Conservation

Many in farm country know the type, and extent of, conservation practices being employed by farmers.   “But the next logical step is to understand why producers are adopting or not adopting conservation practices.”   Dan Mullarkey with NRCS said to try to answer that question, USDA surveyed 34,000 crop producers as well as livestock confinement operators this spring and summer.  And the USDA has j

The share of acreage for major cash crops—wheat, corn, soybeans, and cotton—that are planted using conservation tillage has increased over the past two decades in the United States.  According to ERS, farmers reported employing conservation tillage on the majority of acres of wheat at 68%, 76% of corn acres, and 74% of soybeans.  Conservation tillag...

Rural Investment to Protect our Environment, or RIPE, announced its 2023 Farm Bill platform last week.  Shaped by farmers and ranchers across the country who lead RIPE, the platform urges organizations to include a resolution, based on RIPE100 principles, in their farm bill platform.   ...

The Climate-Smart agriculture partnerships funding announced last week has some environmental groups drawing criticism.  While welcomed by many in the food and agriculture sector, environmental group Friends of the Earth says some of the funding recipients are unacceptable. ...

The bison industry is a unique part of the world of agriculture.  The American Bison, whose population once exceeded 30 million animals, was decimated to near extension in the late 19th century.  However, the bison now numbers over 400,000 head across North America.  And according to ...

The USDA is out with a new initiative designed to incentivize conservation practices that improve nutrient management.  Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the initiative will be based within NRCS.   "We're going to put $40 million of resources that we have available and target those resources through a regional conservation partnership program effort to increase better nutrient management

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is traveling this week, promoting the Inflation Adjustment Act, recently signed into law by President Biden.  Vilsack head outlined the IRA’s investment in rural America, which he says will provide USDA with nearly $40 billion; $20 billion of which is earmarked for climate smart agriculture.   “...

The National Association of Conservation Districts announced this week $15 million in technical assistance grants.  The grants continue funding to nearly 500 conservation districts in 49 states and territories.  Funded by USDA's NRCS, the grant program is in its 5th year.  The pro...

America’s farmers have an opportunity to be a hero in addressing climate change through improvements in productivity and climate-smart practices, so says Robert Bonnie.  However, the USDA Undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation, recently said a successful climate program “has to work for agriculture.” Bonnie spok...

American Farmland Trust released its 2023 Farm Bill advocacy platform this week.  It’s a series of policy recommendations focused on supporting farmers and ranchers in protecting their land from development, combating climate change, and enabling a diverse new generation of farmers to better access land and build businesses. “The farm b...