Thursday, May 14, 2026
A dark haired man with glasses, wearing a brown jacket and a backpack, photographs a green John Deere planter while a friend examines the equipment
The Schotts' large farm equipment was a big draw for the visitors.

For visitors to Iowa, a field trip to a working farm can be quite an adventure. 

That was the case when IIHR—Hydroscience and Engineering took about 25 visitors from around the country on a visit the Schott Family Farm south of Iowa City. The visitors were participants in the Cooperative Institute for Research to Operations in Hydrology (CIROH) Water Quality Think Tank, held at IIHR from April 28 through May 1.

CIROH, sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is a partnership between NOAA and The University of Alabama. The focus of this meeting was on water quality forecasting and building community resilience to water-related challenges. 

Row Crops

The visit began with a presentation on the Schott farming operation, which the family has owned and operated for more than 100 years. Today, the farm includes sons and daughters-in-law in key management roles. 

A woman leans over sideways to read the words on a gigantic black tractor tire
Exactly how big is that tractor tire?

The Schotts raise corn and soybeans, incorporating cover crops and no-till farming into their operation. They are also exploring implementation of edge-of-field conservation practices into their farm fields, such as saturated buffers and bioreactors. 

“We want to do the right thing,” says Larry Schott.

Swine

The Schotts also raise pigs, from birth to finishing. They use corn raised on the farm as a key feed ingredient for their swine operation. 

The Schotts also brought out a sample of their large modern farm equipment for the visitors to see. Some even took advantage of the opportunity to sit behind the wheel of a tractor and pose for a photo. 

Thank you so much to the Schott family for the warm welcome and the valuable exchange of information and ideas!