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Our History Back Dallas County's Early History of Soil Conservation. Although the Soil Conservation Service was born in 1935, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the soil conservation act into law, organized soil conservation did not come to the county until 1946, when Ivan Fredregill became the first District Conservationist for the government agency. The Dallas County Soil Conservation District was organized May 10, 1946 by Fredregill and others who knew that the result would be a momentous disaster if the soil was not carefully guarded from the elements and man. Among the interested were three farmers, Ralph Mortimer of Dallas Center, Lloyd Mendenhall of Earlham and J. Max Gutshall of Van Meter. These three helped Fredregill organize the district by sitting on the first board of commissioners. Although a few farmers were resistant to change, many responded enthusiastically to the new ideas. Area farmers and landowners first organized into 'groups'. These organized groups could then request the soil surveyor to survey and map their area so they could then develop a conservation plan for their individual farms. Strip Cropping laid out in 1954 on the Robert Eakle Farm, Section 18 of Van Meter Township. These groups would get together to discuss contouring, strip cropping, waterways, and terraces. They had demonstrations, tours, and speakers to help learn more about conservation practices. By October of 1947, there were eleven organized groups consisting of eighty-four farms, and five conservation plans completed. Each year the number of groups, individual farmers and completed conservation plans grew. By October of 1951, when the groups were dissolved, thirty-two organized 'groups' were scattered throughout the county. The soil survey continued on an individual request basis until 1976 when a soil survey crew remapped all of Dallas County. Conservation planning continues today and will continue as farming equipment evolve, supply and demand of certain crops and livestock shift, and as the economy demands changes in future farming operations. The people have changed, the organization has changed, the practices have changed, but our ideals remain the same--a rich and prosperous soil to be passed on from generation to generation which sustains the farm family and feeds the world and water that is clean and pure for both human and wildlife consumption, recreation and habitat. Ivan Fredregill: Dallas County's 1st District Conservationist. Serving our county for nearly 20 years. In 1946, Dallas County's Soil Conservation Service was organized, and Ivan Fredregill became the first District Conservationist for the government agency. Fredregill's interest in conservation blossomed, not in college, but when he began working as an agriculture foreman in 1933 for the Civil Conservation Corps, which was part of FDR's work program. He received a degree in agricultural engineering in 1931 from Iowa State College (now Iowa State University) but "conservation was not talked about a great deal then". From the forties to the sixties, conservationists encouraged contour farming, strip cropping, terracing and crop rotation. "Conservation," Fredregill said, "was pretty much like it is now, but it wasn't as sophisticated."

Natural Resources Welcome to the Education section of the Dallas County Soil and Water Conservation District's website. Here, we believe that knowledge is the key to effective conservation. By providing you with access to a wealth of resources, we empower both rural and urban residents to become stewards of our invaluable soil and water resources. Soil We provide best practices on soil conservation in Iowa, such as reducing tilling and erosion, planting cover crops, and improving soil health through organic matter additions. Read More Water We provide up-to-date information on the best practices for keeping Iowa's water clean, such as reducing soil erosion, using fertilizers responsibly, and properly disposing of hazardous materials. Read More

Our 5 Year Plan Back The priority goals were established in collaboration with input from a Local Working Group (consisting of farmers, local business owners, and other residents of the community), Dallas SWCD Commissioners and Natural Resources Conservation Service staff. The Priority Goals for the Dallas Soil and Water Conservation District are as follows: Priority Goal #1: People - Expand office staff capacity, restoring it to previous levels, providing the availability of the right people, right role, at the right time, and seek funding to support the additional expense overhead. Priority Goal #2: Water and Soil Quality - Increase the use of buffers along waterways and streams reducing erosion while improving wildlife habitat. Priority Goal #3: Soil Quality and Conservation - Encourage and expand upon implementation of and compliance with effective conservation practices on land designated as HEL reducing erosion on higher risk land. Priority Goal #4: Grow Partnership Network - Continuously enhance partnerships with county and neighboring organizations that support and promote mutual goals of improving lowa's water quality and land stewardship, and conservation practices. Read our 5 year plan People Water and Soil Quality Soil Quality and Conservation Grow Partnership Network Our Goals

About Us Soil health and water quality not only determine the quality of human life, but whether human life is possible. The Dallas Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) invites everyone to get involved in preserving our essential natural resources for future generations. Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2024 Meeting Minutes Our Commissioners Our History How Conservation Districts Work Our 5 Year Plan

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Literacy Development This item is connected to a text field in your content collection. Double click to add your own content. Click the Content Manager icon on the add panel to your left. This item is connected to a text field in your content collection. Double click what you want to edit and then select "Change Content" to open the collection. Want to view and manage all your collections? Click the Content Manager icon on the add panel to your left. In the Content Manager, you can update items, add new fields, create dynamic pages and more. Your content collection is already set up with fields and content. Add your own by editing each field, or import CSV files to your content collection. You can create fields for rich content, images, videos and more. Donate Back

Annual Tech Challenge This item is connected to a text field in your content collection. Double click to add your own content. Click the Content Manager icon on the add panel to your left. This item is connected to a text field in your content collection. Double click what you want to edit and then select "Change Content" to open the collection. Want to view and manage all your collections? Click the Content Manager icon on the add panel to your left. In the Content Manager, you can update items, add new fields, create dynamic pages and more. Your content collection is already set up with fields and content. Add your own by editing each field, or import CSV files to your content collection. You can create fields for rich content, images, videos and more. Donate Back

Tolerance and Fair Play This item is connected to a text field in your content collection. Double click to add your own content. Click the Content Manager icon on the add panel to your left. This item is connected to a text field in your content collection. Double click what you want to edit and then select "Change Content" to open the collection. Want to view and manage all your collections? Click the Content Manager icon on the add panel to your left. In the Content Manager, you can update items, add new fields, create dynamic pages and more. Your content collection is already set up with fields and content. Add your own by editing each field, or import CSV files to your content collection. You can create fields for rich content, images, videos and more. Donate Back

Transportation for Youth This item is connected to a text field in your content collection. Double click to add your own content. Click the Content Manager icon on the add panel to your left. This item is connected to a text field in your content collection. Double click what you want to edit and then select "Change Content" to open the collection. Want to view and manage all your collections? Click the Content Manager icon on the add panel to your left. In the Content Manager, you can update items, add new fields, create dynamic pages and more. Your content collection is already set up with fields and content. Add your own by editing each field, or import CSV files to your content collection. You can create fields for rich content, images, videos and more. Donate Back

Adopt a Student This item is connected to a text field in your content collection. Double click to add your own content. Click the Content Manager icon on the add panel to your left. This item is connected to a text field in your content collection. Double click what you want to edit and then select "Change Content" to open the collection. Want to view and manage all your collections? Click the Content Manager icon on the add panel to your left. In the Content Manager, you can update items, add new fields, create dynamic pages and more. Your content collection is already set up with fields and content. Add your own by editing each field, or import CSV files to your content collection. You can create fields for rich content, images, videos and more. Donate Back

English for All This item is connected to a text field in your content collection. Double click to add your own content. Click the Content Manager icon on the add panel to your left. This item is connected to a text field in your content collection. Double click what you want to edit and then select "Change Content" to open the collection. Want to view and manage all your collections? Click the Content Manager icon on the add panel to your left. In the Content Manager, you can update items, add new fields, create dynamic pages and more. Your content collection is already set up with fields and content. Add your own by editing each field, or import CSV files to your content collection. You can create fields for rich content, images, videos and more. Donate Back

Annual Agriculture in the Classroom 5/31/23, 9:00 PM Perry Middle School hosted the third annual Agriculture in the Classroom on Tuesday, October 17. Dallas County District Conservationist Aaron Eggert and Soil Conservationist Tyler Reams did a demonstration land management and the benefits of good soil health. Perry Middle School hosted the third annual Agriculture in the Classroom on Tuesday, October 17. Dallas County District Conservationist Aaron Eggert and Soil Conservationist Tyler Reams did a demonstration land management and the benefits of good soil health. Back