Polk SWCD Spreading the Word About Sustainable Practices

Nov 22, 2024

By Cynthia Farmer

In partnership with Polk County and Iowa Cover Crop, the Polk Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) has planted a cover crop demonstration plot for farmers and landowners to visit at their leisure. This opportunity provides producers a space to learn about cover crops and observe which options might be suitable for their operation.

The five-acre site is in its second year of operation and highlights eight plots of varying cover crop species. Three plots consist of mixed-species plantings, and five plots feature single species. The mixed-species plots include rye, vetch, radish, and camelina; oats and mustard; and radish, turnip, rapeseed, and oats, respectively. The single-species plots feature triticale, rye, winter wheat, vetch, and oats.

All plots were planted on Aug. 27. Despite the dry fall season, the plots show meaningful growth. Each cover crop has unique qualities that lead to benefits for producers, which include but are not limited to enhanced nutrient management, improved soil structure and water infiltration, erosion control, weed suppression, improved moisture management, and decreased input costs.

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Video: From Conventional to Regenerative: Will Groeneveld’s Journey Back to the Land

"You realize you've got a pretty finite number of years to do this. If you ever want to try something new, you better do it."

That mindset helped Will Groeneveld take a bold turn on his Alberta grain farm. A lifelong farmer, Will had never heard of regenerative agriculture until 2018, when he attended a seminar by Kevin Elmy that shifted his worldview. What began as curiosity quickly turned into a deep exploration of how biology—not just chemistry—shapes the health of our soils, crops and ecosystems.

In this video, Will candidly reflects on his family’s farming history, how the operation evolved from a traditional mixed farm to grain-only, and how the desire to improve the land pushed him to invite livestock back into the rotation—without owning a single cow.

Today, through creative partnerships and a commitment to the five principles of regenerative agriculture, Will is reintroducing diversity, building soil health and extending living roots in the ground for as much of the year as possible. Whether it’s through intercropping, zero tillage (which he’s practiced since the 1980s) or managing forage for visiting cattle, Will’s approach is a testament to continuous learning and a willingness to challenge old norms.

Will is a participant in the Regenerative Agriculture Lab (RAL), a social innovation process bringing together producers, researchers, retailers and others to co-create a resilient regenerative agriculture system in Alberta. His story highlights both the potential and humility required to farm with nature, not against it.