Cover Crops: Improving Life on the Land |
The proliferation of USDA climate-smart programs supporting cover crops, including the Farmers for Soil Health initiative and NACD’s climate-smart project, has created a demand for more information on cover crops. Additional investments in cover crops are coming from industry payments for soil carbon. The boost in NRCS funding through the Inflation Reduction Act will give extra support to cover crops. Many states are increasing their investments in cover crops, often through funds administered by soil and water conservation districts.
While a number of technical bulletins and fact sheets are available on cover crops, agronomist Rob Myers felt there was a need for a more in-depth set of cover crop information targeted to commodity farmers and farm advisors. Dr. Myers is Director of the Center for Regenerative Agriculture at the University of Missouri and also serves as a regional director with the USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Program. He grew up on an Illinois farm using cover crops and has conducted research and led education programs on cover crops since the early 1990s.
Dr. Myers was particularly interested in providing cover crop information in a format that would be useful to farmers and farm advisors who are relatively new to cover cropping and seeking guidance on how to make cover crops fit specific farming goals. The result is a 283-page guidebook called “Cover Crops: Improving Life on the Land.” The book contains details on cover crop selection (44 cover crop species are discussed), cover crop seeding and termination techniques, and newer approaches, like planting green. The book also reviews cover crop equipment and economics, potential challenges with cover crops, and the impact of cover crops on soil health. In the book, you'll find simple steps for getting started with cover crops and strategies on how to seed cover crops in a time efficient fashion.
A key part of the book is in-depth profiles of 12 commodity farmers from across the U.S., who are experienced with cover crops, discussing their management approaches and the benefits they’ve seen from cover crops. One of the farmers profiled is Jimmy Emmons, NACD Soil Health Champion and former president of the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts.
This new resource book on cover crops is available to conservation districts and others via the books section of Amazon.
|
Champion Spotlight:
Hamilton Native Outpost
|
Earlier this year, we lost one of our Soil Health Champions – Rex Hamilton. Survived by his wife and business partner Amy, his legacy continues through the family business they created together, which includes their son and daughters – Hamilton Native Outpost.
Hamilton Native Outpost not only sells and promotes native seeds but also provides education through videos, blogs, publications (online and print), and field days. Below are just some of the educational pieces from their latest e-newsletter:
Video Recap
We've been busy filming some new videos, and recently released videos are included below. Subscribe to our YouTube channel or check our YouTube channel regularly for new videos. We love to get your feedback on the videos, so shoot us an email or post comments below the video.
Videos this month:
- If You Clear or Thin a Forest, Will Native Plants Come Back?
- Dry 'n Rocky | Native Wildflower Mix
- Can Native Plants be Seeded by Hand?
Natives: What’s Going On?
- Fall/winter control burns in areas that have both wildflowers and grasses can be done from August through February. More thoughts can be found in this video.
- Plantings with only warm season grasses can be dormant sprayed to remove cool seasons such as fescue. Wait until after frost, when the warm seasons are dormant, but the cool seasons are still growing, which is usually late October or later.
- Plant seeds from mid-November through mid-February for wildflowers and Eastern Gama Grass or through mid-May for other warm season grasses. Read about methods in the Seeding Method Overview.
|
While most of us think of space exploration when we think of NASA, a few episodes of their podcast “Small Steps, Giant Leaps” caught my eye AND my ear when I noticed their focus on agriculture, climate change, and wildlife. In 2018, this podcast began to help expand our knowledge of what NASA does through the exploration of different technologies, projects, and programs and the many project managers, engineers, scientists, and thought leaders that are engaged.
Below is a list of relevant episodes and their direct links to listen online. Episodes are also available for download.
|
NASA Water Resources and Agriculture Program Manager Brad Doorn discusses how NASA tools and data help solve big problems on Earth.
|
NASA Chief Scientist and Senior Climate Advisor Kate Calvin discusses the agency’s role in climate research.
|
NASA’s Edward Kim and NOAA’s Pam Sullivan discuss NASA’s role in weather research.
|
The Nature Conservancy’s Kim Hall discusses the use of NASA Earth observation data to map animal movement and patterns.
|
This podcast releases new episodes bi-weekly on Wednesday. To explore more episodes and even suggest a topic of your own, check out their website.
|
President Biden is announcing a new initiative to train young people in high-demand skills for jobs in the clean energy economy. The American Climate Corps will put a new generation of Americans to work conserving our lands and waters, bolstering community resilience, advancing environmental justice, deploying clean energy, implementing energy-efficient technologies, and tackling climate change. American Climate Corps members will gain the skills necessary to access good-paying jobs that are aligned with high-quality employment opportunities after they complete their paid training or service program.
As the administration gears up for a successful launch of the American Climate Corps, they are hosting four virtual listening sessions to hear directly from citizens throughout the U.S. for ideas on how to shape this historic initiative. These sessions are scheduled for the following dates and times:
January 11, 10:00 a.m. ET
January 16, 6:00 p.m. ET
January 25, 6:00 p.m. ET
February 1, 10:00 p.m. ET
Each listening session will feature a special guest and climate champion like Senator Ed Markey, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi, AmeriCorps CEO Michael Smith, and more.
To sign up for the date of your choice, visit the White House website and follow the registration links provided.
Given the level of anticipated interest, participants are asked to please limit comments to under 3 minutes. If you are unable to join any of the sessions or have more to share, send your thoughts and ideas to ACC@americorps.gov by January 31, 2024.
|
Soil Health Institute Launches Slakes: A Free Smartphone App to Measure Soil Aggregate Stability |
In celebration of World Soil Day, December 5, the Soil Health Institute (SHI) announced the release of a free phone application, Slakes, to empower and engage citizens around the world to measure aggregate stability–one of the most common indicators of soil health. Soils with greater aggregate stability are more resistant to wind and water erosion and are linked to improved water capture, infiltration, and storage, contributing to improved water management and agricultural productivity.
“Improving soil health benefits all,” said Dr. Cristine Morgan, SHI’s chief scientific officer.
“I am excited to see our team and partners make credible soil health measurement technology readily available to anyone with a smartphone.”
The Slakes app uses a smartphone camera to take a picture of three dry soil aggregates before and after exposing them to water for 10 minutes. The app then automatically calculates an aggregate stability value. Weaker aggregates will slake (or break apart) more easily, while stronger aggregates will slake less, indicating better soil aggregation and healthier soil.
“The Ida and Robert Gordon Family Foundation has been a long-time supporter of the Soil Health Institute because SHI brings us catalytic ideas that can scale,” said Roberta Gordon, president & CEO of the Ida and Robert Gordon Family Foundation. “Slakes is a great example.”
SHI envisions that this application will be used by the public, K-12, and college educators in their curricula, as well as conservation professionals, farmers, advisors, and industry/policy stakeholders who are interested in quantifying the impact of management on soil health.
“As one of the top commercial bank agricultural lenders in the U.S., Wells Fargo is a proud supporter of the Soil Health Institute and the development of Slakes,” added Robyn Luhning, chief sustainability officer at Wells Fargo. “Maintaining soil health is an important part of supporting climate resiliency for our customers and communities.”
SHI recommends measuring aggregate stability using the Slakes app as part of a minimum suite of measurements to assess management induced changes in soil health. Aggregate stability index values from Slakes can be compared across management practices to measure improvements in soil health.
“Everyone should be able to analyze their soil quickly, inexpensively, and accurately,” added Dr. Alex McBratney from the University of Sydney in Australia.
“Which technology for doing this is more accessible and fun than a free app on your mobile phone?”
The Slakes app is available on Google Play and the App Store. The app's development was made possible due to a partnership with the University of Sydney and the generous financial support from the Wells Fargo Foundation and The Ida and Robert Gordon Family Foundation.
|
Please continue to email Beth Mason, NACD North Central Region Representative, any activities, events, news articles, and interviews so we can share with others!
|
|
Reminder: NACD Annual Meeting |
Be sure to join us for the NACD Annual Meeting in San Diego, CA, February 10 - 14!
The Soil Health Champions Network is going to have their annual Meet and Greet/Coffee Time on Sunday morning, February 11 for networking and training in partnership development, collaborative conservation, and communication.
Additionally, there will be opportunities to meet up at the Soil Health Champions Booth in the exhibit hall and attend the various plenary sessions, breakouts, and workshops.
For more information on the hotel, agenda, and to register, please click on the link below to go to the NACD website.
|
Podcast: Water and Soil Conservation with Ryan Britt |
Soil Health Champion and fifth generation farmer, Ryan Britt of Clifton Hills, MO, was interviewed for an episode of Soil Sense Podcast this past September. This episode had Britt focus in on his experience with transitioning and implementing soil health/conservation practices on the family farm. Britt shares his mindset when making decisions, their goals, and programs to help.
To hear Britt's interview, click the button below.
|
Podcast: Diversity in Cover Crops and Business Models with Jay Baxter |
Soil Health Champion and fourth generation farmer, Jay Baxter of Georgetown, DE, was interviewed for an episode of Soil Sense Podcast this past September. His focus was sharing the diversification in both his choice of cover crops and his business model - both beneficial to his bottom line. To hear all about it, click the button below.
|
2023 Sustainable Agriculture Conference
November 11 - 13
|
As part of this three-day conference hosted by the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, Soil Health Champion Don Jackson of Ware Shoals, SC gave a presentation at the Sustainable Agriculture Conference on Incorporating Livestock to Improve Soil Health. Joined by Gabriel Kenne of the University of South Carolina, Jackson explains that animals are valuable tools for improving soil health, sequestering carbon, and minimizing synthetic inputs. Incorporating livestock into field rotations breaks up cover crop residue, adds natural fertilizer, and speeds up microbial action in the soil, which, if managed well, improves pasture productivity and animal health.
Jackson discussed his rotational grazing techniques to reduce external inputs, improve soil fertility and water-holding capacity and enhance animal performance on his South Carolina farm. Gabriel discussed the science of why these regenerative practices benefit the land, animals, surrounding environment, and opportunities for contract grazing to improve cropland.
The session included a demonstration of how you can evaluate your soil’s health using basic slake and slump tests with examples from differently managed crop and pastureland.
|
A synopsis of this film from the producers:
"With an estimated 60 years of farmable soil left on Earth, The Need to Grow offers an intimate look into the hearts of activists and innovators in the food movement – an 8 year old girl challenges the ethics of a beloved organization – a renegade farmer struggles to keep his land as he revolutionizes resource efficient agriculture – and an accomplished visionary inventor faces catastrophe in the midst of developing a game-changing soil regeneration technology.
The Need to Grow delivers alarming evidence on the importance of healthy soil – revealing not only the potential of localized food production working with nature, but our opportunity as individuals to help regenerate our planet’s dying soils and participate in the restoration of the Earth."
This film was released in 2018 and is now available to view for free online. For access and more information, click on the link below.
|
Promote Your
Next Soil Health Event
|
Do you have any upcoming soil health events? Are you looking for an upcoming soil health event to attend?
NACD has opened the events calendars for folks to post various soil health events, whether they are local, state, national, or even international.
Be sure to check out NACD’s events calendar to add your event today and look for future events to add to your calendar!
|
|
