Bill Drury, a soybean farmer from Clarion, has been recognized by the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) through a new conservation initiative, “Iowa’s Front Forty,” which celebrates conservation champions in the state.
The program recognizes individuals who utilize and promote innovative conservation methods in their area. The local honoree, Drury, is a fifth-generation corn and soybean farmer, whose operation is located between Clarion and Belmond. Drury says he returned to the area to farm after his dad retired in 1989.
Conservation-mindedness has deep roots in the Drury family. After World War II, as part of nationwide conservation initiatives, soil and water conservation districts in the state received an earthmover and a bulldozer. Drury explained that his family made use of the equipment to put in miles worth of terraces. His father continued to implement more conservation methods on the family farm later when he bought a buffalo till planter.
When he took over the farm, Drury continued and added even more conservation practices to his operations. He now uses cover crops, ridge till and strip tilling, and farms a lot of no-till ground. He added that he has saturated buffers, grass waterways, terraces and a large wind break as well.
Drury said his proudest accomplishments when it comes to conservation are the improvements he has seen in water quality on his land. “It’s nice to see the clean water and lack of erosion coming from my farm ground. This is especially important because I’m only a half mile from the Iowa River.” This fits right in with the mission of the Iowa Soybean Association’s Front Forty program, through which Drury was recognized.
“We’re all about improving the productivity, profitability and natural resource management for soil and water in Iowa,” said Roger Wolf, ISA Director of the Research Center for Farming Innovation (RCFI). “The Front Forty captures the voices of local champions to advocate what’s been going on across Iowa for soil and water conservation for the purpose of replicating that success in other parts of the state.”
Drury is a long-time member of the Iowa Soybean Association, as well as other ag groups. He is a past treasurer of the Central Iowa Tillage Expo and is a farmer-representative on the Iowa River Coalition. He has also been on the county’s Soil and Water Conservation Board where he wrote grants to close ag drainage wells.
As he looks into the future, Drury anticipates continuing his conservation practices. He plans to work more on interplanting cover crops with corn in the future. He is proud of his work conserving the soil and water on his farm and being recognized by the ISA for furthering a statewide initiative.
