Widespread adoption of edge-of-field (EOF) practices—such as saturated buffers, bioreactors, and water quality enhancement wetlands—is vital to achieving the goal of 45% nutrient reduction outlined in the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy. However, few farmers in the state have embraced EOF practices on their land—the Decoding Iowa Farmers’ Understanding of Edge-of-Field Conservation Practices project investigates why. Over 1,000 farmers and landowners across five different HUC-8 watersheds in the Des Moines Lobe shared their perceptions and concerns about EOF practices in two rounds of surveys.
Be sure to check out the summary below and the full report and infographic today.
PROCEEDING WITH CAUTION
Lack of understanding of various aspects of EOF practices makes farmers and landowners uncertain and reluctant to adopt them:
EOF Practices Themselves: EOF practices are newer practices, rooted in recent scientific advancements. Farmers and landowners have little experience with how the practices work and how to maintain them.
Environmental Benefits: Saturated buffers and water quality enhancement wetlands offer multiple benefits—improving water quality and wildlife habitat—whereas bioreactors only benefit water quality. None of these EOF practices are designed to enhance soil health.
Governmental Regulations: More than a third of farmers surveyed are apprehensive about bureaucratic “red tape” involved with adopting conservation practices.
Additional outreach—and more effective outreach—are critical to increased EOF adoption.
KEYS TO SUCCESS
The project identified five keys to success to increasing edge-of-field practice adoption:
Farmers respond well to clear, visual, and succinct resources.
Well-designed, easily digestible content is more effective than traditional narrative formats.
Infographics are particularly effective among farmers who have not previously participated in government conservation programs.
Including wildlife benefits on the infographics increased the likelihood farmers would adopt the practice, but was less effective in video format.
Outside of infographics, farmers prefer to hear about new practices from other farmers. Videos featuring farmers were more effective than those featuring extension professionals.
Based upon Decoding Iowa Farmers’ Understanding of Edge-of-Field Conservation Practices: Evidence from Two Surveys in 2022 and 2023, this publication is a collaboration of the Conservation Learning Group and Center for Agricultural and Rural Development at Iowa State University, with support from the Iowa Nutrient Research Center, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship-State Soil Conservation and Water Quality Committee, and Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture.
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