Farmer Travels 14,000 to Compare Conservation Practices

September 2008

Farmer Ian Jenkin, from Mallala, Australia, traveled 14,000 miles to visit the staff of the Poweshiek County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD). His goal was to talk conservation practices with district staff, meet local farmers and tour an American farm.

What he got was an exchange of ideas built around a conservation practice common to both Australia and the United States.

It was a meeting arranged by e-mail. Jenkin, and his wife Yvette, were invited to visit the Malcom SWCD office as part of a five week summer trip through the United States and Canada. They met with Greg Townley, U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) district conservationist in Poweshiek County, his staff and Mark Kennett, a SWCD commissioner and local farmer.

Townley leads a team of federal, state and district conservationists which work with Poweshiek County farmers on conservation and production issues.

Kennett is originally from New Zealand where he worked for the forestry department. He is now a US citizen, farms 300 acres near Malcom and is an agricultural consultant.

Jenkin is a third-generation farmer that owns an 8,000-acre farm with his family on the plains of southern Australia. Jenkin says their ground is primarily flat and their soils ranges from good to sandy.

The Jenkin farm is only 20 minutes away from the Pacific Ocean, but getting fresh water for people and crops is a challenge. The area’s average rainfall is only 19 inches per year, compared to Iowa’s annual average of 39 inches of precipitation. Many area homes and businesses collect and store rain water from their roofs for use in toilets, gardens and for drinking.

Jenkin’s primary crops are wheat and lintels. They also grow peas, canola, rye, grass and raise 1,000 head of sheep. None of his ground is irrigated

“The lack of rainfall is a challenge for us,” said Jenkin. “We use zero-till (no-till) to save soil moisture, increase soil structure and fertility.”

“Zero-till has other benefits than improving soil moisture,” said Jenkin. “We find zero-till has taken the hard pan out which we created through a lot of cultivation. The soils now allow a lot more water to infiltrate. Tests show a significant difference in water retention between an area that has been conventionally tilled and one that is now zero-tilled.”

Jenkin says the residue left on zero-till fields also reduces field wind erosion which has been a severe problem in the past.

High fuel costs are also a challenge for Australian farmers. “Australian fuel is double the per liter cost of U.S. fuel,” said Jenkin. “Our fuel costs are down only because we’re in the field fewer times with zero-till.”

Townley applauds Jenkin’s use of zero-till. Townley said, “Whether it’s called no-till or zero-till, used in the U.S. or Australia, this conservation practice can offer many benefits to the producer and the land.”

Kennett agrees. “Tillage makes fields uniform to plant,” he said, “but there are consequences. In Iowa, the more tillage we do the less soil we have. Rain washes tilled soil away in Iowa. In south Australia, where the Jenkins farm, tillage dries the soil and allows it to be blown away. The end result is the same—with tillage there is less soil and more cost for the producer.” 

Jenkin said zero-till started to really take off in Australia about 10 years ago with a change in mindset from being a farmer to becoming a land manager. He said farmers used to clear the land using “trash and burn” methods. They would till the soil. Now Australian farmers are managing their farming operations to mitigate land changes, improve the soil and better conserve soil moisture. Land managers, he said, use the best conservation tools available to reduce input costs, improve the soil and increase yields and profits.

During their two days in Iowa, the Jenkins were able to tour area farms, discuss farming methods with local producers, suppliers and bankers, and visit the Iowa State Fair.

What did the Jenkins learn from us?  Townley said they saw corn plants for the first time, examined American planting and harvesting equipment and learned we use many of the same conservation practices they do, but for different reasons. In southern Australia, farmers try to conserve soil moisture and keep their soil from blowing away. In Iowa, farmers work to keep their soil from washing away.   

“Australia may be on the other side of the world from us,” said Townley, “but it’s nice to know we all benefit from conservation practices like no-till.”      

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