August 2018 Stewardship Advocate Update

Posted on August 21, 2018 at 2:10 PM by Iowa Corn

Monthly Update From Ben Gleason, Iowa Corn Sustainable Programs Manager

The Iowa State Fair recently wrapped up and Iowa Corn spent a lot of time supporting our livestock partners including showing at the Governor’s Charity Steer Show, volunteering at the Pork Tent and showcasing corn-fed meat during our scavenger hunt.

Modern livestock farming methods have been subject to nuisance lawsuits for many years. Recently, a case in North Carolina drew a lot of attention because of the huge compensation ($473 million) owed by Smithfield Foods to six neighbors of three North Carolina hog farms. While this is very concerning, the laws and production practices in North Carolina are very different from Iowa.

Fortunately, Iowa Corn and many partners formed the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers (CSIF) to help Iowa livestock farmers find appropriate sites for new livestock facilities, properly expand existing sites, neighbor relations and more.

Now is a great time to prepare for planting a windbreak around livestock facilities. If a building can’t be seen from the road, it probably can’t be smelled either. CSIF’s Green Farmstead Partner Program is a great resource for windbreaks, and all livestock farmers big and small are eligible for the program. The DNR state forest nursery is a great place to buy seedlings and fall orders begin processing in October.

Before you get busy with harvest, be sure to stop by the NRCS office to apply for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). This cost share program provides financial and technical assistance for just about any conservation practice including cover crops, no till, terraces and more. The next batching date is October 19 so be sure to apply so that you’re considered for the next round of funding.