2024 Conservation Drainage Network Annual Meeting

This is a must-attend event for anyone passionate about conservation drainage.

Targeted Outcomes:

  • Raise awareness of the importance of agricultural water management to farm profitability, local, regional, and national initiatives to advance soil health, water quality, watershed restoration, risk reduction and climate resiliency goals.
  • Strengthen understanding of drivers for practice implementation and identify impediments to conservation drainage practice adoption.
  • Prioritize information needs (i.e., research gaps) to address risks.
  • Understand how to advance conservation drainage as an integral component of managing food production, regenerative agriculture, and terrestrial water supplies under changing climate conditions.
  • Advance conservation drainage implementation.

ILF Webinar: Agricultural Climate Resilience through Water Management and Soil Conservation

This Iowa Learning Farm Conservation Webinar will feature Rick Cruse, professor of agronomy and director of the Iowa Water Center at Iowa State University. Cruse was raised on a farm in Northeast Iowa and has been engaged with Iowa farmers while working at Iowa State University for over 40 years. His research, teaching and extension efforts address management impacts on soil erosion, water and crop production.

Cruse will highlight factors and practices which affect agricultural climate resilience. He will focus on the importance of water and water management and discuss actions including draining excess water, capitalizing on water sourced from shallow groundwater, and maximizing water infiltration and storage through improving soil health.

“Water and water management are the most fundamental components of climate-resilient farm plans,” says Cruse. “We are eager to help Midwest farmers gain a better understanding of the underutilized water resources that they may already have and how those resources can substantially improve their climate resilience.”

Shortly before noon CST, click the link below or type this web address into your internet browser: https://iastate.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xtAwWXycQZW8iwtNLz34GA#/registration