Cleaner water for sustainable beer

DES MOINES, Iowa — The Clean Water in Iowa Starts Here tour visited Textile Brewing Company in Dyersville. The brewery hosted a Farm to Brew event highlighting the connection of agriculture to the brewing industry with a focus on what sustainable agriculture is doing for water quality and soil health.

Textile Brewing sources local ingredients including rye grain from cover crops. Farmers plant cover crops after corn or soybean harvest to ensure living cover is protecting the soil and securing nutrients before the next crop starts growing. Cover crops and other soil health practices like reduced tillage have multiple environmental benefits such as improving water quality and reducing soil erosion.

Breweries like Textile want to source local ingredients like corn and rye that have been grown sustainably. Iowa farmers need economic benefits like these local markets to support adoption of additional soil health and water quality practices. It’s a win-win situation that is expanding across the state.

“We all drink the water, so it’s important that we raise awareness and encourage everyone to take action to improve water quality,” stated Lance Lillibridge, a farmer from Benton County and president of the Iowa Corn Growers Association. “Iowa’s growing breweries are great local markets for our corn and cover crops that create opportunities for farmers to share the progress we’ve made on water quality.”

About the Clean Water in Iowa Starts Here campaign

The Clean Water in Iowa Starts Here campaign, created by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Iowa Soybean Association and Newsradio 1040 WHO, aims to raise awareness about the conservation work underway across Iowa and encourages all Iowans to get personally involved in water quality activities.

The Big Show will visit locations throughout the state showcasing the people and practices that are having a positive and measurable impact on water quality. The conversations with farmers, landowners, business operators and conservation leaders will be broadcast Wednesdays on The Big Show airing from 11 a.m.–1 p.m. on WHO and 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m. on WMT.

The Clean Water in Iowa Starts Here campaign partners include Agri-Drain, Hagie Manufacturing, Hands on Excavating, Heartland Co-op, Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance, Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Iowa Land Improvement Contractors Association, Iowa Pork Producers Association, Iowa Soybean Association, Montag Manufacturing, The Nature Conservancy and TruTerra.

To learn more about the campaign and conservation practices that can be implemented, go to cleanwateriowa.org/cleanwaterstartshere.

The Iowa Corn Promotion Board (ICPB), works to develop and defend markets, fund research, and provide education about corn and corn products. The Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA) is an 7,500-member strong grassroots-driven organization, headquartered in Johnston, Iowa, serving members across the state, and lobbying on agricultural issues on behalf of its farmer members to create opportunities for long-term Iowa corn grower profitability. For more information, visit iowacorn.org.

— Iowa Corn Promotion Board