Though the harvest is done, rural drivers will continue seeing corn along certain roads, thanks to a longstanding Iowa Department of Transportation program.
The Iowa DOT reported in a recent press release that its winter season and, therefore, this year’s Standing Corn Snow Fence Program, began October 15. Now over 40 years running, the program pays Iowa farmers to leave several rows of corn on the outskirts of their fields to block snowdrifts from forming.
Standing corn (and sometimes deliberately placed round bales) can be found over the next few months in open, wind-prone areas of rural Iowa and other farming states. Farmers also benefit from increased soil moisture along their fields’ edges from melting, trapped snow in the spring.
Additionally, leaving standing corn – usually between six and 24 rows located 100 to 200 feet from roads – comes with a financial incentive, according to IDOT. The department pays participating growers the statewide average cash price on every assumed bushel they lose by not harvesting the remaining corn, plus a $2 per bushel premium. For the 2025 winter season, farmers will receive $5.75 per bushel.
For those arranging round bales along their property, the Iowa DOT will pay them $1 per linear foot running parallel along the road.
On the other side of the transaction, the Iowa DOT benefits by lowering costs on salt use, truck trips and fuel usage. Iowa DOT Winter Operations Administrator Craig Bargfrede says studies show plowing snow that can be stopped by standing corn costs the department 100 times more than simply paying growers to not harvest the edges of their fields.
The Iowa DOT also collaborates with farmers to identify ideal spots for snow fences and choose corn hybrids most resilient against constant winter winds.
Other documented benefits from the Iowa DOT's Standing Corn Snow Fence Program include:
- Sheltering ecosystems
- Creating a wildlife habitat
- Reducing soil erosion
