Jim Lindaman

Jim Lindaman considers himself “retired.” But in truth, he still farms the 100 tillable acres of his hilly, century farm in Butler County. What’s more, he continues to experiment towards greater conservation practices every year. In fall ‘21, he drilled rye as a cover crop for the first time, after nearly a decade of aerial seeding turnips and oats. His advice to farmers who are new to conservation is to “start small and play around with 40 acres,” although Jim admits he never did so himself: “I always just dove in. I had confidence that I could make it work, and I knew it was worth it.”

In Jim’s office there are photo albums that show the Lindaman farm from its establishment in the 1880s to present day. Before Jim’s father began farming on the contours, photographs show “cuts and holes in the land large enough to hide a car.” When Jim took over in the 70s, he implemented terraces in response to rills that continued to worsen after heavy rains.

With each transition in his practices, Jim begins with the same, careful observation to respond honestly to the land’s needs. It all comes down to “protecting the health of what you have invested in.” In the same spirit of his photo albums, Jim is an avid collector of John Deere toy tractors, which he fixes and paints in his spare time.

Building a Culture of Conservation: 

“Nothing ever stays the same. Things will keep getting bigger, and you can see the effect on small towns. But there’s still a lot of community pride in small towns. I hope we keep that pride, but there’s a lot I hope changes, too. I hope when you drive through Iowa in the fall, you see miles of green rather than a patch here or there.”

Contact Information

Jim Lindaman
16969 310th St
Aplington, IA 50604
319-269-0208
jlindaman@iowatelecom.net