Iowa farmers highlight ongoing and evolving conservation efforts to improve the environmen
July 12, 2025
And.. the lawn watering ban in still in place. Farmers say — They are continuously monitoring and working to limit the amount of nitrogen used on their land — That can lead to nitrate levels in waterways. KCCI’s Kayla James visited a farm in Story County that’s been recognized for their efforts. They shared what methods they use — and what others do, too. <MIKE NAIG/Iowa Secretary of Agriculture; FOUND IN SUZANNE PERMANENT FOLDER 4901; 11:51:47- 11:51:54> <“THERE’S NEVER BEEN MORE AWARENESS ABOUT THE NEED TO DO MORE CONSERVATION WORK AND THE TYPES OF PRACTICES THAT MIGHT WORK ON A FARM.”> Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig — Highlighting the continuous and growing conservation work done by many across the state — <ZACHARY ZIFFER/Farmer, Maxwell United; 6251; 14:05:42-14:05:46> <“I DO BELIEVE FARMERS IN GENERAL ARE THE BEST CONSERVATIONISTS. Including Zachary Ziffer and the team at Maxwell Farms in Story County. Owned and run by two brothers — Who were named the 2024 Iowa Conversation Farmers of the Year. <ZACHARY ZIFFER/Farmer, Maxwell United; 6251; <“WE HAVE SOME LAND GOING INTO A WETLANDS PROJECT. WE DO 60 INCH CORN…”/SPLICE/ “AND THEN IN THAT GAP — THAT 53 INCH GAP — WE PLANT COVER CROPS WHEN THE CORN IS LESS THAN KNEE HIGH.”> Which can minimize nitrate leaching. The team at Maxwell Farms — also known as Maxwell United — performs a lot of conservation practices: <NAT: 6226; any timestamp…all they’re doing is mooing> On-farm composting from the cattle — No-till and strip-till methods — and more. While some officials have said agricultural run-off is mostly to blame for nitrate levels in Central Iowa waterways — Ziffer says there’s more at play. <ZACHARY ZIFFER/Farmer, Maxwell United; 6251; 14:27:32-14:27:37> <“IT IS HEAT. IT IS RAIN. IT IS SOIL MICROBES TO MAKE NITROGEN AVAILABLE TO THE PLANT, BUT THAT ALSO MEANS NITROGEN CAN LEACH.”> But nitrogen — Ziffer says — is crucial for crops. <ZACHARY ZIFFER/Farmer, Maxwell United; 6251; 14:07:14-14:07:18> <“IT IS A HUGE DEPENDENT ON ANYTHING THAT’S A GRASS NEEDS NITROGEN TO GROW.”> But with that in mind — Ziffer says he wants people to know — farmers are and have been doing everything they can to control their use. <ZACHARY ZIFFER/Farmer, Maxwell United; 6251; 14:07:01-14:07:11> <“WE’RE NOT OUT HERE EXCESSIVELY APPLYING NITROGEN. WE’RE APPLYING NITROGEN IN SPLIT APPLICATIONS TO MAXIMIZE THE ULTIMATE VALUE OF THE DOLLAR THAT WE HAVE INVESTED INTO THIS CROP.”> And — Ziffer says — Farmers utilize places like Iowa State and the Iowa Nitrogen Initiative — To help continuing understanding what the soil needs. <ZACHARY ZIFFER/Farmer, 14:08:40-14:08:46> <“WE KNOW HOW MANY POUNDS OF NITROGEN IS IN A GALLON OF 32%.” /SPLICE/ “WE USE GREAT PRODUCTS THAT HELP STABILIZE THAT NITROGEN IN THE SOIL AND KEEP IT IN SUSPENSION AND REDUCE LEECHING.”> Ziffer says he knows Maxwell Farms isn’t the only farming using conservation practices. <ZACHARY ZIFFER/Farmer, Maxwell United; 6251; 14:09:35-14:09:44> <“I WOULD EVEN GO TO SAY 95 TO 99% OF FARMERS ARE DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO MINIMIZE IT. WE MANAGE OUR WATERWAYS AS BEST WE CAN.”> And they use advancing technology when they can. <ZACHARY ZIFFER/Farmer, Maxwell United; 6251; 14:22:55-14:23:09> <“THE TECHNOLOGY IN SPRAYERS: WE HAVE SCENE SPRAY NOW THAT REDUCES THE AMOUNT OF CHEMICALS WE PUT ON THE FIELD, BUT THE COST THAT WE HAVE TO PAY TO USE THAT TECHNOLOGY– BUT THAT’S BECAUSE THE COST OF GOODS IS GOING UP, THE COST OF STEEL GOES, THE COST OF ELECTRONICS GOES UP. THESE THINGS–WE HAVE TO PAY FOR IT, RIGHT?”> Farmers do the research — And they implement practices of their own to share with others. <ZACHARY ZIFFER/Farmer, Maxwell United; 6251; 14:16:44-14:16:56> <“I WAS JUST IN INDIANA WITH A GUY BY THE NAME OF JASON MOCK WHO’S BEEN STUDYING HOW TO GROW SOYBEANS AND WHEAT TOGETHER AND WHAT THAT DOES IS THE WHEAT ACTUALLY INCREASES THE PERCOLATION OF THE SOIL, BUT NUTRIENT UPTAKE — SO IT GETS THIS REALLY CLEAN WATER DOWN.”> <ZACHARY ZIFFER/Farmer, Maxwell United; 6251; CONSERVATIONISTS AT HEART AND WE ARE ALWAYS TRYING TO BE LEAN AND EFFECTIVE AT EVERYTHING WE DO.”> In Story County, Kayla James, KCCI 8 News Iowa’s News Leader. KCCI is here to keep you informed… and answer any questions you have about water quality. To stay updated
Iowa farmers highlight ongoing and evolving conservation efforts to improve the environment
Maxwell Farms, also known as Maxwell United, won the 2024 Iowa Conservation Farmers of the Year. KCCI spoke with a farmer who shared what they and others do.
Updated: 9:24 PM CDT Jul 11, 2025
While some officials have pointed to agricultural runoff for the rise in nitrate levels that rivers in Central Iowa are experiencing, farmers and others in the agriculture industry say they’re doing and have been doing what they can — which includes making strides over the years in reducing nitrogen runoff. It’s something state officials have noted, too. “There’s never been more awareness about the need to do more conservation work and the types of practices that might work on a farm,” said Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig when KCCI spoke with him earlier this month.Naig highlighted the continuous and growing conservation work done by many across the state. One farm and team known for their conservation efforts is Maxwell Farms in Story County. “I do believe farmers in general are the best conservationists,” said Zachary Ziffer, a farmer with Maxwell United, also known as Maxwell Farms. Maxwell Farms is owned by two brothers, Jason and John Maxwell. They — along with their team of farmers and more — were named the 2024 Iowa Conservation Farmers of the Year. “We do a lot. We do some farm composting. We also have some land going into a wetlands project,” Ziffer said. “We do 60-inch corn. Traditionally in Iowa, you have corn grown on 30 or 20-inch centers, but we grow it on 60-inch centers in twin rows. In that 53-inch gap, we plan to cover crops when the corn is less than knee-high. We go out there and we seed our cover crops.” The latter of which can minimize nitrate leaching. The team at Maxwell Farms performs a number of conservation practices like on-farm composting from cattle, no-till and strip-till methods, and more. Ziffer said there’s more at play when it comes to nitrate levels in water ways than run-off from farms. “It is heat. It is rain. It is soil microbes to make nitrogen available to the plant, but that also means nitrogen can leach,” Ziffer said. “It is a complicated situation. No farmer is happy that Central Iowa Water Works is limiting the water. We don’t want to limit your water activities.” Farmers say nitrogen is crucial for crops. “It is a huge dependent on anything that’s a grass, it needs nitrogen to grow,” Ziffer said. “Nitrogen helps set the amount of kernels around the kernels’ length of the ear.” However, with that in mind, Ziffer says he wants people to know farmers are and have been doing everything they can to control their use. “We’re not out here excessively applying nitrogen. We’re applying nitrogen in split applications to maximize the ultimate value of the dollar that we have invested into this crop,” Ziffer said. Ziffer said farmers utilize places like Iowa State and the Iowa Nitrogen Initiative to help continue and grow their understanding of what the soil needs. “We know how many pounds of nitrogen is in a gallon of 32%,” Ziffer said. “We use great products that help stabilize that nitrogen in the soil and keep it in suspension and reduce leaching.” Ziffer told KCCI that he knows Maxwell Farms isn’t the only group of farmers using conservation methods across Iowa. “I would even go to say 95%-99% of farmers are doing everything they can to minimize it. We manage our waterways as best we can,” Ziffer said. Part of that involves using advanced technology when farmers can.“The technology in sprayers: we have seen spray now that reduces the amount of chemical we put on the field, but the cost that we have to pay to use that technology, that’s because the cost of goods is going up. The cost of steel goes up. The cost of electronics goes up. These things, we have to pay for it and then we have to pay per acre on top of that,” Ziffer said. Ziffer said he knows farmers do the research. In addition to that, they also implement practices of their own and share them with others in the industry. “I was just in Indiana with a guy by the name of Jason Mock, who’s been studying how to grow soybeans and wheat together. What that does is — the wheat actually increases the percolation of the soil but nutrient uptake. So it gets this really clean water down. The wheat roots and the soybean roots work together,” Ziffer said. “We are conservationists at heart, and we are always trying to be lean and effective at everything we do.”
While some officials have pointed to agricultural runoff for the rise in nitrate levels that rivers in Central Iowa are experiencing, farmers and others in the agriculture industry say they’re doing and have been doing what they can — which includes making strides over the years in reducing nitrogen runoff.
It’s something state officials have noted, too.
“There’s never been more awareness about the need to do more conservation work and the types of practices that might work on a farm,” said Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig when KCCI spoke with him earlier this month.
Naig highlighted the continuous and growing conservation work done by many across the state.
One farm and team known for their conservation efforts is Maxwell Farms in Story County.
“I do believe farmers in general are the best conservationists,” said Zachary Ziffer, a farmer with Maxwell United, also known as Maxwell Farms.
Maxwell Farms is owned by two brothers, Jason and John Maxwell. They — along with their team of farmers and more — were named the 2024 Iowa Conservation Farmers of the Year.
“We do a lot. We do some farm composting. We also have some land going into a wetlands project,” Ziffer said. “We do 60-inch corn. Traditionally in Iowa, you have corn grown on 30 or 20-inch centers, but we grow it on 60-inch centers in twin rows. In that 53-inch gap, we plan to cover crops when the corn is less than knee-high. We go out there and we seed our cover crops.”
The latter of which can minimize nitrate leaching.
The team at Maxwell Farms performs a number of conservation practices like on-farm composting from cattle, no-till and strip-till methods, and more.
Ziffer said there’s more at play when it comes to nitrate levels in water ways than run-off from farms.
“It is heat. It is rain. It is soil microbes to make nitrogen available to the plant, but that also means nitrogen can leach,” Ziffer said. “It is a complicated situation. No farmer is happy that Central Iowa Water Works is limiting the water. We don’t want to limit your water activities.”
Farmers say nitrogen is crucial for crops.
“It is a huge dependent on anything that’s a grass, it needs nitrogen to grow,” Ziffer said. “Nitrogen helps set the amount of kernels around the kernels’ length of the ear.”
However, with that in mind, Ziffer says he wants people to know farmers are and have been doing everything they can to control their use.
“We’re not out here excessively applying nitrogen. We’re applying nitrogen in split applications to maximize the ultimate value of the dollar that we have invested into this crop,” Ziffer said.
Ziffer said farmers utilize places like Iowa State and the Iowa Nitrogen Initiative to help continue and grow their understanding of what the soil needs.
“We know how many pounds of nitrogen is in a gallon of 32%,” Ziffer said. “We use great products that help stabilize that nitrogen in the soil and keep it in suspension and reduce leaching.”
Ziffer told KCCI that he knows Maxwell Farms isn’t the only group of farmers using conservation methods across Iowa.
“I would even go to say 95%-99% of farmers are doing everything they can to minimize it. We manage our waterways as best we can,” Ziffer said.
Part of that involves using advanced technology when farmers can.
“The technology in sprayers: we have seen spray now that reduces the amount of chemical we put on the field, but the cost that we have to pay to use that technology, that’s because the cost of goods is going up. The cost of steel goes up. The cost of electronics goes up. These things, we have to pay for it and then we have to pay per acre on top of that,” Ziffer said.
Ziffer said he knows farmers do the research. In addition to that, they also implement practices of their own and share them with others in the industry.
“I was just in Indiana with a guy by the name of Jason Mock, who’s been studying how to grow soybeans and wheat together. What that does is — the wheat actually increases the percolation of the soil but nutrient uptake. So it gets this really clean water down. The wheat roots and the soybean roots work together,” Ziffer said. “We are conservationists at heart, and we are always trying to be lean and effective at everything we do.”
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