Delaware SWCD Presents Annual Conservation Awards

The Delaware Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) recently presented their annual conservation awards. The awards recognize landowners and operators in Delaware County that have taken outstanding action to conserve natural resources.

Dale, Mike, Dave, and Ken Schlarmann (pictured above) received the Conservation Farm Award in recognition for their work to reduce soil erosion, improve soil health, protect water quality, and improve wildlife habitat on their farms in eastern Delaware County near Worthington. While they have their own farming operations, a conservation ethic is shared among the brothers. Early in their farming careers, around the late 1980’s, the Schlarmann brothers witnessed excessive soil erosion and started a journey to fix it. “We began no-till cropping around 1990 on our lighter ground but still tilled our end rows and high traffic areas. No-till solved a lot of our erosion problems but the end rows were still an erosion issue,” said Mike. A few years and experiments later, they found that practicing no-till on the end rows as well as the rest of their fields worked well for them. A next major step in their operation was adding cover crops after cash crop harvest. “Adding cover crops was a game changer as we started seeing major improvements to soil health.” said the brothers. NRCS soil health testing documented what the Schlarmanns had been observing for many years. “Soil erosion from crop fields is often a symptom of a soil health problem. When management practices such as no-till and cover crops are adopted on a farm, we see improved rainwater infiltration into the soil greatly reducing or even eliminating erosion. Our staff has conducted soil health assessments on the Schlarmanns’ fields, and the results show extremely good infiltration, soil aggregate stability, and building organic matter levels,” said Dave Mack, NRCS District Conservationist. The Schlarmanns use a comprehensive suite of practices including; no-till, cover crops, conservation crop rotations, grassed waterways, filter strips along streams, pollinator and monarch butterfly habitat plantings on less productive areas, wildlife food plots, and nutrient management. They also serve as a resource, mentor, and role models for other farmers trying to improve soil health on their own farming operations by providing advice and custom cover crop seed and seeding services.

Duane and Patty Conrad (pictured above) received the Arnold Lueken Fish and Wildlife Habitat Award for their work to improve, create, and conserve wildlife habitat on their property north of Manchester. In 2024, the Conrads began working with the Delaware County Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices on a plan to improve the wildlife habitat on their farm. “The existing grassland habitat was mainly sod-bound smooth bromegrass which provided very little cover and food value to wildlife,” said Patrick Nachtman, NRCS Soil Conservationist. A plan was developed to convert the existing cover to multiple diverse cover types using native grass and wildflower mixes. The multiple cover types provide habitat for grassland songbirds, pheasants, turkey, deer, pollinators, and beneficial insects. Alex Hoffman, Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) District Forester, worked with Duane to develop a tree planting plan to meet the Conrads’ goals of improving water quality, reducing soil erosion, producing quality hardwood timber, and enhancing wildlife habitat. The Conrads began implementing the plan in fall 2024 by terminating the existing bromegrass, and planting approximately 67 bushels of oak acorns and black walnut seed. In spring 2025, approximately 1,000 bareroot tree seedlings consisting of multiple kinds of oaks and shagbark hickory were planted and tree tubes placed over the oaks to protect against deer browse. Lastly, the native grass and wildflower stands were planted as well as a grain food plot. Duane and Patty are very pleased with the results of the project. “The trees and native grasses clean the air, clean the water, and slows the wind,” said Duane.Austin and Olivia Breitbach (pictured above) received the Don Eibey Memorial Award in recognition of their work to reduce soil erosion, protect water quality, and build soil health on their row crop and cattle farming operation located between Delhi and Hopkinton. They have implemented conservation practices including no-till cropping, cover crops, and planting summer annuals for grazing. “We knew we had to change our practices after seeing extreme soil erosion on one of our fields”, Austin said. Beyond drastically reduced soil erosion, Austin and Olivia mentioned other benefits including; reduced fuel and labor costs, less equipment overhead, increased soil health, and more time to focus on the operation and family. “Talking with other farmers, planter technology, and constantly learning have been key to success with these practices.”

photos courtesy of Delaware Soil and Water Conservation District