About 60 people attended a site visit with Governor Terry Branstad on Mike and Kathy Bravard’s farm near Jefferson Monday.

The Governor was touring a bioreactor that the Bravards and the Iowa Soybean Association installed in 2008 to help with water quality. Iowa Soybean Association Environmental Scientist Keegan Kult says the bioreactor takes in water through an existing drainage tile, then it goes through a system of wood chips, which filters out the nitrites and disperses the leftover nitrogen into the air. The bioreactor reduces the nitrites in the water by 60-70 percent. Kult adds that the Agriculture’s Clean Water Alliance and the Sand County Foundation helped to fund the original pilot program.

Mike Bravard said they installed the conservation practice about eight years ago, and the Iowa Soybean Association will be replacing part of their system.

“It’s starting to lose some of it’s efficiency. We’re talking about within the next year, re-doing the wood chips in it (and) recharging it with new wood chips.”

The Bravard’s are no stranger to conservation on their farmland. They use buffer stripes and have experimented with cover crops. Mike was also the recipient of the Iowa Soybean Association’s Environmental Stewardship Award earlier this year. The Bravards want to leave their land in better shape for future farmers to succeed, while also respecting the land.

Branstad said water quality is his top priority this year and the House is considering a bill for $464 million through the year 2029.