Conservation

USDA announced Thursday up to $225 million in available funding for conservation partners through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program. The program is partner-driven and leverages collective resources to find solutions to address natural resource challenges on agricultural land ...

The USDA’s Natural Resources and Conservation Service announced several new and expanded opportunities for climate-smart agriculture in 2022. The updates include the nationwide availability of the Conservation Incentive Contracts Option under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program. Oth ...

Washington State University recently published a roadmap for future development of the biochar industry in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Karen Hills with WSU’s Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources said this collaborative effort not only looked at the current state of the biochar industry, but also tried to address what it will take for biochar to move to the next level. ...

USDA is leveraging its authorities under the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program to bring in new types of partners and expand opportunities in voluntary conservation. In direct response to feedback from stakeholders, USDA updated the program’s rule regarding matching fund requirements, and invested in additional staff to work directly with partners. The ...

Dryland farming and practices related to it, have been around for centuries. Yet modern innovations and technologies are being increasingly incorporated into research to address issues such as sustainability and water management.  USDA researcher, Robert Lescano, said remote sensing data and satellite imagery are now being incorporated into research, with scientific collaboration across various

The USDA is awarding $25 million to conservation partners across the country for 18 new projects under the Conservation Innovation Grants On-Farm Conservation Innovation Trials program. The On-Farm Trials’ projects support the widespread adoption and evaluation of innovative conservation approaches in partnership with farmers and ranchers. Thi ...

Rural Investment to Protect our Environment, known as RIPE, recently added two highly respected Farmers Unions to its steering committee. The organization announced last week that Minnesota Farmers Union’s Eunice Biel and North Dakota Farmers Union’s Matt Perdue joined the committee. RIPE is ...

The Fertilizer Institute looked to the future in announcing an industry-wide commitment to commit 70 million acres under 4R Nutrient Stewardship management by 2030. Acres managed under the 4R concept incorporate practices that use the right fertilizer source at the right rate, at the right time, and in the right place ...

Earlier this week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi warned her party about the need to trim back the $3.5 trillion Build Back Better Act, the budget reconciliation bill. “I’m very disappointed we’re not going with the original $3.5 trillion," she ...

The Department of Agriculture will invest nearly $75 million for 15 partner-led projects to address natural resource concerns on private lands. This year, projects funded by the Regional Conservation Partnership Program's Alternative Funding Arrangements focus on climate-smart agriculture and forestry and other conservation priorities and improve access for historically underserved producers ...