Dallas County Soil and Water Conservation District

08/18/2026

📷🌿35 PHOTO ENTRIES SO FAR?!? Dallas County, you showed up!!!🌿📷

When we announced our first Conservation Photo Contest, we couldn't wait to see Dallas County through your lenses, and you did not disappoint!!!

We have received 35 incredible photographs showcasing conservation, native plants, pollinators, wildlife, working lands, and the landscapes that make our county so special 🥰

A HUGE thank you to everyone who took the time to submit a photo, and a reminder the deadline to submit if you still need to is Sept. 15th, for sharing your little slice of Dallas County with us! We have a feeling our commissioners are going to have some tough decisions to make! 👀

Don't forget our deadlines!
Sept. 15th Entry deadline
Sept. 16th Judging
Sept. 17th Winners announced along side calendar pre-orders!

And with 35 entries so far that are this good...we might have one more way for you to get involved after judging.📷👀

07/29/2026

🌿📷 Last call for Photo Entries!📷🌿
We've received some incredible submissions already, but there's still time to show us your favorite conservation or pollinator pics!
Whether it's native wildflowers, working farmland, pollinators, or prairie landscapes, We want to see the beauty of conservation through your lens, in our calendar!

📅 Entries will close on Tuesday, September 15, with judging being held at our Regular Board Meeting Wednesday, September 16

🏆Winners will be announced on Thursday, September 17th, when we will also open up our calendar pre-orders! Winning photographs will be featured in the Dallas County SWCD 2027 calendar, with all purchase proceeds going towards supporting conservation education and outreach in our community and county.

We can't wait to see your photos and celebrate the incredible beauty of Dallas County with you!

07/21/2026

🌱We're Hiring! Join the Dallas County Soil and Water Conservation Team!🌿
The Dallas County Soil and Water Conservation District is looking for a 780-Hour District Technician to join our team through the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS).
If you're passionate about conservation, agriculture, natural resources, and serving your local community, this could be a great opportunity!

What you'll do:
🌱 Assist landowners with conservation programs
📑 Provide administrative and technical support to IDALS and the district
🤝 Work alongside conservation partners and local producers
🌎 Help protect and improve Dallas County's natural resources

Position Details:
- 780-HR Position
- Employed through IDALS
- Based in Adel, IA
- Must be 18+
- Opportunity to gain valuable experience in conservation and agriculture

07/20/2026

Stop by the Jester Park Outdoor Recreation and Wellness Center to purchase a rain barrel for your home! Barrels are $50/each, can hold 50 gallons and look similar to the picture within this post.

We have a limited number of barrels that will be sold on a first come, first served basis. Stop by anytime during regular business hours to purchase your barrel!

Thursday - Saturday | 10 AM - 4 PM
Sunday | Noon - 4 PM

Call 515-323-5330 for more information - we will not be taking reservations or placing barrels on hold.

07/20/2026

RAGBRAI riders, look for the Iowa Conservation Tent on the route next week! Stop by for free water, a banana, and a postcard — you write it, we'll mail it!

Here's where you can find us the first few days:
➡️ Mon: Residence at 2433 Street F58, Elk Horn, IA
➡️ Tue: Landus Cooperative at 1209 North Street, Yale, IA

Thanks to all the Iowa Conservation Tent partners for your collaboration! Iowa Soil and Water Conservation Society - Iowa Chapter Conservation Districts of Iowa USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

07/17/2026

07/17/2026

We all have a role to play in improving Iowa's water quality. Farmers and landowners in all 99 counties across the state can sign up now for the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s cover crop cost-share program. Cover crops help keep Iowa’s rich soil and nutrients in fields, and out of waterways. Iowa farmers planted nearly 4 million acres of cover crops last year. Let’s keep that number growing! Enroll at your local USDA Service Center. For more information, visit CleanWaterIowa.org.

07/17/2026

Hi Dallas County!
Do you or someone you know have a talent for photography, or have an entire camera roll full of photos of conservation practices, native pollinators, or a native prairie flower you've adopted as your personal serotonin dealer you named Douglas? We here at the Dallas County SWCD DEFFINITELY don't relate to that at allll...😅

You're in luck! We are hosting a FREE photo contest! Send us via email or messenger any and all photos you have relating to soil and water conservation, native prairies, native pollinators, or local Dallas County watersheds! Your photo will go through a vote by our Dallas SWCD Commissioners and if selected, be featured in our 2027 Conservation Calendar with credit! We will have more information on how to purchase a calendar as we get closer to voting. All photos must be nonpolitical, safe for your great great grandma to enjoy, and cannot include faces or people. Limit three entries per person. More information to come!

07/15/2026

The cover crop is still doing it's job ahead of bean canopy.
It's not a perfect system, but it certainly has some added benefits. DMACC Farm workers kicked up two hens with chicks while mowing weeds on the waterway edges.

07/15/2026

Are you ready to celebrate pollinators with activities, food, and fun?