(Photo credit: Iowa Soybean Association/Evan Brehm)
Get a firsthand look at conservation in action
March 27, 2025 | Kriss Nelson
This spring, two self-guided tours will highlight cover crops, tillage and various conservation methods.
Starting now through June, those interested in seeing firsthand spring cover crop and conservation management practices can take a tour of sites in Cherokee County in northwest Iowa and Benton, Linn and Iowa Counties in eastern Iowa.
“Seeing and learning what you can bring back to your own farm and to help motivate you to try cover crops this year is the biggest advantage of the tour,” says Ryan Johnson, Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) farmer member.
Eastern Iowa
Thirty sites make up the tour in Benton, Linn and Iowa Counties.
Evan Brehm, ISA conservation agronomist says the tour will feature various conservation practices from no-till, strip-till, cover crops and edge-of-field practices such as denitrifying bioreactors and wetlands that reduce nutrient runoff.
“This is an opportunity to showcase to farmers, landowners and the public what farmers are doing in regard to all conservation practices,” says Brehm.
The tour will allow visitors to compare a 20-year no-till farm with a first-year farm to demonstrate tillage management and will look different methods of cover crop applications and species.
“I encourage people to not just drive by and view the sites, but pull into the field entrance, see firsthand cover crops growing, tillage practices and more,” says Brehm.
The eastern Iowa Conservation in Action Tour map can be accessed here.
To be considered for a prize, capture a photo of a site on the tour and send it to Brehm at ebrehm@iasoybeans.com. For more information e-mail Brehm or call 319-310-5468.
Northwest Iowa
Throughout 25-miles in Cherokee County, site-seers will have an opportunity to view 19 sites featuring cover crops, as well as different tillage practices.
The self-guided tour will showcase a variety of cover crop application methods from drones to drills featuring cereal rye and multi-species mixes.
In some circumstances, at least 12 sites had planned on grazing the cover crops had they grown in the fall, which is a great way to make them pay and get guys started with cover crops when you can match cover crops with grazing livestock. Some sites were planted last fall with intentions of winter kill, meaning no plans for growth this spring. Other fields will be terminated later this spring, allowing visitors to see that process.
“In the cases of winter kill cover crops, you may not see much growth, just what may have grown last fall,” says Johnson. “With a dry fall, if those did not germinate, they might this spring, so it will be interesting to watch what happens there.”
A map of the Cherokee County cover crop tour can be found here.
Have questions regarding the Cherokee County tour or interested in learning more? Reach out to Mike Gilman, senior conservation program manager at 515-577-5600 or mgilman@iasoybeans.com.
To learn more about choosing the right cover crop species and methods for your farm, refer to ISA’s Guide to Successful Cover Crops.
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