Jerry Andresen

ILF Farmer Partner Jerry Andresen started farming in 1968 and is now farming with his brother and son. They have 240 acres of row crops and also have a 40 head cow-calf operation. He uses strip-till on the contour to help with soil erosion.

Jerry is most known in ILF circles for his on-camera interview in the ILF film "Troubled Waters." He is seen first on the film, discussing fishing with his buddies. Jerry has put in a wetland on his farm, which is also seen in the film, and has recently added cover crops to a few acres drilling radishes, turnips and oats in an area that was previously flooded.

Building a Culture of Conservation:

From "Troubled Waters"—
"The river is totally different than it was when I was a kid. Well it could the different weather patterns, but part of it is the changing farming practices. We don’t leave much grass grow out there anymore, it’s all corn/beans, very little livestock. Grasses and hay lands filter the water and slow it down. It doesn’t get to the river quite as fast. We put a lot of tile in the ground, that speeds the water to the river. We’ve built a lot of Wal-Mart parking lots and all that water has to go somewhere, none of that seeps into the ground. The changes in society have changed the process of water moving down the channels."

Contact Information

Jerry Andresen
5165 65th Ave.
Wyoming, IA 52362
563/488-3459