KindHarvest summary: The Gilbert family’s Iowa farm shows how diversification and conservation can support a working farm, wildlife habitat and a multi-generation family business. Their approach grew from decades of adapting through financial pressure and learning with other farmers.
A diversified farming system
Gibralter Farms covers about 770 acres near Iowa Falls and includes corn, soybeans, oats, hay and pasture in diverse rotations. The family also raises dairy and beef cattle, pasture-farrowed pigs and chickens.
Their conservation practices include no-till, rotational grazing, buffer strips, terraces and connected habitats. These choices support water quality, wildlife and farm diversity while fitting the business’s production goals.
Restoring an unsuitable field corner
In 2011, the family installed a three-quarter-acre shallow wetland in a low area that regularly held water and sediment and was poorly suited to cropping. Native flowers, waterfowl and pollinator habitat subsequently returned, with funding assistance through the US Conservation Stewardship Program.
Why it matters
The case study links resilience to diversity, observation and family continuity. The practices were selected because they suited the farm’s land and goals, showing how conservation can become part of business design rather than a separate project.
Source and credit
This KindHarvest Team case-study brief is based on an article by Lia Carrillo for Practical Farmers of Iowa, published 29 June 2022. Read the original Practical Farmers of Iowa article.