-Farm News photo by Lori Berglund
Paul Olson keeps a meticulously cared for farmstead in rural Hamilton County with the help of a 12-foot mowing deck on his John Deere turbo mower.

Paul Olson is used to a little teasing when it comes to his lawn. But it’s hard to argue with perfection, because this is a farm lawn, and even a ditch, that is beautifully manicured year-round.

“I get razzed about it,” Olson said with a grin. “But what can look better than a mowed ditch.”

With fewer farmers on the land, it’s not uncommon to see fewer mowed ditches in the Iowa countryside. State law even prohibits ditch mowing from March 15 to July 15 each year in order to allow habitat for ground-nesting birds.

Olson keeps that in mind, but notes that, with CRP and other programs, habitat is actually more abundant than it used to be just a few years ago. In addition, state law does allow ditch mowing within 200 yards of an inhabited dwelling, which covers his long stretch of mowed ditch.

Other notable exceptions to the ditch mowing rules include: right of way within one mile of city limits; within 50 feet of a drainage tile or intake; mailbox access; ag demonstration or research plots; to promote certain species or control noxious weeds; and for safety and visibility.

-Farm News photo by Lori Berglund
Jaime Brinkman, left, and Will Vaughn of Smitty’s Lawn and Landscape with an ash tree undergoing treatment for emerald ash borer. The bottle on the ground holds a small amount of insecticide that is injected directly into the tree. The procedure can be completed in a matter of hours and protects and treats a tree for two years.

As for Olson, he just likes the clean look.

“I’ve always kind of enjoyed it,” he said. “I want it looking nice.”

Olson and his wife Berleen purchased their farm east of Webster City in 1975. He still remembers the simple negotiations and the two questions the seller had for him at the time.

“He asked me where I went to church, and if I ever had a position in that church, and that’s all he wanted to know,” Olson recalled.

With some help from his son Lyndall, Olson started his careful mowing of the lawn and ditch back then and still carries it on today, even though the kids are all gone and grown up and the couple has retired.

“I couldn’t stand to have it look any other way,” he said. “It’s bred into you.”

Fortunately, Olson has plenty of power to get the job done quickly. He mows with a John Deer 1600 turbo, complete with three decks, two on the side and one in front.

“It takes 12 feet in one swath,” Olson said. “It handles like a car.”

While safety is a big concern for anyone operating machinery in a ditch, Olson noted that the heft of the mower works in his favor.

“The deck is so heavy there is no tipping problem,” he said.

One of the big advantages to a mowed ditch that Olson sees is less snow on the road in the wintertime.

“I used to mow the other side of the road as well,” Olson said. “I don’t do that anymore because I’m retired and I need to cut back. But with mowing, we never had snow on this road.”

Engineer encourages safety

Hamilton County Engineer Ryan Weidemann encourages safety anytime one is working in the right of way. In most cases, land owners can make their own choices about if or how much to mow.

“From a sight/distance perspective it can be helpful, but it’s not a requirement by any means,” Weidemann said.

While permits are not required for simple mowing procedures, they are needed, especially on state roads, for heavier work.

“We generally don’t require a permit if they are making one pass mowing,” he said, “but if they are baling or operating a lot of heavy equipment in the right of way, then we need them to get a right of way permit.”

As for the county, gravel roads are mowed as needs dictate for sight and safety, while all paved roads are mowed twice each season. Weidemann said late fall mowing and road maintenance can be particularly helpful in helping to keep snow from piling up on roads in the winter.

“When we get into that cold period of November, once that grass starts to freeze — and it really works well if we get just a little wet dusting of snow — we will take the wings on the motor graders and you can just cut that grass down to help with drifting in the winter,” he explained.

Baling may require permit

In Webster County, Engineer Jamie Johll said the county mows paved routes at least twice per year, and more often if time and growing conditions make it necessary. Gravel roads are taken more on a case-by-case basis.

“We do not mow every mile of gravel roads, but we do a lot of spot mowing where it is needed,” he said.

Maintaining good visibility at intersections and mowing of areas where snow may tend to accumulate in the winter months is the focus. Adjacent land owners make their own choice about mowing based on many of the same concerns.

“Many land owners mow the shoulders or even the entire ditch,” Johll said. “Some take it a step further and bale it. Webster County owns road right of way via permanent easement. On gravel roads, this is usually 66 feet wide. It is quite often wider than that for paved roads.

Webster County has an ordinance regulating the use of this right of way. However, this ordinance does not regulate mowing or baling in the right of way. The adjacent landowner has control over that. Most other activities in the right of way are restricted without a permit from my (county engineer’s) office.”

While rules may vary from county to county regarding county roads, the State of Iowa maintains strict rules about baling or any type of access to the right of way on state roads. Safety for farm operators and the motoring public is of utmost concern, according to the Iowa DOT website.

Operating within 30 minutes after sunrise to 30 minutes before sunset, wearing approved orange garments so that operators are visible, and prompt removal of equipment and baled materials are among the DOT regulations.

Grazing never allowed

One rule that doesn’t vary from county to county is in regard to the grazing of livestock.

“Grazing is never permitted,” it’s noted on the Iowa DOT website, and both engineers echoed the need to keep livestock out of ditches, both for the safety of motorists as well as the animal.

Johll notes that fences are not allowed closer to the road than the right of way line, usually 66 feet, sometimes more on paved or state roads. It’s easy to see why, as clear access to a ditch can be especially important for emergency service providers so as not to impede them should there be an accident in that ditch.

A full list of rules, and a link to a state right of way permit application can be found on the Iowa DOT website. Local information and permits are also available from any county engineer’s office.