Soil

By Melina Watts, Glenn County RCD When 95 people stand around under grey skies and looming storm clouds to look at plant varietals while picking apart shovels of saturated soil, exploring root types and soil pore structure, you know there’s a compelling idea at play – cover crops. From increasing soil porosity, improving soil organic…… Continue reading →

The Waldo County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) of MidCoast Maine has been working in partnership with local landowners to improve the health of regional forests. Forests are facing unprecedented threats, including forest pests poised to decimate dominant tree species in Maine and invasive plants impacting forest regeneration. Conserving forests is a major focus…… Continue reading →

By partnering with several other groups and with funding through the Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership (LRP), Indiana soil and water conservation districts (SWCDs) are tackling invasive species and managing areas for oak regeneration. The Hoosier Hills and Highlands Oak Community Restoration Partnership project runs across 18 counties of the most heavily forested and diverse…… Continue reading →

Lake and Cook County Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) combined boots-on-the-ground efforts with cost-sharing to ensure conservation projects designed to help restore the North Shore Forest as part of a Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership (LRP). “Forestry assistance for private landowners has been more difficult for people in this area to gain access to,”…… Continue reading →

Mountain Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) is partnering with other agencies and implementing practices that are restoring wildlife habitat and improving water quality. “We’re taking a landscape approach in addressing resource concerns in the Lower Cowpasture watershed,” NRCS District Conservationist Charles Simmons said. “We’re bringing partners together and bringing resources together to change the…… Continue reading →

Jackson County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) contributed $32,000 annually for three years of a Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership (LRP) that was a catalyst in the ability to implement a multi-million dollar, all-lands approach to forest restoration and fuel reduction treatment in and around the Ashland Creek Watershed in Jackson County, Ore. The…… Continue reading →

Join SWCS December 7-8, 2017, for the second National Conference on Cover Crops and Soil Health in Indianapolis. This meeting will be a great opportunity to learn recent developments in how cover crops are being used by innovative farmers across the country and gain important insights on improving soil health from producers, conservation leaders, and scientists. Whether…… Continue reading →

By Josie Dallam The National Association of Conservation Districts’ president, Lee McDaniel, knows a few things about soil health. He owns Indian Spring Farm in Darlington, Maryland, where he has raised dairy and beef cattle, and now farms row crops. Everything he’s done there relates back to soil health, he told an audience of conservation…… Continue reading →

Soils Protect the Environment 2015 is the International Year of Soils, and the Soil Science Society of America has chosen September to highlight soil’s role in protecting the natural environment.  Soil plays a crucial role in the establishment of a natural environment.  The properties that will eventually define an ecosystem depend entirely upon the composition…… Continue reading →

We’ve taken a look at the various benefits soil provides for our planet in this the International Year of Soils, but one thing we’ve yet to touch on is just how beneficial soil can be to our very own health. [caption id="attachment_230" align="alignright" width="381"] By Travis Swan via Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/swambo/[/caption] In today’s world it seems like we…… Continue reading →