78

Advertisement
Monsanto Company is a member of Excellence Through Stewardship (ETS). Monsanto products are commercialized in accordance with ETS Product Launch Stewardship Guidance, and in compliance with Monsantos Policy for Commercialization of Biotechnology-Derived Plant Products in Commodity Crops. This product has been approved for import into key export markets with functioning regulatory systems. Any crop or material produced from this product can only be exported to, or used, processed or sold in countries where all necessary regulatory approvals have been granted. It is a violation of national and international law to move material containing biotech traits across boundaries into nations where import is not permitted. Growers should talk to their grain handler or product purchaser to con rm their buying position for this product. Excellence Through Stewardship is a registered trademark of Biotechnology Industry Organization. B.t. products may not yet be registered in all states. Check with your Monsanto representative for the registration status in your state. IMPORTANT IRM INFORMATION: RIB Complete corn does not require the planting of a structured refuge except in the Cotton-Growing Area where corn earworm is a signi cant pest. Genuity SmartStax RIB Complete and Genuity VT Double PRO RIB Complete corn are blended seed corn products. See the IRM/Grower Guide for additional information. Always read and follow IRM requirements. ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. Roundup Ready crops contain genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup brand agricultural herbicides. Roundup brand agricultural herbicides will kill crops that are not tolerant to glyphosate. Genuity and Design, Genuity Icons, Genuity, RIB Complete and Design, RIB Complete, Roundup Ready 2 Technology and Design, Roundup Ready 2 Yield, Roundup Ready, Roundup, SmartStax and Design, SmartStax, VT Double PRO, and VT Triple PRO are trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC. Ground BreakersSM is a servicemark of Monsanto Company. LibertyLink and the Water Droplet Design is a registered trademark of Bayer. Herculex is a registered trademark of Dow AgroSciences LLC. Respect the Refuge and Corn Design and Respect the Refuge are registered trademarks of National Corn Growers Association. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. 2012 Monsanto Company.

Conservation
www.FarmProgress.com G August 2012 Wallaces Farmer
PHOTOS BY JAMIE WILSON

ALL LINED UP: Tractor ride participants wait for the signal to enter the Rathbun Regional Water Associations water treatment facility to take a break.

Tractors travel southern Iowa

By KATHLEEN CHESTER

HE hot, muggy weather on June 24 didnt prevent the drivers of more than 450 tractors of all makes and models from rolling into Appanoose County in southern Iowa the heart of the Rathbun Lake Watershed as they prepared to participate in WHO Radios 16th annual Great Iowa Tractor Ride. The popular multiday ride, which concluded on June 27, is organized each year by The Big Show, a daily farm program on WHO Radio. For three days, the flag-adorned tractors, representing 17 states, traveled selected routes around the Rathbun Lake Watershed. The tractor ride lost one of its founders, Mark Pearson, who passed away just a few weeks prior to the start of the 2012 ride; however, his Big Show co-host, Bob Quinn, said Mark was there in spirit. Mark dearly loved the tractor ride; it was his baby. And he dearly loved Iowa agriculture, said Quinn as he reected upon the ride. I saw him in the smiles of people along the way as they were wearing an MP do-rag, or sporting a 70 sticker. Marks tractor was a John Deere model 70. I feel he was personally with me as I ran out of gas one day and broke down at a church the next day where I spent a couple of hours talking with folks on the ride. What a joy watching the world go by at 12 miles per hour!

GOOD WATER: Participants in this years tractor ride lled up their water bottles provided by Rathbun Regional Water Association. RRWA supplies affordable, high-quality drinking water to a number of towns and rural residents in southern Iowa. was spent driving around Rathbun Lake, an 11,000-acre lake that is the water source for RRWA. The Rathbun Regional Water Association provides drinking water to 80,000 people on a daily basis, and during the tractor ride, we were happy to serve our water to riders, to give them a refreshing and healthy drink at all the scheduled break points, said Glenn. GOOD RIDE: You see and appreciate more of the conservation practices and beauty of the countryside when your view is from a tractor seat, says John Glenn (right). Bob Quinn adds, Its a joy to watch the world go by at 12 miles per hour. Water Association and president of Rathbun Land and Water Alliance, said both the association and the alliance were pleased to have the tractor ride come to the Rathbun Lake Watershed area. It was a great opportunity to showcase the conservation efforts being made through the alliances Protect Rathbun Lake Project, said Glenn. More than 550 landowners work with our RLWA staff to implement soil-saving structures on the land that is identied as most likely to deliver contaminants to the lake. Quinn said the evidence of soil conservation work being done in the watershed was obvious. We saw miles of terraces in elds, many farm ponds and evidence of eld tile. Grass waterways were planted in almost every eld. It is very apparent that landowners and farmers are concerned about holding the soil in place and not letting it slip into Lake Rathbun, he noted. The majority of the tractor ride took place in the watershed, and one full day

Lake is a valuable asset

Rathbun Lake is worth protecting for many reasons, including that the area is the destination for 1 million annual visitors each year and is home to Honey Creek Resort State Park. One of the most remarkable views of the lake was during our lunch from the Honey Creek Pavilion, said Quinn. We were looking past a grove of wild raspberries at the lake when a few deer wandered by, while out on the lake was a boat with a couple of people shing. What a statement for recreation, conservation, wildlife preservation and agriculture working in harmony. Centerville, a progressive Iowa town that is the county seat of Appanoose County, was the host community during the ride, and tractors made stops in the surrounding towns of Seymour, Mystic, Corydon, Rathbun, Walnut City, Moulton/ Udel and Moravia. The Rathbun Lake Watershed is located in the six southern Iowa counties of Appanoose, Clarke, Decatur, Monroe, Lucas and Wayne, and covers 364,000 acres. For more information about the Rathbun Land and Water Alliance, visit rlwa.org. Chester writes for RLWA.

Showcasing soil conservation

Traveling the Rathbun Lake Watershed at 12 miles per hour allowed riders to take a more in-depth look at the passing scenery, which on the rolling hills of southern Iowa, much of that scenery included conservation practices that were installed to protect Rathbun Lake. The lake, one of Iowas largest, provides drinking water for a large number of people in southern Iowa and northern Missouri. It also provides recreation and economic activity for the region. John Glenn, CEO of Rathbun Regional

CHOOSE SmartStax Multi-Event Statement from above if this is for bags, tags, www.smartstax.com or news releases.