About Iowa STAR

  • STAR is a FREE tool to assist farm operators and landowners in evaluating their nutrient and soil management practices on individual fields. The ultimate objective is to meet the goals of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy (NRS).

  • The STAR evaluation program assigns points to each cropping, tillage, nutrient application, and soil conservation activity on individual fields. The STAR Science Committee, comprised of agricultural experts and university researchers, reviews practices to determine the points and ranking system. Higher point values are assigned to those practices that align best with the NRS science assessment and goals and will be updated annually to reflect the most current research. The star rating for a field will be from 1 to 5 stars.

Potential Benefits of Using This Program

  • Promote a positive image of farmers and agriculture in the local community

  • Inspire other farmers and landowners to take action in helping to meet nutrient loss reduction goals for Iowa

  • Increase farm income

  • Reduce crop insurance premiums

  • Decrease nutrient loss

  • Promote producers for new farmland leases

  • Assist producers in securing local conservation cost-share

  • Assist producers in securing market incentives for growing crops using conservation cropping practices

  • Assist producers in obtaining documentation in support of water quality issues

Get Started with Iowa STAR Today

STAR is a FREE tool to assist farm operators and landowners in evaluating their nutrient and soil management practices on individual fields.