Madison County Soil & Water Conservation District

06/04/2026

06/03/2026

Last night was the first tour stop of the SWISH Summer of Soil Health Tour, and what a great night for it!

Madison County farmer Randy Gamble hosted and discussed improving soil health through alternative methods. If you missed it last night, check out Randy’s interview with SWISH on YouTube (link 🔗 in Comments).

There are two more tour stops:
- Tour Stop #2 in Decatur County on June 9
- Tour Stop # 3 in Guthrie County on June 23

Visit the SouthWest Iowa Soil Health Page to learn more!

05/29/2026

05/13/2026

Please join us in congratulating Marissa Ford, winner of Madison SWCD’s 2026 Conservation Scholarship Award! 👏🎓🎉

The Madison SWCD commissioners presented the award to Marissa at their monthly meeting this morning.

For many years, Conservation Districts of Iowa has offered a scholarship for graduating high school students planning to pursue college studies in conservation, agriculture, and related fields. Madison SWCD started offering a local scholarship four years ago, and it has been gratifying to be able to help support some amazing Madison County students as they enter the next chapter of their academic education!

You can learn more about the scholarship here: https://www.madison-swcd.org/uncategorized/conservation-scholarships-for-class-of-2026/

05/13/2026

We're so excited that the 1st stop on the Summer of Soil Health Tour will be here in Madison County, hosted by Randy Gamble!

Come join us for our 🪱Summer of Soil Health Tour🪱!
RSVP to [email protected]

05/08/2026

🌱🚜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.

05/08/2026

‼ Canceled ‼

We can't control the weather, but we can control a forage system and livestock that are resilient through unpredictability.

Join us at the Iowa State University Beef Teaching Farm to play in a soil pit and talk about our favorite trio - livestock, forage & soil.

📆 June 9th
🕗 8:30 AM - 3:00 PM.

Topics include:
🌧 Weather extremes and practical tools for producers from a climatologist.
🌾Using diverse forages to establish a resilient, productive system.
🪱 Soil, roots and water infiltration
☠ Toxic plant ID and management
🤠 Managing the system as a whole for long-term success

This event will cost $20/person and includes lunch.

Spots are limited to register soon! Find all details on the event website: https://crops.extension.iastate.edu/event/2026/central-iowa-resilient-systems-field-day