April 25th through May 2nd is designated as Iowa Soil and Water Conservation Week. It’s labeled as an opportunity to recognize the importance of conservation work within the Iowa landscape and contributions made by farmers, landowners, and urban residents to the protection of the state’s soil and water resources. Iowa currently leads the nation in continuous conservation reserve program buffer initiatives with more than 600,000 acres and more than 60 active watershed and water quality projects across the state.

Washington County specifically is known as Iowa’s “cover crop capitol.” According to the Washington Soil and Water Conservation District, area farmers and landowners should be proud of their progress made so far and continue to adopt new conservation practices. They thank all who have participated in these practices and wish everyone a happy Conservation Week.