If you’re having trouble viewing this email, you can see it online.
Conservation Clips is a weekly collection of articles distributed by NACD that provides our members and partners with the latest news in what’s driving conservation. These articles are not indicative of NACD policy and are the opinions of their authors, unless otherwise noted. If you have a relevant submission or need assistance accessing articles, please contact the NACD Communications Team.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA is investing in domestic fertilizer projects to strengthen competition for U.S. farmers, ranchers and agricultural producers.
The House Agriculture Committee advanced the Republican-led farm bill draft early Friday morning, although the massive $1.5 trillion spending package faces a tough road ahead as Democrats slam proposals that interfere with climate and food assistance funding.
(Opinion) Healthy rangelands indicate a productive and sustainable agricultural operation, benefiting your bottom line and allowing your working lands to be productive into the future. Managing for healthy rangelands maintains and improves the quantity and quality of plants and water resources, as well as soil health.
Opportunities to advance sustainable cotton farming in the United States are growing thanks to a nationwide partnership led by the Soil Health Institute’s United States Regenerative Cotton Fund (USRCF). The fund’s holistic approach to advance economic insights, soil health measurement, and education has made significant progress in the U.S. Cotton Belt since its establishment, engaging more than 1,000 cotton farmers and their advisors. Its efforts support adoption of management systems to improve soil health, the foundation for regenerative agriculture.
New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball today announced that New York will host the 2024 National Conservation Foundation (NCF)-Envirothon, an international environmental and natural resources education competition for high school students. Winning teams from across the United States, including New York State, and countries including Canada, Singapore, and China will travel to this year’s competition, which will be held from July 28 to August 3 at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York.
In a small part of North Carolina, in the face of immense urban sprawl lies a farm owned and operated by a champion of conservation, Franklin W. Howey Jr. He has been farming since he was a small child and has loved every minute of it.
The Riverside-Corona Resource Conservation District has been recognized as the 2024 Organization of the Year by the Association for Environmental & Outdoor Education (AEOE), Ten Strands, and the California Environmental Literacy Initiative (CAELI). One-hundred guests celebrated the award, along with the career of retiring Public Affairs Manager Diana Ruiz on Sunday, May 19. Ruiz started her career nearly 50 years ago as one of the first female conservationists with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.
The Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) is preparing to provide each soil and water conservation district (SWCD) in the state with grant funding to support soil health delivery. A total of $6.4 million is available to Minnesota SWCDs. Conservation practices such as no-till farming, planting cover crops and rotational grazing can boost soil health, which can help improve crop productivity and make farms more resilient to erosion and extreme weather events.
The Eastern Sanders County Conservation District, in their ongoing goal to beautify Sanders County, was at the fairgrounds last week handing out free wildflower seeds. Staff administrator Emily Baker and Green Mountain Conservation District member Morgan Owens were on hand to answer questions.