Soil health has become a national focus and Cornell University professor of Soil and Water Management Dr. Harold van Es believes it is something that impacts everyone. “We need to reach a lot of people, it’s not just farmers,” said van Es during the first ever Soil Health Summit in St. Louis this week organized by the Soil Health Partnership … Read More
First Soil Health Partnership Summit Held
The Soil Health Partnership (SHP) was officially launched at last year’s Commodity Classic so it will just be one year old in another month. But Nick Goeser with the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) says the concept had a relatively long gestation period. “The idea for the Soil Health Partnership started in 2011, so within three years we came to … Read More
USDA Offers Conservation Innovation Grants
The federal government is offering up to $20 million in grants to help develop new, innovative markets for carbon credits. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it wants applications for the grant money through the Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) program that will provide new, additional revenue sources for producers, while addressing natural resource conservation challenges. “USDA has been a … Read More
USDA Marks New Era for Conservation Efforts
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack Wednesday announced 115 new projects in all 50 states and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico will receive more than $370 million in Federal funding as part of the new USDA Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). “This is an entirely new approach to conservation efforts,” said Vilsack. “These partnerships empower communities to set priorities and lead the … Read More
Conservation Districts Win RCPP Funding
More than 200 conservation districts from across the nation will implement innovative, solutions-oriented natural resource conservation through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) projects announced earlier today by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) Tom Vilsack. “It’s no surprise that conservation districts are one of the most highly represented entities among the winning proposals,” said National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) … Read More
PumpProxy Helps Farmers Save Water
As water management becomes an increasingly important issue for farmers in all parts of the country, PumpProxy from Net Irrigate offers a solution that saves money, time, fuel and millions of gallons of water. PumpProxy allows farmers to remotely monitor and shut down irrigation pumps by website or mobile app, and receive text, voice or email notifications upon issues including … Read More
PacificAg Can Help Make 2014 More Profitable
The largest and most experienced biomass harvest company in the country is helping growers see increased profits in the emerging biomass markets. The company provides a comprehensive suite of services that allow growers to further diversify their operations and experience additional revenue. PacificAg started in the residue management business nearly 20 years ago harvesting forage crops for feed in Oregon … Read More
USDA Extends Comment Period for CSP
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is extending the public comment period on the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) interim rule until January 20, 2015. “This extension will provide stakeholders with additional time to comment on the CSP interim rule,” Chief Jason Weller said. “At nearly 70 million acres, CSP is the nation’s largest conservation program. Input through the public comment … Read More
Public Comments Open for New EQIP Rule
The public comment period for one of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) largest conservation programs has opened. USDA now has a 60-day comment period for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), accepting comments through regulations.gov or by the mail by Feb. 10, 2015. “This interim final rule provides a roadmap to help streamline and simplify EQIP for farmers and … Read More
NRCS Talks Programs at NAFB
Soils, climate change, pollinators, and the 2014 Farm Bill conservation programs were among the topics addressed at the National Association of Farm Broadcasting convention by James Tillman, southeast regional conservationist for USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Tillman says NRCS has been very active in protecting pollinators, and honeybees in particular. “NRCS is working with five states – South Dakota, … Read More