Secretary Naig Announces Major Expansion of Cattle and Conservation Working Lands Program to the Greater Des Moines Watershed 8-18-2026

Popular conservation cost-share program helps livestock farmers convert under-performing cropland into pasture and hay ground

DES MOINES, Iowa (Aug. 18, 2026) - Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig today announced the next phase of the Greater Des Moines Watershed Program — a targeted initiative to scale up the use of conservation practices upstream to improve water quality downstream.

Secretary Naig joined Bryan Whaley, CEO of the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association, and cattle producers from Calhoun, Pocahontas and Webster counties at the Cattlemen’s Beef Quarters at the Iowa State Fair to announce the expansion of the popular Cattle and Conservation Working Lands program into the 22 counties located within the Greater Des Moines watershed. In addition to increasing the program area, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) will add two more project coordinators to be stationed in Calhoun and Greene Counties to lead outreach and engagement with local cattle producers.

The cost-share program supports cattle and other livestock producers in converting under-performing or highly erodible acres of row crops into pasture and hay ground. This provides land and forage to support the growth of the U.S. beef herd, while reducing soil erosion and improving water quality.

“The Cattle and Conservation Working Lands Program is truly a win-win, balancing productivity while improving Iowa’s water quality and soil health,” said Secretary Naig. “By converting underperforming cropland into grazing land for cattle and other livestock, we can put every acre to its best use and keep working lands working. It's the right thing to do from an environmental perspective and it creates opportunities for young and beginning farmers, generates new revenue for landowners, and makes more land available to grow the cattle herd. Based on the program’s success in Iowa, I would like to see it become a model for reforming the federal CRP program.”

“Cattlemen have been stewards of the land for generations, and we take that responsibility seriously. The health of our soil and water, and improving them, has always been part of that responsibility,” said Bryan Whaley, CEO of the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association. “We’re grateful to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and Sec. Naig for the additional allocation of funding from the Farm to Faucet Program to expand the Iowa Cattle and Conservation Working Lands Program, which allows producers to enhance current practices and implement new efforts even quicker. As Iowa producers, we live here, raise our families here, and depend on these same water resources; we rely on clean water just as much as anyone. This is about building on the good work already happening on Iowa farms and giving producers the tools and support to do even more to improve our land and water.”

The Cattle and Conservation Working Lands Program started as a pilot project in Taylor County in 2016, then expanded to include Adams, Carroll, Cherokee, Guthrie, Ida, Page and Woodbury counties. Leveraging the bi-partisan Farm to Faucet funding passed during the 2026 Legislative session, this farmer-led conservation program is once again expanding to Audubon, Boone, Buena Vista, Calhoun, Clay, Dallas, Dickinson, Emmet, Greene, Hamilton, Hancock, Humboldt, Kossuth, Palo Alto, Pocahontas, Polk, Sac, Webster, Winnebago and Wright counties.

To date, IDALS has six project coordinators who have helped enroll more than 1,100 producers in the program. More than 16,000 acres of less-productive agricultural land have been converted from row crops to pasture and hay. Participating producers have also established more than 195,000 acres of cover crops, which help hold soil in place, filter nitrates and provide forage for livestock.

Producers in eligible counties who would like to enroll in the Cattle and Conservation Working Lands Program can visit their local USDA Service Center or visit costshare.iowaagriculture.gov.

Caption / Cutline: Secretary Naig (right), Bryan Whaley (center), and Greene County Cattleman Bill Fields (left) are flanked by cattle farmers from Calhoun, Pocahontas, and Webster Counties at the Cattlemen's Beef Quarters at the 2026 Iowa State Fair. Secretary Naig announced a significant expansion of popular Cattle and Conservation Working Lands program during the event.