DES MOINES, Iowa (KCRG-TV9) -- Every year at the Iowa State Fair, farmers are recognized by Iowa leaders for their work in conservation.
The Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Award is presented by the Governor and Iowa Secretary of Agriculture and is given based on voluntary actions of farmers that protect the environment and natural resources.
This year there were 66 farmers honored, joining 489 farms that have already received the award.
Farmer Mark Fraise from Lee County is one of the recipients. He has cover crops, no-till and strip-till practices on his farm and says he has seen a lot of improvement in soil structure and weed control since he began.
Fraise says conservation has helped from the start, "You might not see it the very next year but the following year you'll see it and every year's a little different but that's the life of farming I guess."