December 2019 Stewardship Advocate

Posted on December 23, 2019 at 7:45 AM by Iowa Corn

MONTHLY UPDATE FROM BEN GLEASON, IOWA CORN SUSTAINABLE PROGRAMS MANAGER

Merry Christmas!

While Iowa snowbirds are finishing their migration south, the monarch butterfly arrived in its Mexico wintering grounds months ago. Unfortunately, the monarch is in trouble, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will decide one year from now whether to list the species as endangered potentially unleashing regulations to protect the species. These regulations could seriously affect herbicide and insecticide use.

The good news is that a variety of habitat restoration efforts have been taken across all land uses including urban and rural. We need to document these efforts by May 2020 so the Fish and Wildlife Service can take them into account in its listing decision. Here are a few options to have your efforts count:

The monarch caterpillars only feed on milkweed, making it an important plant for habitat restorations.

In other news, there are a couple cost share programs with upcoming deadlines:

The Iowa Department of Agriculture is offering a $5 per acre reduction on 2020 crop insurance premiums to those who planted cover crops this fall. The deadline to apply is January 15, 2020. Click here for more information.
The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) general sign up is open until February. This is a great opportunity to get paid for environmental benefits while retiring unproductive land. Click here for more information.

Finally, be sure to find Iowa Corn at these and other events this winter:

Visit us at the WMT Ag Expo on January 7-8 in Cedar Rapids and get a free nitrate test kit, rain gauge, and more!
Attend one of our two seminars at the Iowa Power Farming Show on January 28-29 at 11 am featuring tenants and landowners discussing how they work together to implement conservation practices that benefit both parties. The seminars will be followed by free lunch and networking. Email me for free admission tickets!

Happy New Year!