WATCH STORY BELOWCould composted fertilizer help solve Iowa's water problem? The state director for rural development with the USDA, Mike Sexton, says the project could improve water quality by building healthier soil. One goal is to reduce the amount of liquid nitrogen fertilizer applied to fields; reducing runoff into streams at a time when Iowans are increasingly concerned about nitrate levels in water sources. "It does two things, it creates organic matter and organic matter is what holds nitrogen to the soil," said Sexton. "I'm actually taking a waste stream, turning it back to fertilizer and we're solving so many problems with this," Sandquist said.