmers according to its official website. The association promotes community engagement through initiatives like CommonGround Iowa as outlined online.
It also presents annual leadership awards recognizing exceptional contributions from members as noted by the association, serves as Iowa’s Qualified State Soybean Board according to its official website, extends services statewide reaching nearly 37,000 soybean producers per association data, and seeks enhanced soybean demand through market development efforts alongside research initiatives and policy advocacy as stated online.
