Brown awarded IDNR 2016 Conservation Leader

Raymond Brown, of Newton, who passed away on July 4, was posthumously awarded a 2016 Conservation Leader award by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources at the Iowa State Fair on Aug. 16.

Raymond’s widow Marie Brown, of Newton, accepted the award on behalf of the Brown family, with daughters Billie Bailey and Donna Brown, and granddaughter also in attendance.

Brown and his wife farmed for many years in the Rock Creek Lake watershed in Jasper County, just north of Rock Creek Lake. He implemented a number of soil conservation practices on their farm, and was a pioneer in the practice of no-till farming in 1970. He built terraces and farmed on the contour, all to protect the downstream Rock Creek Lake.

Brown was also hired by the Jasper County Sanitarian to plug abandoned wells and do other testing around the county all to help groundwater resources. He served on the Jasper Soil and Water Conservation District for more than 30 years.

Through his work on the SWCD he came up with the idea to purchase a no-till planter and other conservation equipment to rent out to farmers so they could try it out before investing.

He was the 1997 State SWCD Commissioner of the Year.