Clean Water in Iowa Starts Here Tour Stops in Martensdale

Campaign encourages all Iowans to take an active role in improving water quality

DES MOINES, Iowa (Oct. 7, 2020) – The Clean Water in Iowa Starts Here tour will visit Jeff and Wanda Buer’s family farm near Martensdale, Iowa, today. The stop, hosted by Agri Drain Corporation, highlights the Buer family’s commitment to enhancing their land and increasing productivity while practicing environmental stewardship.

The Buer family purchased the farm in the early 1980s in the midst of the farm crisis.

“At an early age, we involved our three children to teach them we can improve our land by investing in it to increase yields, all while being environmentally responsible,” said Jeff Buer.

Buer recalls the land was flat, bottom ground. A few years later, the Buer family pattern-tiled the field and installed a drainage water management system, which included water-level control structures.

“Farmers know the value of drainage tile but many don’t know you can keep the water in the field, which is especially important in a year like this when it’s so dry,” added Buer.

“Iowa is home to some of the richest, most fertile soil in the world, but farmers will always have to overcome obstacles that are completely out of our control, like the weather,” said Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig. “Being able to manage field moisture levels on productive acres throughout the growing season gives farmers a huge production advantage and helps improve water quality. The Buer family and Iowa-based company Agri Drain are great examples of Iowa’s agriculture innovation and leadership at work.”

The Buers plan to automate their drainage control structures down the road so they can remotely manage their systems. This will help ensure proper moisture levels in the soil while reducing nutrient loss and risks associated with drought and excessive moisture.

“Low commodity prices, high land values and input costs, along with challenging weather conditions makes farming a stressful, risky business. Farmers take steps to reduce financial and environmental risks, and to improve efficiency and profitability thru best management practices and on-farm investments in their operations, on a daily basis,” said Charlie Schafer, President of Agri Drain Corporation. “Subsurface drainage is one of the best investments farmers can make in their land to ensure long-term profitability in their farming operation as they deal with extreme weather events and variability in rainfall. The Buer family farm is a great example of landowners using new practices and technologies to improve yields and reduce nutrient loss. We appreciate the Buer’s commitment to conservation and to the future of farming here in Iowa.

About the Clean Water in Iowa Starts Here Campaign

The Clean Water in Iowa Starts Here campaign, created by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) and Newsradio 1040 WHO, aims to raise awareness about the conservation work underway across Iowa, and encourages all Iowans to get personally involved in water quality activities.  

The Big Show will visit locations throughout Iowa showcasing the people and practices that are having a positive and measurable impact on water quality. The conversations with farmers, landowners, business operators and conservation leaders will be broadcast Wednesdays on The Big Show airing 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. on WHO and 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. on WMT.

The implementation of conservation practices isn’t limited to rural areas. Urban residents can do their part by keeping leaves, grass clippings and other yard debris out of the street and gutters and slowing runoff and recycling rainwater through rain barrels, rain gardens and swales. These practices act as a filter for oil, fertilizer and other pollutants to prevent them from running into the storm drains. Seeding pollinator habitats and properly disposing of paints, solvents and metals also have a positive impact on water quality.

Clean Water in Iowa Starts Here campaign partners include Agri-Drain, Hagie Manufacturing, Hands on Excavating, Heartland Co-op, Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance, Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowa Pork Producers Association, Iowa Soybean Association, Land Improvement Contractors of America, Montag Manufacturing, and The Nature Conservancy. 

To learn more about the campaign and conservation practices that can be implemented, go to CleanWaterIowa.org/CleanWaterStartsHere.

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