The Iowa Seed Association’s collaboration with Heartland Co-op is continuing for the second year to provide dedicated outreach and technical assistance for edge-of-field water quality practices including bioreactors and saturated buffers. The first year of the collaboration supported forty saturated buffers and sixteen bioreactors in the Big Creek and Lower Cedar River watersheds. Bids have been received and contractors selected to begin construction. According to Will Hoffman, a Conservation Agronomist for Heartland Co-op, these structures will drain a total of 3,486 acres and remove an average of 41,831 pounds of nitrogen annually.
This spring marks the second year of collaboration. Hoffman and other Conservation Agronomists from Heartland Co-op have identified and surveyed over 100 tile outlets in the Middle Cedar River watershed in Tama, Grundy, and Black Hawk counties. Pending site feasibility and landowner approvals, final engineering designs will begin soon.
This collaboration utilizes the Iowa Seed Corn Cover Crops Initiative and funding from the Iowa Department of Ag & Land Stewardship to provide 100% cost-share for the design and construction of structures. Private funds are raised from the Iowa Seed Association and agribusinesses to support Heartland’s outreach and technical assistance.
