Kickoff for Water Quality Initiative Project Focused on Increasing Cover Crops to be Held in Ankeny July 28

DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey to participate in a kickoff event for a new Water Quality Initiative project focused on increasing the use of cover crops.  The project is entitled “Driving Cover Crop Adoption through Education and Technical Assistance and Showing Environmental Benefits” and is being led by the Conservation Technology Information Center.

The kickoff for the project will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, July 28 at LaCrosse Seed, 2402 SE Creekview Dr., Suite 9, in Ankeny.

The project will focus on integrating cover crops into the operation of farmers as part of the “Sustainable Soy” program led by Unilever and Archer Daniels Midland.  Through the program Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM)  supply certified sustainably produced soybean oil to Unilever for Hellmann’s and Best Foods mayonnaise.

The project received a $1,007,916 grant from the Iowa Water Quality initiative and farmers and other project partners will provide $1,217,250 in funds to support the efforts.   Partners include Archer Daniels Midland, DuPont Pioneer, LaCrosse Seed, Practical Farmers of Iowa, and Unilever.

The details of the event follow here:

Who:               Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey
Where:           LaCrosse Seed, 2402 SE Creekview Dr., Suite 9, Ankeny
When:             Tuesday, July 28, 11:30 am – 12:30 pm
How:               For more information, please contact Dustin Vande Hoef with the Iowa Department of Agriculture at 515-281-3375