Farms: Corn, soybeans, alfalfa, grass hay, cow/calf operationFarms: Corn, soybeans, alfalfa, grass hay, cow/calf operation
Conservation practices used: No-till, cover crops, terraces, contour farming, precision farming practices
Value of conservation: No-till allows us to save fuel due to fewer passes across the field, and we also have noticed an improvement in overall soil health. Because of the conservation practices that we have in place, we don’t see lots of soil movement like we used to when we get big rains.
“No-till has been great because not only are we saving fuel with fewer in-field passes, we also have noticed that the overall soil health has benefitted from it and from the other conservation practices that we have in place.”
Involvement in the Soil Health Partnership (SHP): The SHP is a National Corn Growers Association initiative that is helping me place an economic value on the use of cover crops and improving overall soil health.
Advice for other farmers: It’s never a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to implementing conservation practices. Try different things, talk to other farmers in your area and see what is going to work best on your farm.
Value of the Iowa Corn membership: Iowa Corn gives farmers a voice. We need people working on our behalf because we can’t do it all on our own, and that’s exactly what Iowa Corn is doing.
Read about the Ross family's conservation efforts in this article - Conservation for the Future of the Family Farm - that has appeared recently in National Geographic.