Ruth Rabinowitz & Maggie McQuown – Landowners: Prioritizing Conservation on Rented Ground

Fifty-three percent of Iowa farmland is rented to non-owner operators. Conservation is just as important for the long-term viability of this land as it is for land owned by farmer-operators. Learn how two non-operator owners have made conservation a priority. Ruth and Maggie will discuss their farmland priorities; how these priorities are reflected in their leases; progress they have made to date; and future plans to further their goals.

• Ruth Rabinowitz lives in Santa Cruz, California, and manages her family’s Iowa farmland. Ruth started managing her father’s farms in 2013 with little land management knowledge or Iowa connections. Since then, Ruth has learned a lot, made good connections and has written her own farm and hunting leases that include conservation measures.
• In 2012, Maggie McQuown and her husband, Steve Turman, moved to her family’s century farm near Red Oak, where she grew up. They have worked closely with their farm operators to incorporate conservation practices. Maggie and Steve were PFI’s 2018 Farmland Owner Legacy Award recipients.