Ag Secretary visits fair, announces conservation program

U-S Ag Secretary Ann Veneman joined state officials at the Iowa State Fair Friday to sign an agreement designed to improve water quality in the state. The U-S-D-A is kicking in 31-million dollars to offer incentives to farmers in 37 north-central Iowa counties for restoring wetlands and installing buffer areas to keep nitrogen fertilizer from running off into groundwater.The state will kick in another seven-million dollars for the Conservation Reserve Program, which has goals of improving water quality, protecting drinking water, preventing soil erosion, and protecting wildlife.Veneman says the program will have benefits beyond Iowa as it will keep pollutants out of water that travels downriver.Veneman says this is the type of program that should be a model nationwide.Iowa’s, governor, two U-S Senators, and two U-S representatives were on hand as Veneman signed the agreement.Veneman has nothing but praise after visiting the Iowa State Fair Friday.Veneman says her favorite part of the fair was the porkchop on a stick.