How a Conservation Culture Was Born

Washington County, Iowa, has consistently been one of the highest performing counties for cover crop acres in Iowa. The reputation of farmers there goes back decades, when several prominent families started no-tilling and shared their experiences with each other, helping each other learn. With no-till mastered, many added conservation practices on from there, such as cover crops and  bioreactors to mop up excess nutrients and keep them from polluting local waterways. Others went on to integrate livestock into their operations, as part of a more regenerative system, and sought to diversify their crops beyond corn and soy. Washington County happens to be where Field Work’s Mitchell Hora hails from. He and co-host Zach Johnson sought to figure out exactly how Washington County’s conservation culture came about so that others can learn from it. 

We'll collect all of the episodes, videos and more about what they learned in Washington County on this page.

Episodes

• Twilight in Washington County

• Mudholes in March

• The Bleeding Edge

• Carrying the Conservation Torch

• The Magical Dividing Line Between Counties

• A Winning Personality?

Video

• Zach and Mitchell’s Excellent Conservation Adventure

• Mr. Johnson Goes to Washington (County, That Is)

• Steve Berger: Conservation as Competitive Advantage

This project is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, working for solutions so nature and people can thrive together.

Photo at top: Jon Reynolds | VENN for Field Work