David Voigts.

It is good at the start of a new year to look back for positive environmental stories. Especially noteworthy this year are two locally-led, cost-sharing projects that demonstrate the compatibility between cattle and conservation. They are Iowa’s Cattle and Conservation Working Lands Project, supported in eight counties (Taylor, Page, Woodbury, Cherokee, Ida, Guthrie, Carroll, Adams) by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and other partners, and a similar program sponsored by the Practical Farmers of Iowa. Both have the goal of boosting livestock operations while advancing Iowa’s nutrient-reduction and water quality goals.

Central to the projects is the seeding of perennial native grasses and other forage vegetation on unprofitable marginal cropland. Once the vegetation is established, rotational grazing gives the plants a chance to recover and prevent manure build-up. Ponds also can be constructed to water cattle and reduce run-off.

The results are cattle that thrive on a more resilient and higher quality forage while the pastures provide prairie habitat, sequester carbon, filter out nutrients, and catch runoff. Farmers have found that weaning weights are higher, cattle can graze longer in the season, and stocking rates are greater. This has led to increased profits.

The National Audubon Society is leading a similar Conservation Forage Program in North Dakota. This project has already restored over 10,000 acres of marginal croplands to critical grassland habitat and has the goal of restoring 18,000 acres. Audubon is also preparing to expand their Conservation Ranching initiative to Iowa. Let’s hope more farmers get involved in these win-win programs.

David Voigts is a retired ecologist and the current Conservation Chair for the Prairie Rapids Audubon Society. He is a Tama County native, graduating from Dinsdale High School, and lives in rural Jesup on his wife’s family farm.