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The Simple Ag Fix That's Saving Iowa's Land I OC Digital Page 2 of 3
<br /> Reduced soil loss and fertilizer runoff,increased wildlife
<br /> The project,cleverly titled STRIPS(Science-based Trials of Rowcrops Integrated with Prairie Strips),began in 2007
<br /> Prairie strips were planted along with corn and soybeans on the refuge,particularly on slopes near watersheds,
<br /> areas where water collects
<br /> Researchers began documenting benefits in 2008."We were able to measure responses right away,'says Moore,
<br /> who is the STRI PS communications lead"The prairie strips were able to slow down water moving across farm
<br /> fields,which can be erosive.It also kept nutrients in the field so they didn't become pollutants in waterways,and
<br /> there were increases in wildlife,birds,and insects
<br /> The STRIPS team found that convertingjust 10 percent of a crop field into perennial prairie can reduce soil loss by
<br /> 95 percent,phosphorus loss by 90 percent and nitrogen loss by almost 85 percent.Soil loss,phosphorus,and F,DPG2T Tr'E RE_,OLUTI&;E
<br /> nitrogen are three main causes of water pollution in Iowa Excess nitrogen running off Midwest farms is also a BALANCE YOUR LIFE!
<br /> leading cause of the"dead zone"that appears in the Gulf of Mexico each year In terms of biodiversity,there was
<br /> also a four-fold increase in native plant species,a doubling of bird species,and an increase of pollinators with the
<br /> prairie strips DOWNLOAD e ;e O K
<br /> Moore describes these as"disproportionate"benefits,meaning significant benefits can be realized by plantingjust a
<br /> small amount of prairie—and without impacting crop yields Bringing Balance To:
<br /> Your home.What you eat(5 new recipes!;
<br /> The benefits are starting to be backed by published research A recent study published in the Journal of How you shop•Helping the planet
<br /> Environmental Quality found that prairie strips can remove nitrates,which pol lute waterways,from cropland runoff Approaching stress
<br /> over long periods of time
<br /> Moore says she and her fellow researchers are excited about the possibilities of STRIPS."With some science
<br /> projects,the results will just sit on a shelf,"she says"But with this,we have a project where the science has legs,
<br /> and it's really exciting to be part of this."
<br /> Strong farmer interest in STRIPS
<br /> For the next phase,the STRIPS team moved the project to farmers'fields across Iowa to see if the benefits could be
<br /> replicated.
<br /> There is strong interest among farmers in the project"They are saying,'I feel good about this practice,"'Moore
<br /> says"Farmers are interested in keeping soil on their lands and pollutants out of waterways"
<br /> The first on-farm STRIPS project started in 2013,that grew to nine last year and will expand to twenty-three this
<br /> year.
<br /> "This has been a good fit for a lot of farmers,"says Tim Youngquist,field coordinator for STRIPS,who works with
<br /> the farmers"They've known in their hearts that they want to do something to improve the land"
<br /> Gary Guthrie,a farmer in Story County,Iowa,says he got"super excited"when he heard about the STRIPS project
<br /> "Prairie strips fit with what we want to do,building diversity with insects and bees;"he says."I've seen the result of
<br /> soil devastation,and that informed my decision also"
<br /> Guthrie will plant four 30-foot-wide prairie strips this year on his 145-acre farm.
<br /> Farmers from neighboring states such as Nebraska,Minnesota,Michigan.the Dakotas,and Wisconsin are also
<br /> inquiring about the project
<br /> "We're getting more interest than we can handle;"Youngquist says
<br /> STRIPS is also getting national attention,food writer Mark Bittman recently praised the project in a column for the
<br /> New York Times
<br /> Ag and environmental groups find common ground on STRIPS
<br /> STRIPS is a rare initiative where opposite ends ofthe spectrum—conventional agricultural and environmental
<br /> groups—find common ground.The Iowa Soybean Association and Iowa Corn Growers Association,along with The
<br /> Nature Conservancy and Iowa Environmental Council,as well as other state and regional groups,all support the
<br /> project.
<br /> What is the long-term goal of STRIPS?The project's team will continue to document the benefits and hopefully
<br /> attract more farmers,who are key to its success
<br /> "We would like that prairie strips become a common practice on farms across the Corn Belt;"Moore says.
<br /> According to one estimate,nearly one million acres of prairie strips could be planted in Iowa Not a complete
<br /> restoration but a huge improvement over 0.1 percent
<br /> http://organicconnectmag.com/proj ect/the-simple-a8 2ix-thats-saving-iowas-land/?utm_sour... 4/1/2015
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