Justin and Beth Jordan, Iowa Learning Farms farmer partners and Warren County residents, started farming in 2000. Justin grew up farming and working in construction alongside his dad and grandpa, saving up the funds to buy his first farm right out of high school. Today the Jordans raise corn, soybeans, and hay and rent pasture ground to a neighbor. In addition to farming, Justin works as a city building inspector and is a Marion County Soil and Water Conservation District Commissioner.
After making his first land purchase, Justin noticed erosion issues and knew he would need to make some changes to how he managed the land. He utilized different cost-share programs to build terraces and rebuild waterways. These practices helped start the transformation, but Justin knew more could be done. “A lot of my erosion was due to low organic matter in the soil,” said Justin, “I started no-tilling to preserve the soil, but noticed during big rains erosion was still happening.”
In 2007, all the acres Justin farms were switched to a no-till system, and he continued looking for more ways to boost the organic matter content. He started using cover crops under a Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) contract and changed the type of fertilizer used. Now his erosion issues are gone, and the land has great water infiltration. “I’ve learned how to take a farm and transform it; boosting its organic matter and making it more productive at the same time,” said Justin.
Another way Justin has added conservation to the farm is by rotating small areas in and out of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Not only does this help stop erosion and boost organic matter in the soil, but it also adds wildlife habitat. Something he initially wasn’t passionate about, but now can’t imagine not having an area for wildlife. “We want to create a place where we all work together,” said Beth and Justin. “There’s a balance between raising food, having wildlife, and preserving the prairie remnants.”
The Jordans have seen great success in the last 20 years and have learned a lot. In the last couple of years, Justin has started managing his dad’s land and implementing conservation practices. He has adapted his process and is adding grass strips instead of terraces this time around. He is making this switch because his focus is on fixing the soil health first resulting in less erosion issues. With this approach he will be able to mow and bale the grass strips instead of taking that land out of production.
Justin works to incorporate practices that meet his goal of zero erosion while watching the bottom line. He is cognizant of time requirements, cost of practices, and just what works best on that piece of land. “In farming there is no one size fits all and that is the same for conservation practices,” stated Justin, “What works for me might not work for someone in Kansas, Maine, or even my neighbor.”
The CLL is providing the opportunity to examine how in-field conservation practices impact nutrient loss at the scale at which water and nutrients are delivered to the stream. Through one-on-one meetings with farmers to complete the conservation planning process, the project team has helped these farmers implement cover crops, strip-tillage and CRP on their land. Pre-implementation and preliminary post-implementation water quality data will be shared from ongoing monitoring within the project areas.
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