East Pottawattamie SWCD

04/06/2026

Join Women, Land and Legacy of Southwest Iowa for a Garden Party in Paradise!

🌱 Garden Party in Paradise 🌱
Join Women, Land & Legacy of Southwest Iowa for an evening of learning, great company, and fresh local flavor!

Hear the story of how Shad Swanson built and grew Garden of Paradise, enjoy a guided tour of the gardens, savor a delicious meal, and explore a variety of local goods available for purchase. Please bring your own lawn chair.

🌷Tuesday, May 5 | 6:00–7:30 PM
🌷Garden of Paradise | 1524 150 St, Essex, IA
🌷Cost: $5 to attend (Event sponsored by Mills County SWCD)
🌷Those interested are also welcome to register and/or request special accommodations by calling one of the local Iowa State University Extension & Outreach offices or register online (the link is in the comments).
• Page County - 712-542-5171
• Fremont County - 712-374-2351
• Mills County - 712-624-8616
• Montgomery County - 712-623-2592

We hope you’ll join us for this engaging and enjoyable evening.

This event is a partnership between local Farm Service Agencies, Soil & Water Conservation Districts, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, and the Women, Land & Legacy Committee. WLL is dedicated to offering educational opportunities for rural women in business, agriculture, and land stewardship.

02/17/2026

Register Now for the Women Gaining Ground Conference

Women, Land & Legacy of Southwest Iowa is planning its 11th annual conference! This one-day event is designed to be fun, educational, and empowering for women celebrating rural lifestyles. The conference is scheduled for Saturday, March 7 , 2026, at the Lakin Community Center in Malvern, Iowa. Complimentary breakfast will be available starting at 8:30 AM.

The program will feature sessions on farm succession planning, soil health, and innovative ways producers are diversifying their operations. Tim Christensen, Farm Management Specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach, will open the event with a session on succession planning. Christensen will share practical strategies to help farm families prepare for long term stability, protect their legacy, and reduce stress for the next generation. Representatives from LIFE 5b (Local Iowa Food Empowerment 5b), a nonprofit working to strengthen food security across Fremont, Page, and Pottawattamie counties, will discuss their efforts to connect local producers with consumers through fresh produce distribution, a mobile pantry, and community education. Soil health will take center stage as Casey Gathje, NRCS State Outreach Coordinator, and Laura Ferguson, District Conservationist for West Pottawattamie NRCS, lead a hands on session demonstrating conservation practices that support productive and sustainable farming.

The event will also feature a panel on developing second income streams. Panelists include Kathleen Jones of A 1 Nursery, who will share her family’s success with wholesale peony production; Shad Swanson of LIFE 5b; Todd and Lu Peverill of Hillsdale Lily Garden, a multigenerational daylily farm near Glenwood; and Jessa Bears of Sycamore Ridge Farm in Farragut, known for its you pick flowers, fresh produce, and on farm experiences. This event offers producers and community members a chance to learn, connect, and explore new opportunities that strengthen both farm operations and the broader local economy.

Besides outstanding speakers and engaging breakout sessions, participants will enjoy a delicious yogurt bar and donut holes for breakfast, as well as a fabulous lunch catered by Classic Café of Malvern. There will also be swag bags for each participant, a variety of local vendors on hand for shopping and educational resources, exciting door prizes, and the opportunity to connect with 100+ women who share a passion for rural lifestyles.

To keep the registration fee affordable for attendees, financial support from sponsors is sought each year. If your company celebrates the ag industry, and the culture that goes with it, Women, Land & Legacy of Southwest Iowa would love to partner with you!

Vendor applications are currently being accepted. Interested parties are encouraged to email Sadie Lindgren at [email protected].

To register for this exciting event, visit https://go.iastate.edu/CWKGSJ. The fee is $35 per person and includes breakfast, lunch, and a day filled with educational opportunities. Registration will close at midnight on Friday, February 20.

For more information, please contact Fremont County ISU Extension at (712) 374-2351, Mills County ISU Extension at (712) 624-8616, Montgomery County ISU Extension at (712) 623-2592, or Page County ISU Extension at (712) 542-5171. For updates and current information, visit the group’s page by searching Women, Land and Legacy of SW Iowa.

Women, Land & Legacy (WLL) is an education and outreach program designed to educate and empower women. Three to four programs are presented each year to bring relevant information and resources to local women to help them affect positive changes in their communities. WLL of Southwest Iowa serves the counties of Fremont, Mills, Montgomery, and Page. The programs are available to all.

01/27/2026

Take a look at this article to see what our County Education Coordinator, Laura Monson, has been up to this past year!

The Pottawattamie County Board of Supervisors received an annual review this week of education and outreach efforts conducted through the county’s long-standing partnership with the East and West Pottawattamie County Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs). 

01/23/2026

We are accepting applications for the CDI and East Pottawattamie SWCD Conservation Scholarship, and the Russ & Phyllis Brandes Memorial Scholarship!

Are you, or do you know, a high school senior in the Class of 2026 planning on pursuing programs of study in the agriculture or conservation field? Apply for the CDI Conservation Scholarship or the Russ and Phyllis Brandes Memorial Scholarship today!!

For scholarship rules, more information, or application forms, contact the East Pottawattamie Soil and Water Conservation District at [email protected] or by phone at (712) 482-6486.

01/14/2026

Join us for our second meeting of the 2026 Winter Meeting Series! Tuesday, February 10th, from 10:00am - Noon at the Madison County Conservation Center (1818 Pammel Park Rd, Winterset, IA).

Our featured speaker is Alexis Stevens, Director of Farm Operations with Momentis. Alexis will be discussing how farmers and their advisors can use simple AI tools to make decisions, maximize ROI, and improve soil health.

This meeting will be an in-person event at the Madison County Conservation Center. In the event of inclement weather, this meeting will change to a virtual format with the same time and date.

We hope you will join us!

12/31/2025

Summer Camp Registration Opening Soon!

Even though it's cold outside, it's time to start thinking about plans for the summer! Registration for summer camp opens on January 15th, 2026 for Pottawattamie Conservation Members, and general registration opens on February 2nd, 2026.

There are options for students going into 1st grade through 12th grade, at Botna Bend Park, Arrowhead Park, and Hitchcock Nature Center!

For more information, to register, or to become a member, scan the QR code on the attached flyer or go to https://www.pottconservation.com/

We hope you'll join us for a summer of exploration, learning, and having fun!

12/19/2025

Join us for our first meeting of the 2026 Winter Meeting Series! Wednesday, January 7th, from 10:00am - 11:30am via teams!

Our featured speaker is Dr. Marshall McDaniel who will be discussing Putting the Soil Health Principles to the Test in Iowa.
This meeting will be a virtual only meeting, so please join us on the day of by scanning the QR code, or reach out to Ruth Blomquist for an emailed meeting invitation.

We hope you will join us!

12/01/2025

Did you plant cover crops this fall? Then you could save $5 per acre on your crop insurance premiums next spring.

Sign up now for the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship's Crop Insurance Discount Program.

Discount applies to insurance premiums on verified cover crop acres.

To qualify, acres can't be enrolled in other state or federal cost share programs.

Talk to your crop insurance agent and sign up today at https://apply.cleanwateriowa.org/

11/06/2025

Riverside student places 1st at the Regional Level for the CDI Poster Contest!

The East Pottawattamie SWCD wishes to congratulate Riverside School student, Sidney Reed, who placed 1st in Division 3, Region 5 (Southwest Iowa), for the Conservation Districts of Iowa Poster Contest. The theme for this past year's contest was "Home is Where the Habitat Is". Sidney used paint and markers to create a poster of a turtle surrounded by pollutants, adding to this year's theme by saying "Home is Where the Habitat is so... Save it and Love it!". Sidney also mentioned that she was so worried she wouldn't finish it in time, but it is clear that she put a lot of work into her poster, and did an amazing job! Congratulations to Sidney Reed, and thank you to all of the students who participated in the CDI Poster Contest!

"The annual NACD and NACD Auxiliary Poster Contest provides students from kindergarten through 12th grade the chance to have their art displayed as part of a national conservation outreach initiative. Each year, the winning posters highlight the work of conservation districts and their state conservation associations, auxiliaries and agencies to protect and enhance natural resources." To learn more about the CDI/NACD Poster Contest visit https://www.cdiowa.org/get-involved/poster-contest/

10/24/2025

Our mission at East Pottawattamie Soil and Water Conservation District is to conserve Iowa's natural resources through education, technical & financial assistance. To learn more about how we can assist you, visit our website at https://www.soilwaterconservationia.com/
For additional information about cost-share opportunities, visit our website at https://www.soilwaterconservationia.com/additional-resources

East Pottawattamie SWCD in Iowa additional resources and links

08/28/2025

Wes Henry awarded with Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Award!

During the 2025 Iowa State Fair another member of our East Pottawattamie SWCD Board, Wes Henry, was one of the farmers awarded with the Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Award. Wes is an Assistant Commissioner for the East Pottawattamie SWCD. He is well known in his community, and exemplifies what it means to be a "soil health farmer". His route to farming was slightly unconventional - he didn't grow up working on the farm, but he did grow up working outside in all kinds of weather working for the family well company. Wes started his farming journey in 2016, renting 40 acres as a trial, and was soon renting additional ground from his grandfathers; including the John Henry Century Farm that his great-grandfather farmed over 150 years ago.
Wes is 100% no-till on all acres, now farming more than 1,000 acres of row crop. He utilizes cover crops, soil testing, and terraces - continuing to add more and upgrading ones that need improved. Wes also has waterways throughout his farm, and manages around 30 acres of CRP, which he is adding on as he goes.

Wes is motivated to farm by his desire to return the family farm to its roots - being cared for by the family itself. His goal is to leave the ground better than he found it. He was inspired to implement conservation practices by seeing what neighbors have done around him, and by finding good mentors who also practice what they preach. Wes has three young sons he hopes to one day pass the farm on to, if they choose to pursue farming in the future.

Congratulations Wes Henry!