Stewardship

Editor's note: This blog is the second part in a series. Click here to read the first installment. By Laura Demmel Agricultural sustainability could be defined as “natural resource stewardship practices that meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.1” Conservation districts work toward this goal…… Continue reading →

Note from the editor: This blog is the first of a two-part series. By Laura Demmel A conversation has been brewing for years on the topic of agricultural sustainability. As consumers care more and more about where their food comes from, the entire food and agriculture industry has responded. From the farm level to the…… Continue reading →

By Edward Hutschenreuter Farmers with land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) may now have a new environmentally beneficial option for satisfying their contract requirements. On November 9, Rep. Vicky Hartzler of Missouri introduced the “CRP Grazing Flexibility Act” (H.R. 4298), which would allow farmers to graze livestock on their enrolled CRP acreage as an…… Continue reading →

On the afternoon of Wednesday, October 18, 2017, the Barker Ranch in West Richland, Washington, hosted its 10th Annual Wounded Veteran Duck Hunt to honor those that have served and sacrificed for their country. The Barker Ranch is a 2,000-acre private ranch and wildlife area that is best known for the volume of ducks and…… Continue reading →

By Sara Kangas Each fall, the U.S. Water Alliance asks us to “Imagine a Day Without Water." Tomorrow, October 12, is that time to reflect - how much do you value water? When Americans go to brush their teeth, shower, or fill their coffee pot, they expect clean, safe water to flow from their taps.…… Continue reading →

By Mike Brown, Executive Director of the National Association of State Conservation Agencies and Associate Board Supervisor of the Kent Conservation District in Delaware Did you know? That conservation districts, working in concert with NRCS, are ineffective as deliverers of soil and water conservation on private lands? That agricultural conservation programs only focus on farm-scale…… Continue reading →

Guest column provided by Corrina Parnapy In observance of the Environmental Protection Agency's SepticSmart Week - September 18-22, 2017 – conservation districts nationwide are discussing septic systems and how they can help landowners use them sustainably. Septic systems - made up of a tank and absorption field - are effective methods for treating wastewater. The…… Continue reading →

By Elijah Olomoniyi A private sector partner to conservation districts in Maryland has been named in Inc. Magazine’s annual list of the top 5000 fastest growing private companies. Ecotone, Inc. was ranked #1834 overall and was named the #15 Top Environmental Services companies in the nation and #24 amongst Top Baltimore area companies. "The Inc. 5000…… Continue reading →

By Elijah Olomoniyi Yesterday, federal and state wildlife groups met north of Fort Collins, Colorado, at the National Black-footed Ferret Conservation Center to celebrate the ways voluntary conservation and a new sylvatic plague vaccine are helping to bring the black-footed ferret back from the brink of extinction. [caption id="attachment_9858" align="alignleft" width="489"] Black-footed ferret populations are mostly…… Continue reading →

By Bill Berry What good things are there to say about the Vermont Environmental Stewardship Program (VESP)? Let us count some of the ways. The program will be piloted this year and next on 10 to 12 farms. It is an example of cooperative conservation at its best with roles for federal, state, and local…… Continue reading →