More counties added to watershed conservation program

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced the next phase of the watershed conservation program that uses practices upstream to improve water quality from the drinking water sources for thousands of central Iowans. Naig says the Cattle and Conservation Working Lands Program is expanding into 22 counties in the Greater Des Moines watershed.

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) says 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 – providing land and forage to support the growth of the US beef herd, while reducing soil erosion and improving water quality. Naig says the state is allocating one-and-a-half million dollars into the program over the next five years.

Greene County cattle producer Bill Fields says his area is now eligible for the cost-share.

The Ag Department says the cost structure is set up at 290 dollars an acre for converting cropped acres to hay and one-thousand ($1,000) dollars an acre for converting cropped acres to pasture. Producers can apply by contacting the local USDA Farm Service Agency office.