From Ennui to Empowerment: Farmer Boredom and the Innovation of Relay Intercropping in Iowa

Though the back roads of Iowa on a clear July morning may reflect the beauty of a Grant Wood painting, the underlying canvas for some who methodically farm those acres of corn and soybean reveals something much less placid—boredom brought on by structural strain. A venturous group of Iowa farmers, however, has found that boredom can also be the brushstroke that inspires innovation.

Water Conservation, Conservation CropsAnn Staudtwater quality, soil health, relay cropping, social science, cereal rye, corn, soybeans