1: So this is a low impact thing for us on our farm,
but it has a high impact downstream. So taking the nitrates outta the water. Um,
again, we sit right north of Des Moines watershed,
so we wanna make sure that that water is in good as shape as possible for the
population of Des Moines.
So we want to kind of take advantage of a simple practice that helps, um,
remove those nitrates.
2: So nitrates are really important for the crops that we grow here in Iowa and
throughout the United States. And they're really important for plants, um,
to make sure that they're strong and healthy. But the problem is,
is when they enter a creek or a stream where they aren't
supposed to be.
And so we're trying to make sure that the nitrates stay on the ground,
and if not, then they're treated before they enter the creek.
3: One of the nice things about a bioreactor is it has a really small footprint
compared to some other nutrient management practices,
so it doesn't really take up a lot of space. Uh,
you may even be able to put it onto your farm without taking any acres out of
production.
1: I'm a seventh generation family farmer. Um,
my family's been on the same ground since 1861. Uh,
to me it's important to make sure that we treat this ground like we are going
to hand it off to the next generation.
And I wanna make sure that we're taking care of all the nitrates, all the soil,
and treating everything like it is, uh, you know,
a precious resource that it is.