Three Iowa farmers are sparking conversations online, arguing that voluntary efforts to curb fertilizer runoff and promote conservation practices have not produced nearly enough progress.
James Hepp said that after 13 years without broader change, regulation may now be the only remaining option for making a real difference.
What happened?
One of those farmers is James Hepp, a 36-year-old grower from northern Iowa. He is part of the “Lobe Rangers,” a three-member group of corn and soybean farmers — alongside Matthew Bormann and Zack Smith — who use Facebook videos to push for stronger action on agricultural pollution and water quality issues.
As Inside Climate News reported, the group’s posts have spread across Iowa as concern grows over polluted waterways and drinking water. In one of his most direct arguments, Hepp says Iowa farmers have spent more than a decade being encouraged by state agencies and agricultural groups to voluntarily adopt conservation practices under the Nutrient Reduction Strategy — yet nitrogen and phosphorus runoff continues to pollute waterways…