Veterans Affairs - Have You Heard

Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2024

By Brandon Clough, Natural Resource Specialist

In Iowa, conservation of natural resources and agriculture can sometimes be seen as opposites.

However, in an agriculturally-dominated region, we need to find ways to better partner with neighbors to assist in achieving mutual goals – specifically, a healthy rural Story County for current and future generations – making it a great place to live, work, and recreate. The following are a few examples of our expanded efforts in partnering with local producers: 

SCC partnered with Mark Tjernagel of Roland this spring to graze cattle at Carroll Prairie (north of Nevada) from April to June. This was a first for Story County Conservation (SCC). 

The cattle grazed on undesired cool-season grasses (smooth brome and reed canary grass), setting them back. These grasses have an advantage over native species because they green up earlier in spring than most native plants, crowding them out. Grazing leveled the playing field, allowing space for native plants and diversifying the habitat. 

The grazed landscape will include more flowering plants than before, attracting insects which feed wildlife - including pheasants! Grazing is also less destructive than other management methods - the cattle left ungrazed patches of refuge for birds to nest. Following the grazing period, the property’s remnant prairie looks the best it has in years! 

Restoring prairie at the newly-acquired Deppe Family Conservation Area has taken a different approach. Ninety-five acres at this property were planted with soybeans this summer through partnership with Chance Flynn of Fernald. This grassland was dominated with smooth brome. The goal of this project was to terminate it so a diverse native prairie can be planted to provide better habitat for wildlife. Flynn used a no-till planting practice, drilling soybeans directly into the green grass and later terminating it with herbicide. This fall, Flynn will plant a cover crop. These conservation-minded practices, in addition to the existing terraces installed by the Deppe family decades ago, will limit our impact to the property’s soil health and water quality of the adjacent river, while the restoration process continues. 

Row cropping also took place at Hickory Grove Park this year, through partnership with the Nevada FFA Chapter. During the lake renovation in 2019, sediments removed from the lake were deposited to a spoil site for future prairie establishment. The sediment contained seeds of invasive and undesired plants, and grew into a blanket of Canada thistle and reed canary grass. Planting prairie into this seed bank was futile, and the best option was to create a blank canvas to plant prairie into by terminating all vegetation.

SCC enlisted the help of Nevada FFA, creating a valuable partnership for both students and SCC’s prairie goals. FFA advisor Kevin Cooper and students spent many hours removing debris from the uneven spoil to ensure it wouldn’t be a problem for farm equipment. Steve, Jim, and Owen Wilson then prepared the soil and planted 11 acres  of soybeans, donated by Kolln Seed Sales – Pioneer Seed. This low-stakes learning experience provided FFA members a lesson in both agriculture and conservation.

Nevada FFA plans to farm the site again next year. SCC will then follow with a new prairie seeding the following dormant season. A cover crop will be planted this fall.  

For several years, SCC has partnered with Deb Finch of Collins to graze goats in various SCC parks. The lease agreement is mutually beneficial: goats eat for free, while SCC gets cheap labor. They defoliate undesired brush, consuming thorns and even poison ivy. This provides sunlight to the understory below, giving way to native grasses and forbs. Goat grazing efforts have focused on savanna and woodland restoration efforts at Christiansen Forest Preserve, Hickory Grove Park, Robison Wildlife Acres and more over the years.

SCC has partnered with multiple tenants to hay in SCC parks. One example was at Christiansen Forest Preserve near Huxley. As part of a prairie reconstruction practice, SCC needed to terminate the current grasses. Rather than mowing the area, we enlisted help from a tenant to hay it. This provided SCC staff with vegetation that was at a more desirable height and growth stage for spraying. 

All of these practices have saved SCC time and resources while supporting local producers and our rural economy. They exemplify how conservation and agricultural professionals can partner to improve wildlife habitat, plant diversity, and water quality while yielding positive agricultural outcomes.