At the Iowa Department of Transportation, our core values are the foundation of how we do business. Two of those values – “Safety First” and “People Matter” are at the heart of many of our programs.
With our days filled with football, apple orchards, warm sunny afternoons followed by chilly nights, and everything pumpkin spice it’s hard to believe that October 15 marks the first day of the winter season at the Iowa DOT. We are busy working to make sure we are using this time to prepare for the change from falling leaves to falling snow.
One of the ways we work to keep your drive safer during the winter is through our Standing Corn Snow Fence Program. Around since the 1980s, this program plays a crucial role in keeping snow off the roads, making travel safer for everyone in Iowa.
Here’s how it works: We team up with farmers whose f ields are along highways in open, flat areas. Farmers leave corn standing in their fields over the winter, and those rows of corn act like natural snow fences. They help slow down or even stop snow from drifting across the roads. We’ve even had success using round bales as snow fences too!
In return for their help, we pay farmers $5.65 per bushel for leaving anywhere from six to 24 rows of corn standing. This is typically about $2 more than the statewide average price of corn on August 1. For round bales, we pay $1 per linear foot, and the landowners agree to leave the bales in place throughout the winter.
Craig Bargfrede, who oversees our winter operations, put it this way: “Studies show that plowing snow costs 100 times more than trapping it with a snow fence, so these partnerships really pay off.”
While the program is mutually beneficial by saving the DOT money in plowing costs and providing farmers compensation for their participation, the program goes well beyond the financial benefits. By working together Iowa DOT staff and local landowners build strong partnerships. Landowners are familiar with how snow moves across their land and the DOT is familiar with areas of road that suffer from blowing and drifting problems. Together they can identify the best spots for standing corn or round bales to help keep everyone traveling through that area safe. We’ve also worked together to learn which corn hybrids work best for standing up to the winter. Setting up a successful snow fence takes a little planning between our team and the farmers. That’s why we start conversations early—before planting season begins.
We also work with farmers to install permanent or temporary snow fences made from trees, bushes, or other plants in some areas.
Once the corn has done its job through the winter, farmers can decide how to handle it. Sure, there’s a bit of extra work in the spring, but many farmers in the program see the long-term benefits of safer roads all winter. Some have even teamed up to harvest all the snow fence rows together, sharing equipment or donating the corn to local organizations, which turns into a great fundraising opportunity.
While the primary benefit of the Standing Corn Fence Program is keeping roads open and improving access between farms, towns, and essential services, keeping corn standing over the winter can:
• Provide habitat for wildlife
• Increase soil moisture in the end rows
• Help control soil erosion
We are actively looking for more volunteers to participate in our Standing Corn Snow Fence Program. If you think your property could benefit from participating in the program, reach out to your local Iowa DOT maintenance garage.
You can find the contact info online at https://iowadot. gov/districts/district-contacts. We’d love to work with you to help keep Iowa’s roads safer this winter!