Precision Pays

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and its partners will invest nearly $32 million this year in financial and technical assistance for five water quality and wetlands improvement projects in seven Mississippi River Basin states. When fully implemented, the projects will prevent sediment and nutrients from entering waterways, decrease flooding and improve bird and fish habitat. NRCS estimates that this investment will restore 11,400 acres to wetland habitat.

Landowners interested in applying for funding should contact their local NRCS office. Signup dates may vary based on the individual project.

NRCS provides funding for these new projects through its Wetlands Reserve Enhancement Program, part of the agency’s Wetlands Reserve Program. Since 2010, NRCS has formalized WREP agreements under MRBI with 47 landowners in the Mississippi River Basin, investing $17.8 million in long-term conservation easements and wetland restoration projects.

Note: Chuck will be covering the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) 2012 Conservation in Action Tour thanks to support from CTIC and AGROTAIN.

Several farm organizations provided input last week on USDA conservation programs in the 2012 Farm Bill.

Among those who testified before the House Committee on Agriculture’s Subcommittee on Conservation, Energy and Forestry was National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) President Garry Niemeyer of Illinois who spoke on behalf of a broad coalition of agricultural organizations, including the American Soybean Association, the American Farm Bureau Federation, the National Association of Wheat Growers, the National Cotton Council, the National Farmers Union and the USA Rice Federation, all of which chose to directly support NCGA’s testimony.

“Our organizations have expressed support for the Title II framework in the 2012 Farm Bill that the Senate and House Agriculture Committees began developing last fall, which consolidates 23 conservation programs into 13 while maintaining the same tools that were available to farmers in the past,” Niemeyer, a farmer from Auburn, Illinois, explained in his testimony. “Our growers are seeking simplification, flexibility, and consolidation in these programs, and we believe these goals are achieved in the Senate Agriculture Committee’s recent draft language.”

“Farmers are exceptional stewards of the environment because our livelihoods depend on preserving land and water resources. We are committed to leaving our environment in better shape than we found it so resources can be passed on to the next generation to farm,” Niemeyer said. “Most producers throughout America view protecting agricultural land as more than a worthwhile goal. It is a lifelong commitment. Voluntary conservation programs developed over the past 30 years help farmers and ranchers play a major role in improving our environment while also expanding their sources of income and keeping them on the land. We hope this committee will choose to continue to invest in these programs through a robust and efficient conservation title in the new farm bill.”

Read Niemeyer’s statement here.

The Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) has announced their 2012 Conservation in Action Tour and it’s going to be done “southern style” in the Mississippi Delta region.

CTIC Executive Director Karen Scanlon says they will host the event on May 31 near Tunica, Miss., which will include educational field visits, technology demonstrations and opportunities to speak directly with growers about their on-farm solutions to natural resources issues. “We’ll be meeting producers who are leading the way with water conservation, water quality protection and wildlife habitat management on their farms,” Scanlon said during an interview at Commodity Classic.

Scanlon says CTIC has partnered with Delta Farmers Advocating Resource Management (Delta F.A.R.M.) to host the Conservation In Action Tour 2012. Delta F.A.R.M., an association of growers and landowners who strive to implement recognized agricultural practices that will conserve, restore and enhance the Northwest Mississippi environment, recently celebrated 1 million acres enrolled in its conservation programs. “We’ll be getting an academic perspective, a government perspective, a legislative perspective, as well as the producer perspective on some of these critical issues in the lower Mississippi River basin,” she said.

The Mississippi Delta is one of the largest contiguous coastal ecosystems in North America, boasting both ecological and economic value. The Delta hosts the United States’ largest fishery, by weight, and its port activity rivals those worldwide. The region also generates a significant portion of the United States’ energy and provides critical wildlife habitat.

On-line registration for the event is now open for anyone who would like to attend. Coverage of the event will be provided here on Precision Pays and on AgWired.com, thanks to support from both CTIC and AGROTAIN, just as we have the last two years.

Listen to an interview with Karen about the event here: Interview with Karen Scanlon

2012 Commodity Classic Photo Album

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack this week signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between USDA, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the state of Minnesota to develop a new state conservation program for agriculture. The program is designed to increase the voluntary adoption of conservation practices by farmers and ranchers that protect local rivers, streams and other waters by reducing fertilizer run-off and soil erosion.

Through this partnership producers, who undertake a substantial level of conservation activities to reduce nutrient run-off and erosion, will receive assurance from the state that their farms will meet Minnesota’s water quality standards and goals during the life of the agreement. Vilsack, Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson signed the MOU during a ceremony in the Minnesota Capitol.

“Establishment of this program will protect our water resources by providing assurances and incentives to participating farmers that their good deeds – their strong commitment to conservation – will be recognized,” Vilsack said. “Farmers will know the rules of the game while the state, EPA and the public will know that this program will lead to cleaner water.”

The MOU signing is the first step toward developing the Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program (AWQCP), designed to increase the adoption of recommended conservation practices to improve water quality on agricultural land. The partners will next establish a Technical Advisory Committee to develop the certification program that will support the state’s water quality standards and goals. The committee will solicit input from stakeholders in designing criteria to provide certainty for producers who have voluntarily attained or maintained a certain level of water quality improvements on their agricultural land. Minnesota will test the program in several pilot watersheds.

January 31, 2012 is the deadline to submit project pre-proposals for fiscal year 2012 Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) from the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Pre-proposals support large-scale demonstration projects that test and prove original approaches to conserving America’s private lands.

“These conservation grants continue to generate exciting new ideas that help farmers and ranchers run sustainable and profitable operations and address high-priority natural resource concerns,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

This year’s CIG projects focus on nutrient management, energy conservation, soil health, wildlife and CIG projects assessment. NRCS is especially interested in projects that demonstrate:

-Optimal combinations of nutrient source, application rate, placement and timing that improve nutrient recovery by crops.
-Procedures for refining the usefulness of the phosphorous index in reducing phosphorous losses.
-Suites of conservation practices that protect water quality.
-Renewable energy systems that reduce the use of fossil fuels and increase energy efficiency on farms.
-The impacts of cover crops, crop rotations, tillage and other conservation practices on soil health.
-Conservation practices that increase the water-holding capacity of soils.
-Decision tools that help producers assess their operations and conservation needs in order to improve wildlife habitat.
Assess the technology transfer potential of completed CIG projects.

More about the program and application process is available on-line from USDA.

USDA is conducting a survey for the 2011 National Resources Inventory (NRI) – Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) to collect information from producers in the Chesapeake Bay watershed about farming and conservation practices on cultivated cropland. The information gathered from the survey will help USDA improve and strengthen technical and financial programs that help private landowners plan and adopt on-farm conservation practices.

NASS representatives will visit more than 1,500 farms throughout Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia from November 2011 through January 2012. Producers will be asked to provide information on farm production practices; chemical, fertilizer and manure applications; integrated pest management; and adopted conservation practices.

A CEAP study for the Great Lakes and their associated waterways released last month showed that the use of conservation tillage and other conservation practices has resulted in a 50 percent decline in sediment entering rivers and streams, along with 36 and 37 percent declines, respectively, in phosphorus and nitrogen loading.

“CEAP is one on of the strongest and most advanced conservation tools used in American agriculture because it helps farmers and ranchers understand how to improve farming and management activities that help protect soil and water resources,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “The information gathered on conservation practices in the Chesapeake Bay watershed will help contribute to the region’s sustainability, supporting those who rely on the land and water for livelihoods and recreation.”

Since the CEAP survey was last conducted in the Chesapeake Bay region, farmers have adopted many agricultural best management practices using publicly available technical and financial assistance from conservation programs and through their own initiative and at their own expense. This survey will capture all of those on-farm conservation accomplishments.

Conservation options for future farm policy will be the subject of a Farm Foundation® Forum coming up next Wednesday, November 9 at the National Press Club in Washington DC.

The Forum will include presentations from Iowa farmer Jim Andrew; David DeGennaro of the Environmental Working Group; Bruce Knight of Strategic Conservation Solutions; Georgia farmer Ronnie Lee; and Wyoming rancher Patrick O’Toole. After their brief presentations, the floor will be opened for discussion. The Forum will be held from 9-11 a.m. at the National Press Club.

Farm Foundation, NFP has been organizing public forums on a variety of topics since 2006 to engage all stakeholders in informed dialogue on food, agricultural and rural policies. Meeting participants examine current policies, explore and analyze alternative policy proposals, and give voice to new proposals.

Find out more here.

A new USDA study shows that farmers using combinations of erosion-control and nutrient-management practices on cultivated cropland are reducing losses of sediment, nitrogen and phosphorous from farm fields and decreasing the movement of these materials to the Great Lakes and their associated waterways.

“The Great Lakes Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) study confirms that good conservation planning and implementation have reduced loadings of sediment and nutrients to waterways throughout the region,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said. “The Administration appreciates the actions of every farmer who is stepping up to implement conservation practices, protect vital farmlands and strengthen local economies. At the same time, we also see opportunities for even further progress.”

The CEAP study, prepared by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), estimates that the use of conservation tillage and other conservation practices has resulted in a 50 percent decline in sediment entering rivers and streams, along with 36 and 37 percent declines, respectively, in phosphorus and nitrogen loading.

USDA-NRCS Chief Dave White outlined four major conclusions from the study. “First is that conservation works. Second, we also know that more needs to be done and primarily in this region that is nutrient management, particularly sub-surface nitrogen and phosphorus,” he said. “Third is that systems of conservation practices work best. And the fourth takeaway is that we can have a much greater impact with our programs if we target our resources to those acres where the need is greatest.”

The study covers nearly 174,000 square miles – the entire U.S. side of the Great Lakes Region – including nearly all of Michigan and parts of Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Read the report summary.

The Conservation Technology Information Center Conservation in Action Tour this year took place in the northwest Ohio region of the Lake Erie watershed and we got some interesting insight from state NRCS staff in that area.

Idaho is synonymous with potatoes, but there is more corn in the ground there these days to support a growing dairy industry.

USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists have found that some Pacific Northwest farmers can increase corn yields by using strip tillage and banding fertilizer instead of conventional tilling. Strip tillage and banding involves excavating a single row for planting about 6 to 12 inches wide and 6 to 8 inches deep with a knife-like shank that can also inject fertilizer directly below the seed.

The scientists found that using these practices increased corn grain yields on severely eroded soils st higher elevations by 12 percent the first year and 26 percent the second year. This translated into yield increases between 11 and 26 bushels per acre.

Read more from ARS here.

Photo courtesy of David Tarkalson, ARS.

The Illinois Corn Growers helped to kicked off a new program at the 2011 Farm Progress Show called KIC, short for “Keep it for the Crop by 2025″ program.

The new program is designed to promote, implement and track the rate of adoption of enhanced nutrient stewardship practices by Illinois agricultural producers, focusing on the 4R’s of Nutrient Stewardship: Right Source, Right Rate, Right Time, Right Place.

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) has identified six priority watersheds for nutrient reductions including Lake Bloomington, Lake Vermilion, Lake Decatur, Vermilion River (Illinois Basin), Salt Fork Vermilion River (Wabash Basin) and Lake Mauvaisse Terra. Marcia Wilhite, IEPA’s Bureau of Water Chief, said “The lakes and rivers in these watersheds have water quality problems due to too much nitrogen or phosphorus, or both. Illinois EPA strongly endorses efforts to promote voluntary action by producers to adopt nutrient stewardship practices in their watersheds.

Start-up funding for the program is being provided by the Illinois Corn Marketing Board, the Illinois Soybean Association and IFCA fertilizer manufacturer members Agrium, CF Industries, Koch Fertilizer, The Mosaic Company and Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan.

Listen to or download the press conference at FPS here: Illinois KIC Press Conference

2011 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

I did a post about the AgRobotics AutoProbe several years ago and this month I finally got to see it in action during the 2011 CTIC Conservation In Action Tour on August 9 in northwest Ohio.

“It’s the first on-the-go soil sampling apparatus for agriculture,” Jeff Burton told me. “We’ve been developing it since 2002 and have been in the early commercialization of it in the Mississippi Delta and we’re in the process of taking it national.”

The AutoProbe collects a soil core every 17 feet traveling across a field and then transfers it up to the cab next to the operator. “It’s consistent, it’s repeatable, it’s faster than any other method on the market, with auto steer we can go back to the same place in a year or three years and see the difference,” Jeff says.

Listen to my interview with Jeff here: Jeff Burton with AgRobotics on CTIC Tour

Find out more about the AutoProbe on the AgRobotics website and watch it in action here:

CTIC 2011 Conservation in Action Tour Photos

The 2011 CTIC Conservation In Action Tour on August 9 in northwest Ohio was one for the record books.

“We’re thrilled that we had to add an extra bus,” said one of the organizers of this year’s event, Steve Davis with the Ohio USDA NRCS. “We wanted to show people the agriculture in northwest Ohio, the good work that many Ohio farmers are doing, and also talk about the challenges that still lie ahead for us.”

Listen to my interview with Steve here: Steve Davis on CTIC Tour

“This is by far our largest tour ever,” said tour chairman Larry Clemens of The Nature Conservancy. “I think that as CTIC we’re learning that our tours are enjoyable for people, they’re gaining in reputation, and we’re going to have to make some adjustments on how to handle over 200 people in the future.” Despite the very large group, the tour went smoothly, on time and without a hitch. Next year’s tour is slated to be in the Mississippi Delta region.

Listen to my interview with Larry here: Larry Clemens on CTIC Tour

CTIC 2011 Conservation in Action Tour Photos

One of the stops on the 2011 CTIC Conservation In Action Tour in Ohio last week was the farm of Todd Hesterman in Napoleon, Ohio. Todd has employed continuous no-till on his 450 acre corn, soybean and wheat operation for 22 years and used yield mapping for more than 14 years and is a strong advocate for doing what he can to help water quality and “still stay in business.”

“Our water infiltration rates for heavy rains, we can definitely see an improvement in the quantity of rain water we can accept and not have standing water or running water off the service,” he said. “That’s the biggest improvement we see is soil health and soil quality.”

Listen to my interview with Todd here: Ohio No Till Farmer Todd Hesterman

To show the clear difference between tilled and no-till soil, USDA-NRCS Ohio state agronomist Mark Scarpitti did a little demonstration on Todd’s farm by dropping a chunk of soil that had been in no-till for several decades, compared to a similar chunk of tilled soil. You can see what happens in the video below.

CTIC 2011 Conservation in Action Tour Photos

This week I participated in the Conservation Technology Information Center’s Indian Creek Watershed Project field tour. Several bus loads of participants visited Livingston County, IL area farms to see and hear how they are implementing best management practices for things like nutrient management.

One of the people working on the project with CTIC and a presenter is Harold Reetz. I visite with Harold prior to the start of the day’s activities. I’ll see him again next week in Sprinfield, IL for the InfoAg Conference. Since that’s all about precision agriculture and since that is an integral part of the BMP’s being implemented on the tour stops here we decided to call it “precision conservation.”

Harold says the project purpose is to demonstrate different best management practices for nitrogen. It’s a relatively small watershed with mostly corn and soybean crops. So the goal is to come up with practices to improve nitrogen efficiency which will reduce the amount that will get into the ground water. Local farmers have volunteered in this first year of the project to implement suggested practices and it is their farms we visited.

The project is receiving funding from a variety of sources that includes the Illinois EPA. It is a proactive approach to voluntarily manage natural resources without the need to have new regulations. That sure seems like a potentially win win situation for all parties.

You can listen to my interview with Harold here: Harold Reetz Interview

CTIC Indian Creek Watershed Project Field Tour Photos

Throughout March, the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, with some help from the American Farmland Trust and Farm Foundation, has been holding a series of regional meetings across the country to examine conservation programs and policies. Now, the ideas talked about at those meetings will be brought together at the National Agricultural Landscapes Forum April 7-8 at the Marriott Metro Center Hotel, Washington, D.C:

“At a time of increasing competition for natural resources, it is important for all interested parties to offer their perspectives on how best to sustain the nation’s water, soil and natural resource assets,” says Farm Foundation, NFP President Neil Conklin. “Multiple viewpoints are needed to insure that public and private leaders have the tools they need to make informed decisions-decisions that may well have long-term impacts.”

A panel of nationally-recognized thought leaders in soil and water conservation and agricultural landscapes was appointed to contribute to the regional and national Agricultural Landsape meetings. Members are: Roger Allbee, former Vermont Secretary of Agriculture; Varel Bailey, Bailey Farms, Inc., Anita, Iowa; Craig Cox, Environmental Working Group; Otto Doering, Purdue University; P.J. Haynie, Haynie Farms, Hague, Va., and National Black Grower’s Council; Teresa Lasseter, Moultrie, Ga.; A.G. Kawamura, former California Secretary of Agriculture; Pat O’Toole, Ladder Ranch, Wyoming and Family Farm Alliance; Ross Racine, Intertribal Agriculture Council; Charles Stenholm, Olsson, Frank, Weeda Terman Bode Matz PC; and Sara Wyant, Agri-Pulse Communications.

If you want to attend, you need to register by this coming Thursday, March 31. Information is available on the National Forum website.