Your Partners in On-Farm Conservation

Your Partners in On-Farm Conservation

By Kriss Nelson, knelson@iasoybeans.com

The Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) takes pride in being a trusted resource in conservation for farmers.

"We work with farmers one-on-one on conservation-related issues that make sense for their operations," says Todd Sutphin, ISA conservation services and program lead. "Whether it's offering technical assistance, guiding implementation or even supporting applied research, we meet farmers where they are at and help move them toward solutions."

Sutphin leads the strategic development and implementation of conservation programs for the Iowa Soybean Association's Research Center for Farming Innovation (RCFI). With 23 years at ISA, he's witnessed firsthand the growth in both implementation and funding for conservation practices.

"ISA has played a huge role in shaping the landscape in Iowa and how water quality is being addressed at the farm scale," he says.

According to Sutphin, it's like a three-legged stool, balanced on productivity, profitability and sustainability.

"Farmers already focus on productivity and profitability every day," he says. "ISA's Conservation Services and Program Team's role is to bring in the sustainability leg, helping farmers stay productive and profitable while protecting their land and water.”

Success stories

Innovation has been key to building ISA's strong foundation of conservation achievements.

"After all, 'innovation' is part of our name," says Sutphin. "Through the Research Center for Farming Innovation, ISA is positioned to identify and explore emerging conservation practices."

There have been some big milestones. One of the few commodity groups in the country to operate a certified water monitoring lab, ISA has long led efforts to improve water quality and conservation practices.

It was among the first to place conservation agronomists in ag retail, connecting farmers with trusted advisors where they already do business. Early efforts also included the construction of bioreactors, oxbow restorations and drainage water management practices. That leadership continues today through support for watershed planning and the design of wetlands, buffers, pollinator habitats and other water quality solutions.

ISA's goal is to help farmers adopt and explore proven strategies that protect natural resources and improve long-term productivity.

"Looking toward the future, when a farmer's thinking about conservation in Iowa, I want them to think about ISA and reaching out to us for help," says Sutphin. "I truly believe that agronomy and conservation can work hand in hand on anyone's farm. There are opportunities for success on both sides."

Mike Gilman, senior conservation program manager

What experience do you bring as a senior conservation program manager?

I grew up on a farm near Creston and bring over 25 years of experience in agriculture, agronomy, sales and management. This background helps me connect with farmers and focus on what matters most to their operations.

In my previous position, which offered precision agronomy consulting, I had a strong focus on field-level conservation. After two years at ISA leading the conservation agronomy team, I have gained great insight into on-farm conservation and a deep understanding of the details of many programs we work with.

What do you offer Iowa soybean farmers?

I work closely with our team of conservation agronomists. We connect with farmers to discuss their conservation goals for their farm and the agronomics behind in-field conservation practices that could fit into their farming operations. Practices include cover crops, no-till, strip-till and nutrient management.

I also offer support on edge-of-field practices, such as bioreactors, saturated buffers and oxbows, by tapping into other experts on our ISA conservation team. The conservation agronomists and I are well-versed in various cost-share opportunities and conservation programs available from public and private sources. We can share data-driven insights and research findings by tapping into our research, agronomy, analytics and insights teams.

We strive to work collaboratively with many other partners. My work involves close partnerships with agricultural retailers across the state. I am engaged in building and leveraging a network of conservation agronomists through our work with the Agriculture's Clean Water Alliance (ACWA). I am also engaged with Practical Farmers of Iowa on a cover crop business accelerator program to grow cover crop businesses across the state.

What are some goals you would like to achieve in your position?

Imagine the day when half of Iowa's row crop acres are seeded with cover crops. Currently, about 4 million of Iowa's roughly 24 million row crop acres use cover crops. Reaching 12 million acres would be a major milestone.

My goal is to help Iowa soybean farmers improve their farms' productivity, profitability and long-term sustainability by integrating conservation practices that benefit both the bottom line and the environment. I help them as they work to leave the land better than they found it for future generations.

Evan Brehm, conservation agronomist

What experience do you bring as a conservation agronomist?

Each year, inputs like fertilizer, seed, scouting and maintenance demand thousands of dollars per acre. With a background in ag retail, I understand the need to grow high-yielding crops while keeping farm businesses running. Conservation shouldn't come at a higher cost per acre.

Working with a start-up company in carbon credits and sustainability, I observed that conservation practices were feasible while yielding both financial and environmental benefits. Over the past few years, ISA has trained the conservation agronomist team on cost-share programs, made local connections with Natural Resources Conservation Service and Farm Service Agency offices, and evolved to make the conservation agronomist team field-ready for Iowa farmers.

What do you offer Iowa soybean farmers?

At RCFI, we collaborate to identify questions for farmers through research trial results and innovative ideas, striving to enhance benefits for farming operations in the state. Our conservation agronomist network extends beyond ISA, where we collectively work with private companies, government agencies and non-profit organizations to achieve high goals. Through these connections, our conservation agronomist network finds cost-share programs, 100% funded opportunities, alternative ecosystem services programming funds, new products and more.

What are some goals you would like to achieve in your position?

I'm continuing to build our current relationship in eastern Iowa with the City of Cedar Rapids, where urban and rural areas support each other. Our work with city employees on the Middle Cedar Regional Conservation Partnership Program displays how this can be done. More than 400,000 acres of cover crops and more than 100 edge-of-field practices are in place in the Middle Cedar alone. Without the City of Cedar Rapids and our partners, this never would have happened. I want to continue the upward trend in cover crop acres and edge-of-field practices in years to come. I want to expand this positive relationship statewide to show how urban and rural communities are all in this together to enhance and sustain our most valuable resource: water.

We continue to work closely with our ag retailer partners and expand conservation in eastern Iowa to these locations. Ag retailers hold the relationships with their customers. ISA integration with ag retailers has been successful.

While achieving these goals, we remain dedicated to serving our farmers. Whether it be fine-tuning your current nitrogen plan or adding cover crops across all of your acres, we can help you every step of the way.

Brock Webb, conservation agronomist

What experience do you bring as a conservation agronomist?

I worked across Iowa in the seed industry, focusing on corn and soybean seed production, while also conducting small plot field testing. The first time I saw farmers use cover crops as a tool was in 2014, as they saw a decrease in soil organic matter from intense crop management in seed corn production. As a beginning farmer myself, I have a desire to understand conservation practices and how to build more resilient soils for future generations. I enjoy collaborating with farmers and learning from their experiences.

What do you offer Iowa soybean farmers?

My agronomic background allows me to help farmers implement optimal management practices for new conservation techniques, tailored to their individual goals. Whether it's no-till, cover crops or deciding on the most efficient nitrogen plan, I provide technical assistance and help guide farmers on any cost-share programs that can help incentivize new practices. I frequently meet with farmers to understand their goals, then work alongside them to help them meet those goals.

I am an interim project manager for the Farm to River Partnership, a $3 million water quality initiative that began in 2018 to increase conservation farming practices on the land for improved water quality in the North Raccoon River Watershed.

The partnership is expanding farther in Sac and Greene Counties and I will be helping to increase the adoption of in-field practices such as cover crops, reduced tillage and nitrogen stabilizers as well as edge-of-field practices like saturated buffers, bioreactors and wetlands.

What are some goals you would like to achieve in your position?

I would like to use the knowledge and resources from the RCFI team to become a resource for farmers looking to adopt conservation practices into their operations and show that the long-term results will overcome the short-term challenges by providing unbiased advice.

Brandon Iddings, senior conservation services manager

What experience do you bring as a conservation services manager?

I grew up working for my uncles on their row crop and cow-calf farms in Marion County. I also worked on my parents' farm with my brother on habitat projects focused on removing invasive species and planting oak savannah trees. After college, I moved to West Virginia, where I began learning about various habitat restorations, including early successional forest management and grassland restoration. I also learned about wetlands while out there and the different functions and benefits they can provide. Since starting at ISA, I have learned how to design and restore oxbows and shallow water excavations. My work includes prairie restoration, where I collaborate with farmers to choose, ready and plant prairie areas on their farms.

What do you offer Iowa soybean farmers?

I offer Iowa farmers my technical expertise in edge-of-field practices. When farmers are interested in any conservation practices or have an area on their farm they want to convert to habitat or conservation and aren't sure what would work, I offer many practice or habitat options and potential cost-share opportunities to implement them on their farms. I offer a commonsense approach to conservation on unproductive ground and fitting projects to areas that address goals of the farmer and meet multiple conservation goals.

What are some goals you would like to achieve in your position?

I want to work with as many farmers as possible to implement conservation practices on their farms, showcasing that voluntary conservation at a large scale can have a significant impact, especially on endangered species like the Topeka shiner. Through our efforts working on a voluntary adoption of conservation practices, specifically oxbows, we are looking at downlisting the Topeka shiner from endangered to threatened.

Alex Buseman, conservation services manager

What experience do you bring as a conservation services manager?

My experience with conservation began around 2018, when I started pursuing an environmental science degree. I took every class I could find that revolved around water quality, sustainable agriculture and overall global sustainability. I also worked in the Agricultural Water Management Lab at Iowa State University (ISU) to gain hands-on experience in the field. Upon earning my bachelor's degree, I started a graduate research assistant position with the Water Quality Research Lab at ISU. I was actively involved in and managed numerous water quality research projects, eventually earning a master's degree in that field.

At ISA, my work involves water quality research, providing technical assistance and help to implement dozens of different conservation practices, including oxbows, bioreactors, saturated buffers, pollinator habitats and more.

I currently lead tracking efforts across all practices, ensuring the timely completion of projects. I serve as the primary point of contact between landowners, funding sources and contractors. I support practice design, oversee permitting, manage contracts and certify projects as complete.

What do you offer Iowa soybean farmers?

I have extensive experience and a strong background in various conservation practices. I help farmers assess their properties to identify opportunities for conservation, then provide conceptual designs to visualize the potential. I also participate in educational activities, including field days, ISA's Innovation to Profit series of meetings and writing informative articles. My job is to make conservation adoption as easy as possible for Iowa farmers.

What are some goals you would like to achieve in your position?

Since the start of 2025, our goals is to deliver more than 120 different conservation practices to more than 50 landowners in Iowa. A major goal of mine is to maintain this productivity while remaining efficient and yielding high-quality results. I want to set a new standard for conservation in Iowa. I want to see ISA be recognized as a reliable source for quick and easy conservation efforts. Farmers should know the conservation team is available to answer questions and address concerns about water quality, soil health and farm sustainability. There is no dumb question, and it is our passion to address any farmer's needs.

Rob Davis, watershed program manager

What experience do you bring as watershed program manager?

I bring more than a decade of experience, spanning land management to watershed planning, which I apply to help farmers and ISA team members implement conservation more quickly and efficiently. Keeping the perspective of the farm and field management in the forefront throughout the planning process helps everyone home in on what practice(s) may fit well within a farm operation, both from a cost and operational perspective.

Farm management is the same as the rest of life: managing risks and taking advantage of opportunities as they arise. Identifying reasonable opportunities and aligning costs is necessary to make the farm operation more manageable.

I work to advance conversations around best management practices (BMPs) through an on-demand approach, engaging with farmers when they show interest, rather than relying on delayed, desktop-based evaluations. Time is often the biggest constraint and may be the most critical factor in risk management, so reducing delays is a key focus of my work.

What do you offer Iowa soybean farmers?

I make conservation programs at ISA more effective by leveraging relationships, identifying opportunities, and using modeling to help soybean farmers access resources and implement best practices. For farmers, a watershed plan functions much like a county master plan or farm budget — it's a localized, practical tool. When several farmers in the same area are interested in implementing BMPs, they become more competitive for funding. Ultimately, it's about helping farmers act on their conservation interests and connecting them with the support they need to do so more quickly and cost effectively.

What are some goals you would like to achieve in your position?

My goal is to collaborate with farmers to simplify the adoption of conservation practices and support ISA staff in enhancing the effectiveness of their conversations with farmers. Having maps of potential best management practices available during field conversations with conservation agronomists and farmers is effective and efficient.

Maps help visualize what a practice might look like, including its location, orientation, size and whether it aligns with current or future equipment.

Having these conversations sooner in the planning process makes the process simpler and can identify additional financial opportunities or mitigate risks that could occur further into the practice adoption cycle.