Farmland Owner Panel: Lessons in Conservation
Farmland owners that want to prioritize conservation face a daunting first question—where do I start?
This panel discussion will feature two landowners that have implemented robust conservation practices and learned lessons along the way. Conversation will include insights on how they approached communication with their tenant farmers, navigated federal programs, sought information, and be followed by Q&A.
Jane Shey manages family-owned land in Kossuth County, Iowa and works to steward the land that has been in her family since 1964. Her tenant farmers primarily grow corn and soybeans, and she has also enrolled land in the Conservation Stewardship Program, Conservation Reserve Program and Wetland Reserve Program. They also participate in a state program for water retention ponds on farms. She is a founding member of Climate Land Leaders and has worked in federal and global agriculture policy, research and consulting.
Palma Strand owns farmland in Webster County, Iowa that once belonged to her grandparents. She stays engaged in its management from her home in Virginia. In working with her tenant farmers, who primarily grow row crops, she prioritizes relationships, communication, and building trust. She is Co-Founder and Research Director of Civity, and Emerita Professor at Creighton University.
Your kit will include a bottle containing 25 nitrate test strips which you can use to test your water source(s) throughout the year. You’ll also receive postcards explaining how to use your nitrate test strips and how to share your Nitrate Watch results on the Clean Water Hub.
Your kit will include four test strips so you can test your waterway throughout the season. You’ll also receive a chart to help you interpret your results and a postcard with instructions for completing a Salt Watch test and reporting your findings.