Family Legacy of Cover Crops and Wildlife

In this episode of The Grow Down on Soil Health, we are joined by Ryan Heiniger to explore how family, wildlife, and conservation come together to shape a farm legacy that benefits both the land and future generations. Ryan reflects on his journey back to Iowa after years away, the role of his children in carrying forward a fifth-generation farm, and how conservation and profitability can be woven into family farming traditions.Hear Ryan share how habitat restoration shaped his approach to farming, why conservation resonates deeply with farmers as both a lifestyle and an economic choice, and how input prices can be repurposed for conservation techniques. He also discusses the launch of CTIC’s Conservation Connector platform and a new family cover crop seeding business that bridges conservation values with real-world farm profitability.Meet the Guest:Ryan Heiniger is a fourth-generation Iowa farmer and the Executive Director of the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC). With more than 25 years of experience in nonprofit conservation, Ryan has built strong partnerships across agriculture and wildlife organizations to advance sustainable farming practices. He holds a degree in Wildlife Biology from Iowa State University and spent much of his career working in habitat restoration before returning to his family farm along the Mississippi River.Farmers for Soil Health is a program created by farmers for farmers. It is committed to enhancing soil health practices, like planting cover crops, to improve the environment and farmers' profitability. Check out FarmersforSoilHealth.com for more information.This podcast is brought to you in partnership with the Soy Checkoff, Pork Checkoff and National Corn Growers Association.