Madison County farmer James Baur follows family’s conservation traditions to help improve water quality in Badger Creek watershed.

James Baur of Madison County comes from a conservation-minded family. 

The fifth generation farmer’s family, including his sons representing the sixth generation, farm a diversified operation consisting of 4,500 acres of cropland, hay ground and pasture near Van Meter, where they have continually worked on improving the land.

“The land is one of our greatest assets,” says Baur. “We’ve always aimed to improve every farm we’ve acquired.”

Baur spent time in manufacturing before transitioning to farming full-time, , and he says there are certain principles that carry over from manufacturing to agriculture. 

“Like in manufacturing, up­­grades, improvements and up­dates are needed to maintain production,” he said.

He began planting cover crops in 2011 and has nearly tripled his cover crop acreage since.

As a “big believer” in the erosion control and soil health benefits of cover crops and other conservation practices, Baur says he doesn’t utilize government cost share programs very much any more, noting that they can be cumbersome and restrictive.

“You have to be committed to conservation to not participate (in government programs); to do it on your own,” says Baur.

Practices that fit the land

Along with cover crops, Baur makes extensive and strategic use of tiling, terracing and buffer strips.

“The land here is not square, black and flat,” says Baur. “We have to look at our most critical areas and get the most bang for our buck.” 

Harvest data directs variable rate application of all inputs. 

“If an area along the edge of a field is not profitable, we may add a 30-foot strip of hay. Of course, there are too many operational challenges to adding one in the middle of a field. But from a conservation standpoint, that’s a good investment in technology.”

Likewise, he invests in the latest planting equipment. 

“Today’s planters need less tillage,” says Baur. “And seed genetics now handle more variable conditions.”

He uses a low-disturbance bar when applying anhydrous and grid samples all ground every  four years. 

“Another thing we do is apply fertilizer every year,” explains Baur, a Madison County Farm Bureau member. “Twenty years ago, we put a lot on corn and hoped it lasted through a year of beans without washing away.”

“It all adds to the cost,” he adds. “But our farms and soils are better for it.” 

On one farm alone, he’s seen a full 1% increase in organic matter in seven years. 

“That means along with in­­creased yields, in dryer years the ground holds more moisture,” he explains.

Badger Creek Watershed

Baur’s land lies in the Badger Creek watershed, draining into Badger Creek Lake. 

The lake was listed on the Iowa Department of Natural Resources 303(d) list of impaired waters in 1998 due to excessive siltation and nutrient loading and was included in the 2012 USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service National Water Quality Initiative.

He is one of about two dozen farmers involved in the effort to improve the lake’s water quality by working together to reduce sediment and phosphorus loading

Thousands of feet of terraces and grass waterways have been added, and Baur says a roadside tour of the area shows more cover crops. 

“We’ve made some progress,” says Baur. “But we’re not at the end game yet.” 

Development in the area due to the westward expansion of the Des Moines metro, one of the fastest growing areas in the state, is changing the dynamics of the watershed, he notes. As a result, it’s important for farmers to share the importance of conservation with investors and absentee landowners. 

“It’s not like we’re solid concrete out here,” says Baur. “But landowners, particularly outside landowners, have to (understand) why it is worth investing in conservation when the land may be sold for development in five years. It’s not a conversation anyone wants to have, but we need to start asking. It’s not just Des Moines; it happens all across the Midwest.”

Development yields short-term business gains. Soil and water conservation is a long-term en­terprise.

“Our family’s view has always been that few things grant immediate payback. You have to be willing to invest long term,” says Baur. 

Doing the right thing

Baur’s not giving up that mission. Their operation is in the process of purchasing its first drone with the intent to use it for not only spraying but also to seed cover crops.

“We’ve tried the airplanes and helicopters with mixed results,” says Baur. “And if you have to wait for a drill in the fall, there isn’t much growing season left.” 

The drone will enable them to seed on their own time when the condition is right and give them more flexibility in seeding small patches.

He’s also investigating saturated buffers, trying to figure out how to retrofit them into existing tile systems.

“They were installed in the 1950s, but they still work” says Baur. “We want to merge them with the newer practices, not retile.”

“We’re trying to do the right things,” he adds. “And we’re willing to keep doing it, but it has to pay.”

Queck-Matzie is a freelance writer in Fontanelle.