Conservation in the Chesapeake Bay watershed has been on the national radar for years. Now the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and Catoctin and Frederick Soil Conservation Districts are showing off successful conservation efforts by local farmers and ranchers. A recent event at Hedgeapple Farm, a Maryland Angus operation, highlighted the volunteer efforts that have lead to improvement of the Bay’s … Read More
USDA Loans $25 Million for Water Quality in Iowa
USDA’s Water and Environmental programs will help the City of Fairfield make enhancements to its wastewater facility that will improve the water quality in southeast Iowa. “The recent flooding in Iowa and other parts of the country has demonstrated just how important high-functioning wastewater systems are to our communities. Sanitary waste disposal systems and safe drinking water are vital not only … Read More
USDA Implements Restoration Strategy for Gulf-area
Robert Bonnie, Under Secretary for the USDA‘s Natural Resources and Environment, announced a new restoration strategy following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The program is a three-year, $328 million project that will focus on improving water quality and healing ecosystems in the lands around the Gulf of Mexico. This strategy will be the guide for the USDA’s efforts on private land. … Read More
IAWA Forms Business Council
The Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance (IAWA) has formed a Business Council to assist with implementing the state’s water ag quality efforts. The initiative will be co-chaired by Ray Gaesser, a farmer from Corning, Iowa and past-president of the American Soybean Association, along with Iowa Ag Secretary Bill Northey. Also during the 2016 Farm Progress Show, Northey premiered IAWA’s new conservation … Read More
The Corporate Commitment to Sustainability
The latest installment of the Food Dialogues, held this week in Minneapolis as part of a joint effort from the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) and the Farm and Food Alliance of Minnesota, kept the focus on water sustainability. The diverse panel of professionals highlighted the many ways that water conservation is present in their professions and the companies … Read More
Farmers Talk Water Security at #FoodD
At the latest Food Dialogue from the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) and the Farm and Food Alliance of Minnesota, a panel of experts kept the focus entirely on water sustainability, an issue that has continually placed significant blame on production agriculture. The lone producer on the panel was Nathan Collins, who raises Angus cattle and grows corn, soybeans, … Read More
Working Together On Water Conservation
Water conservation was the focus of the latest installment of the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance’s (USFRA) series of Food Dialogues, held this week in Minneapolis, and for panelist Rebecca Flood, Assistant Commissioner for Water Policy at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), protecting our water supply is at the heart of her entire career. Flood oversees MPCA’s programs and … Read More
Collaboration To Assist Neb Growers with Soil Health
A new collaboration has been formed to help growers improve fertilizer efficiency and soil health on their farms while still achieving high yields. Kellogg Company, United Suppliers, Inc. and Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) are kicking off the initiative with growers in Kellogg’s grain sourcing region of Nebraska, in particular, Crete. These farmers will be introduced to United Suppliers’ SUSTAIN Platform … Read More
Land Stewardship Launches Cover Cropping Calculator
Research is showing that cover crops such as perennial grasses can improve soil health, reduce run-off and potentially offer growers additional revenue opportunities all while improving the ag operation’s sustainability. But how can a grower better assess what the financial bottom line actually is should cover crops be implemented? This question now has an easier answer thanks to the Land … Read More