In conjunction with The Nature Conservancy, CF promotes 4R Plus to encourage Iowa farmers to adopt on-farm conservation and nutrient stewardship practices to improve soil health and water quality.
4R Plus provides information and resources to speed the adoption of practices to maintain a voluntary approach to reduce nutrient losses. After all, CF wants its products used as they were intended by helping farmers maintain sustainable farming practices for this generation and the next.
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RIGHTFarmers are encouraged to use 4R nutrient stewardship because it’s good for the environment and their bottom line.
“I have implemented a no-till system to minimize disturbance to the soil and have added cover crops to improve organic matter to help with erosion. To have a long future in farming, I knew I had to do some things differently.”
Theo Bartman, Sioux County“I utilize no-till and strip-till to improve soil structure; cover crops improve soil health and recycle nutrients. I use the 4Rs to keep the nutrients where they do the most good. A prescribed nutrient stewardship plan maximizes the nutrient use for the crops.”
Doug Adams, Humboldt County“I tell people it’s a myth that yields suffer in a no-till seedbed. I don’t want my yields to go backwards, and they haven’t. I do an extensive year-end review with my crop adviser to make sure my yields are in the top 10% for this area, and each year I’m assured my goal is achieved.”
Tim Daly, Dubuque County“We are more interested in placing the fertilizer where it’s needed, when it’s needed and at a prescribed rate to feed the kernel instead of the entire plant. This practice is best for the crop and helps us get the most out of our investment.”
Mark Heckman, Muscatine County“Being in this part of the state is more incentive to add conservation practices to save the soil. It bothers me how much tillage is still happening on the sloping Iowa landscape. No-till helps minimize yield variability. It’s possible to grow high-yield corn on steep ground if you take care of it.”
Curt Mether, Harrison and