A new project designed to promote conservation practices in Iowa plans to do so by documenting local geographical differences.

The Iowa Learning Farm project divides the state of Iowa into five different regions based on soil type and land formation. There will be five to 10 different sites demonstrating the different conservation practices in each region.

“It takes a different approach from what is called the ‘one size fits all’ approach because it is area-specific,” said Mahdi Al-Kaisi, assistant professor of agronomy and leader of the project.

He said the purpose of the project was twofold. The first aspect of the project is to provide field demonstrations and program training for farmers and crop consultants, Al-Kaisi said.

The second aspect of the program is to provide education, he said.

The local sites will be diverse and include presentations during field days, workshops and meetings, and a state conference on conservation practices, Al-Kaisi said.

Machelle Shaffer, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship communications director, said the project will help Iowa producers choose the conservation practice best for their farm.

“Part of the focus of the division of soil conservation is on getting farmers in tune with what soil conservation practices work best with their soil,” she said.

“The project will help Iowa producers choose the best soil practice for their farm based on the demonstrations in the different areas.”

Al-Kaisi said the project is planned to start this summer with actual field demonstrations and then follow up with other activities.

He said the project will be done in partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Iowa Conservation Districts and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

Most funding is expected to come from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Al-Kaisi said.

Laura Greiner, Natural Resources Conservation Service public affairs specialist, said they will provide technical assistance to the groups involved in the project.

“Early on, the field staff was asked to help locate good operators or sites for the project,” she said.