Soil Health

April 14, 2025, marked the 90th anniversary of Black Sunday, the most infamous day of the Dust Bowl era and one of the darkest moments in America’s environmental history. On that day in 1935, a massive dust storm swept across the Southern Plains, turning daylight into darkness and leaving behind a wake of devastation. Oklahoma,…… Continue reading →

The Pulaski Conservation District in Arkansas, in collaboration with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR), is leading a groundbreaking initiative aimed at tackling food insecurity in urban areas through community-driven urban agriculture. This program focuses on building partnerships, educating the community, and promoting sustainable agricultural practices to create lasting food security, particularly in…… Continue reading →

By Dr. Robert L. Myers, University of Missouri [caption id="attachment_51802" align="alignright" width="169"] Jimmy and his wife Ginger[/caption] The proliferation of USDA climate-smart programs supporting cover crops, including the Farmers for Soil Health initiative and NACD’s climate-smart project, has created a demand for more information on cover crops. My new cover crop guidebook, “Cover Crops: Improving…… Continue reading →

By Wesley Gibson, NACD South Central Region Representative In the heart of the South Central Region, soil and water conservation district officials gathered for a highly anticipated annual event that epitomizes the spirit of collaboration and sustainable land management. On August 13-15, 2023, the Association of Texas Soil and Water Conservation Districts (ATSWCD) hosted the…… Continue reading →

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 →