Working Lands Project: Growing Healthy Pastures 11-18-2025
When Iowa cattleman Lee Arnold first heard about the Cattle and Conservation Working Lands Project, the timing wasn’t quite right to enroll his operation. However, a few years later, when Arnold was faced with a dried-up water source and a growing interest in regenerative grazing, he revisited the idea of participating in the project.
Arnold, a cattle producer and corn grower in west central Iowa, found the program to be just what he needed – a flexible, farmer-friendly program that is helping improve the health of his pastures and forage for his cattle.
Through the Cattle and Conservation Working Lands Project in Carroll County, Arnold built two ponds, added interior fencing, and installed watering systems to facilitate a rotational grazing system. The ponds capture runoff water from about 45 acres of surrounding cropland and the grazing system allows the herd to graze longer into the season while also providing paddocks with much needed rest between moves. Arnold also inter-seeded legumes to increase plant diversity and improve forage availability for his herd.
Arnold says the project has offered several benefits to his land and livestock, including increased forage growth and improved water quality. “A wider variety of grasses are returning to the pastures, creating a more resilient forage system, and the pasture doubles as a buffer strip – filtering nutrients and catching runoff,” says Arnold. “Finally, due to the higher quality of forage and water, our cattle are thriving. We are seeing heavier weaning weights and better conception rates, and, in the future, we’ll be able to build up our stocking rate and graze longer – leading to big savings.”
Arnold is a fan of the program, especially its simplicity and flexibility. “There’s not one negative to the program. The staff make it easy and help tailor everything to fit your operation.”
Looking ahead, Arnold remains optimistic about the future. “With help from the Working Lands Project, we’re going to make the land better and better, and keep it in production. I hope my grandson is running it someday.”
Cattle and Conservation Working Lands Project
The Cattle and Conservation Working Lands Project is a collaborative effort – led by local Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) with financial support from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) – to boost the resilience of livestock operations while advancing Iowa’s nutrient-reduction and water quality goals. The project works with livestock producers and landowners to convert less profitable cropland into forage-based uses such as hay or pasture, and promotes cover crops, grade-stabilization structures, enhanced grazing systems and other conservation practices. The Working Lands Project, which was initially launched in Taylor County in 2017, has expanded to eight Iowa counties, including Page, Woodbury, Cherokee, Ida, Guthrie, Carroll and Adams – supported in part by NRCS’s Regional Conservation Partnership. To date, the Working Lands Project has supported conversion of more than 15,000 acres of cropland to hay or pasture, and the adoption of more than 180,000 acres of cover crops. For more information on the Cattle and Conservation Working Lands Project, contact your local Soil and Water Conservation District.
