CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Department of Transportation is paying dozens of Iowa farmers to leave rows of corn that can create snow barriers along highways. KCRG-TV reports the state agency has about 70 contracts with farmers. Agency transportation planner Cathy Cutler says farmers are asked to leave four to 10 rows adjacent to roads. The corn acts as a natural barrier, keeping the snow off highways.

Dean Williams, who farms near Vinton, participates in the program. He says his corn can cause up to 4 feet of snow to pile up in the stalks, keeping Highway 150 clearer. The farmers are paid a little more than they would earn from the corn, and they still can harvest the rows in the spring.