Audubon County Soil and Water Conservation District

05/08/2026

It takes over 100 years to form just 1 inch of topsoil.🌱📅

This rate depends on several factors, including parent rock material, climate and weathering conditions, organic material accumulation, vegetative cover and land use, and biological activity like worms, fungi, and microbes.

In areas with rich biological activity and moisture, topsoil might form in 100 years. In dry, cold, or heavily disturbed regions, it may take 500 to even 1000 years!

Soil is a living and slowly renewing resource. Protecting what we have is much easier than rebuilding what we lose.

05/08/2026

🌱🍓Happy Iowa Horticulture Week! This is a great opportunity to celebrate Iowa’s greenhouses, nurseries, and fruit and vegetable growers. Pick up some fresh cut flowers, bedding plants, or ornamental trees and shrubs from a local grower. Visit Choose Iowa.com and search the Find Local directory to find a greenhouse near you. Happy planting! 🌳🌸

05/07/2026

The Audubon Soil and Water Conservation District is now accepting cover crop applications for this fall through Water Quality Initiative! Stop in the office or contact Kelli at 712-563-4248 ext 3 or by email [email protected] to get an application started. $30 per acre for first time users, $20 for second time users.

What information do we need?
*Name
*Address
*SSN
*Email (if you have one)
*Where the cover crop is to be seeded (it can be changed later)
*The species of cover crop you will be using
*How many acres you're covering (up to 160 acres per applicant)
*AND what application method will be used

Aren't sure what to seed or how heavy to seed it? Click on the link below for cover crop fact sheets!
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/resources/tech-tools/iowa-cover-crop-fact-sheets?fbclid=IwY2xjawRpzHdleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETE1UVRMZzhGVm9lMXVoMW13c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHgz-iUJgVltHrXv88ht3cXGFNMCB3tEbnjTn340vEjqjbN2lTk45F0W6KJ6Z_aem_vBKn6xq7H6nZl5w99YaUXw

Hope everyone is having a safe and smooth planting season!

05/07/2026

The 98th annual Soil Management and Land Valuation Conference will take place on May 20 in Ames. Farm managers, rural appraisers, real estate brokers and others interested in the Iowa land market are invited to join farmland and agricultural experts for a full day of insight into current issues affecting land markets.

Learn more and register 👉 https://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/soil-management-and-land-valuation-conference-set-may-20

05/07/2026

We would like to congratulate Audubon Community School Senior Lane Elmquist on receiving a $500.00 renewable scholarship through the Audubon SWCD.
Lane will be attending Iowa State University.
We wish Lane the best of luck in his future endeavors! Congratulations!

05/07/2026

🌱🚜Planting season is underway, and that means more farm equipment may be on rural roads. Here are some quick tips for all drivers as we share the road this season:
✅ Stay alert, especially at dusk when farmers are heading home from the field.
✅ Be ready to slow down. Farm equipment travels much slower than regular traffic.
✅ Keep your distance. Stay at least 3 seconds behind.
✅ Pass with care, and only in a legal passing zone, if you have plenty of room and clear view.
✅ Be patient so everyone gets home safely.

05/07/2026

02/05/2026

New pesticide applicator manuals and exams are available now! Get the updated Iowa Core Manual (CS445) at the ISU Extension Store. 🌱 https://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/new-training-materials-available-iowa-pesticide-applicators

Changes reflect the updated pesticide applicator certification and training rules implemented by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship on Jan. 1.

ISU Pesticide Safety Education Program

02/05/2026

Are you a college student interested in conservation and working outdoors? 🌱Apply now for Conservation Summer Internships! The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, in partnership with 25 local Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs), is seeking interns to support soil conservation and water quality programs in field offices across the state.

How to apply:
• View the list of counties/offices offering summer internships:
https://iowaagriculture.gov/dscwq/summer-internships
• Contact the local SWCD Field Office directly
Questions? Contact Sadi Hawk at [email protected].

12/11/2025

Come and join us for some great Queen Beans Coffee House - Carroll, IA and learn about your soil health on December 12th from 9-11:30 am at the Extension office!

12/09/2025

Water Quality Initiative Cover Crop Payments for fall seeding‼️

👋Hello everyone! I'm sure I'm starting to sound like a broken record by now, but with 2025 coming to a close we will be reaching out about cover crop payments.

2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣5️⃣ If you want paid this year, then we need your bills in as soon as possible. They will be run through out next commissioners meeting which is scheduled for December 23rd. IF we have not received your bills by then, you will not get paid this year and default to next year. Your forms will need to be signed to be submitted before the meeting.

2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣6️⃣If you want your payment in 2026, then you don’t need to turn your bills in until January. They will be submitted to our regular meeting on the 27th.

👀What do we need from you?
Seed bills (whether it was purchased or home grown), germ test, seed tag(s), application bill (whether you seeded it or it was seeded by someone else). Be ready to go through maps and show us where the seed was applied.

Please call the office if you have any questions at 712-563-4248 ext 3 or send Kelli an email at [email protected]

Thank you!

Call now to connect with business.