Maxwell Farms named Conservation Farmers of the Year

Maxwell Farms employs many conservation practices including cover crops, strip till, grassed waterways, nutrient management and an innovative composting program.

The derecho that tore across Iowa four years ago caused millions of dollars in damage across much of central and eastern Iowa. The high winds toppled buildings, grain bins and trees across the rural landscape and in small-town communities.

Brothers Jason and John Maxwell, Story County Farm Bureau members who raise pigs and cattle and grow row crops northeast of Maxwell, were in the direct path of the storm but were fortunate when winds let up just enough to spare their farm properties. The same couldn't be said for nearby farmsteads and towns.

While clean-up and rebuilding efforts took months and even years, Maxwell Farms dove in to assist its neighbors and in the process discovered a conservation practice not many may have considered. After all, conservation has become a staple at Maxwell Farms, from cover crops and no-till practices to nutrient management, filter strips and grassed waterways.

"When the derecho happened, we had an abundance of tree branches from local municipalities and people contacted us to dump them out here," Jason explained. "We took 2,000 cubic yards from various places. My thoughts turned to mixing the wood chips with manure…, making our manure go further.

"Now four years later…, we also mix in cereal rye…, compost and screen it and it basically comes out just like potting soil. It's a...