Soil and Water Outcomes Fund — 2025 Annual Farmer Survey Summary

SWOF Accelerates Adoption

  • Without SWOF, 22% of respondents would not have implemented any practices at all.

  • SWOF expanded adoption by those surveyed, with 45% responding they would have adopted conservation practices anyway, but on fewer acres or at a later time.

Overall Benefits

  • Soil erosion (210), soil health (172), and soil moisture (120) are the most cited positive impacts

  • Yields: 31% report positive impact, 40% still unsure, only 3% negative

  • Profitability: 52% report a positive impact, 30% unsure, just 2 respondents negative

  • Confidence in future farm profitability: 65% yes, 33% unsure

  • Weather resiliency: 37% yes, 58% still unsure — a key "wait and see" area

Respondent Profile

  • n = 280 responses

  • Geographically concentrated in Iowa (33%), Missouri (19%), Indiana (10%), and South Dakota (9%)

Request to Review

  • In the survey results, open-ended feedback is dominated by payments, with 14% of comments referencing payment rates, larger payments, or rate-per-acre concerns, which may reflect growing uncertainty by farmers regarding rising costs for fuel and crop production inputs.

Bottom Line

  • Strong satisfaction from participating farmers who responded to the survey.

  • Re-enrollment intent is nearly universal among respondents, with soil health as the top-cited benefit. 

  • Yield and profitability impacts are trending positive overall but remain uncertain for many respondents. 

  • The structure of program payments is the most-cited question raised by survey respondents.