Soil Health

After years of research and field study, Tomasz Falkowski is putting his experience about the importance of healthy soils into practice. “I think the land is an excellent teacher of what will work, particularly in the New Mexico area,” the Associate Forestry Professor at New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas said. “Learning the language…… Continue reading →

Carl Struck and Johanne Riddick’s Ponderosa restoration effort in New Mexico has grown into a diverse, robust ecosystem. Recently, Struck and Riddick have been recognized as NACD Soil Health Champions for their work. “Our initial management goals did not include supporting and increasing soil health,” Struck said. “The condition of the soils came into focus…… Continue reading →

By Phil Dwyer, Research Principal, ScottsMiracle-Gro In celebration of World Water Day and spring greenup, we’re sharing tips and insights to help you understand ways to maximize lawn water use efficiency all season long. #1 You can water less How much water do lawns really need? It may be a surprise, but our lawns are…… Continue reading →

By Eric Hansen On June 30, the U.S. House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis released “Solving the Climate Crisis: The Congressional Action Plan for a Clean Energy Economy and a Healthy, Resilient, and Just America.” Written entirely by the Democratic staff on the Committee, the report fulfills the Committee’s mandate to craft policy recommendations…… Continue reading →

By Chrystal Houston On a hot, dry and extremely windy day in early June, Neal Hentzen surveys the dryland field on the edge of Seward, where his corn is ankle-high. The leaves on the plants whip in the wind like green streamers running in long, straight rows from the road to a faraway fencepost. Hentzen…… Continue reading →

By  Erin Fuller The Van Buren Conservation District (CD) in Paw Paw, Mich., has been awarded a two-year $413,362 grant from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The grant will fund efforts to reduce nutrient and pathogen runoff in Pine and Mill Creeks, which are both tributaries of the…… Continue reading →

By Erin Bush, Champaign County SWCD and Megan Baskerville, The Nature Conservancy The Saving Tomorrow's Agriculture Resources (S.T.A.R.) initiative is an innovative conservation program that helps farmers, ranchers and landowners track how well they are caring for our soil and water while producing crops using the free S.T.A.R. field evaluation tool. Created in 2017 by…… Continue reading →

By Erin Fuller [caption id="attachment_35674" align="alignright" width="300"] Conservation Technician Colleen Forestieri introduces keynote speaker Gabe Brown.[/caption] On March 10, over 230 local agricultural producers came together at the Van Buren Conservation District (CD)'s annual “Farming for the Future” conference in Michigan, to learn about various topics, including regenerative agriculture, plant sap analysis, compost, soil health,…… Continue reading →

By Katrina Vaitkus [caption id="attachment_32276" align="alignleft" width="317"] Blaine Hitchens shows photos of his fields and techniques to interested onlookers.[/caption] On Tuesday, Aug. 20, Delaware’s Sussex Conservation District held its annual Soil Health Field Day. This year, the theme was ‘Planting Green’. Hosted at NACD Soil Health Champion Chip Baker’s farm, approximately 100 people gathered to…… Continue reading →

By Teresa DeMars Minnesota's Rice County farmers have been experimenting with planting cover crops out in the field and have been seeing the benefits. Producers reported improved soil health, including erosion control, increased infiltration, weed suppression and higher organic matter. Farmers also reported spending less on fuel and chemicals while in some cases, their yields…… Continue reading →