The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is opening the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) for new enrollments for federal fiscal year 2014. Starting now through Jan. 17, 2014, producers interested in participating in the program can submit applications to NRCS. Eligible landowners and operators in all states and territories can enroll in CSP through January 17th to … Read More
Fed Conservation Programs Topic for Forum
The Farm Bill is still up in the air on Capitol Hill, and that’s why the folks at Farm Foundation have set up another of their free forums not too far from where Congress will be discussing the legislation’s future. In this next forum on Wednesday, Dec. 4, at the National Press Club in downtown Washington, D.C., the group has … Read More
Farmers Take to the Sky to Improve Water Quality
Producers in 16 Ohio counties watched the skies, not for weather, but for seeds that will help improve soil and water quality and boost their bottom lines. Working with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), local soil and water conservation districts (SWCDs) and the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD), 235 farmers are planting cover crops on 21,709 Ohio acres. … Read More
Conservation Compliance Support in Farm Bill Conference
One area where there seemed to be general agreement in the first meeting of the farm bill conference committee last week was the need for a strong conservation program – and most committee members who mentioned it during last week’s meeting are in favor of tying conservation compliance to crop insurance, which is part of the Senate bill. “As we … Read More
See How Cover Crops Pay at CTIC Event
Producers and ag advisers interested in learning the finer points of using cover crops in a farming operation can see them used first hand during the Conservation Technology Information Center’s (CTIC) Cover Crop Summit Nov. 20-21 in the Fort Wayne, Ind., area. Summit discussion topics will include practical ways to incorporate cover crops into an operation, cover crop planting methods … Read More
Payments for CSP Ready Following Shutdown Delay
Farmers waiting for their Conservation Security or Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) payments should receive them in the coming days. The shutdown of the federal government delayed some of the $907 million in payments from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to CSP participants who have enrolled millions of acres to improve the overall conservation performance of their operations. The payments … Read More
Report: Farmers Use of Cover Crops
Cover crops are one simple farming technique that can save money, produce better crops, clean rivers and estuaries, and address climate change. Yet, a new report released today from National Wildlife Federation, Counting Cover Crops, finds that less than 2% of cropland in the highly-farmed Mississippi River Basin is planted to cover crops. How can the nation get more cover … Read More
Farm Bill Expires, So Do Conservation Programs
As Congress and the President wrestle over the budget and whether or not it should be tied to the Affordable Care Act, aka “Obamacare,” not only has the government shut down, but farm programs have come to a halt as the one-year extension of the last Farm Bill expired on Oct. 1. And that has meant some key conservation programs, … Read More
What is Conservation Agriculture Worth?
The Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) Dialogues are right around the corner. The panel discussion will focus on the economic and ecological benefits of agricultural conservation systems. Conservation tools, measurements for economic and ecological benefits, long-term economic returns and their effects on producers’ decision-making processes and conservation trends that will affect agriculture in the next five years are all topics … Read More
Young Texas Trio Brings Technology to the Farm
The tales of young, tech-savvy entrepreneurs launching new ventures out of Silicon Valley are common. But what about three 20-something brothers who live – not in some high tech mecca – but near the small community of Wilderado, Texas, who started a new business venture? The Gruhlkey brothers – Brittan, 24, Braden, 25, and Cameron, 20 – are farming cotton, … Read More