Posted on August 23, 2016 at 8:00 AM by Iowa Corn
We just wrapped up Iowa Corn Day at the Iowa State Fair and are now getting ready for the Farm Progress Show, which is coming up on Aug. 30 - Sept. 1 in Boone. You should have received a postcard in the mail letting you know about our soil and water panel discussions each day during the show at 2 p.m at booth 26N. Come learn from Iowa Corn farmers and partner organizations and bring your postcard in exchange for a free ice cream treat! Be sure to check out the upcoming events and latest information that we have provided you below, as well as tips from Iowa corn farmers about measuring the success of cover crops in the farmer to farmer video.
Consumers want real facts from real people, like farmers, and transparency is a must. Transparency builds trusts with consumers and gives them the peace of mind in knowing that they are getting the accurate information straight from the source. If farmers don’t tell their stories, special interest groups will, so it’s important that your story gets out there first.
A common message has been that voluntary conservation guidelines are not cutting it when it comes to improving water quality. The problem is that, while farmers are making strides toward the improvement of the state’s water, it takes time and consumers don’t always realize that. Here are some key points you could share with them:
We’re making progress. According to Des Moines Water Works data, in the Raccoon River in Des Moines, average nitrate levels have gone down between 1994 and 2014.
A 2014 U.S. geological survey study of decades of nitrate concentration and flow data from 10 major Iowa rivers indicates that concentrations of nitrates decreased from 2000-2010 in all basins.
According to the Iowa DNR, the number of Iowa streams with self-sustaining trout populations has grown 9-fold since 1980.