The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s Cattle and Conservation Working Lands Project is demonstrating that cattle and conservation can work together. The innovative water quality program is gaining momentum and producing notable results in Iowa.

The goal of the project, which is currently active in eight Iowa counties, is to convert non-productive land to productive land while also providing water quality benefits to the state of Iowa.

Through the project, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and partners work with farmers and livestock producers to implement whole grazing systems, which may include fencing, water systems, heavy use areas, brush management and pasture interseeding. Additional conservation practices include critical area plantings, grade stabilization structures, access control, waste storage facilities, windbreaks, shelterbelts and more.

The Cattle and Conservation Working Lands Project, which initially started as a locally-led grassroots effort of Soil and Water Conservation Districts, cattle producers, and representatives from state and federal agencies, encourages landowners to integrate forage-based crops, such as pasture and hay, in areas where row crops are less profitable. The project also promotes cover crops to improve water quality, prevent soil erosion and provide forage for livestock.

Launched in Taylor County in 2017, the first-of-its-kind project has expanded steadily, adding Page County in 2022, and further expanding to Carroll, Guthrie, Cherokee, Ida and Woodbury Counties in 2023. In 2024, across all seven counties, 220 producers converted 5,580 acres to hay or grazing, and they seeded more than 44,000 acres of cover crops. Adams County joined the project in 2024, and landowners in additional counties have expressed interest in participating.

“The project provides an opportunity to grow our livestock herds, which is good for Iowa’s economy, while also improving soil health and making progress toward our Nutrient Reduction Strategy goals,” said Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig. “We continue to set records for conservation adoption in Iowa, and this project is helping to build that momentum.”

Learn more about the Cattle and Conservation Working Lands Project and other soil health and water quality projects across the state at CleanWaterIowa.org.