INVESTING CHECKOFF DOLLARS
Corey McKinney, Iowa Soybean Association
TARGETING FARMER OUTREACH New grants expand watershed plan implementation BY CAROL BROWN
T
he Environmental Programs and Services (EPS) team at the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) follows a strategy to help Iowa soybean farmers improve natural resource management while improving their competitiveness. Working closely with farmers and engaging with government agencies, organizations and companies, the EPS team works to achieve the goals of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy (INRS) through watershed and farm conservation planning and water monitoring. In 2018, EPS worked on more than 35 projects across Iowa. These
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initiatives assisted farmers directly and addressed their concerns including nutrient loss and reduction, water quality and soil health, conservation drainage, habitat preservation and farm sustainability.
Exploring watershed diffusion hubs
In partnership with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS), ISA will develop and deploy a strategy to transform current watershed plans and projects into “hubs of diffusion.” Through a grant from the Walton Family Foundation, the project team — consisting of representatives from
EPS and IDALS — will evaluate the current implementation progress of specific watershed plans and identify diffusion hub opportunities. The diffusion hubs will be focused around advanced watershed implementation projects that can expand innovation and investment into surrounding watersheds. These core watersheds will have already achieved some success in watershed project plans and conservation practice adoption. Roger Wolf, EPS director, will lead the development of a moderate watershed planning methodology to guide the identified diffusion hubs.
