One of the five principles of soil health is livestock integration, but one of the major obstacles landowners face is finding the right livestock farmer to partner with. The new Midwest Grazing Exchange aims to remove that obstacle by providing a free matchmaking service, connecting landowners with graziers in six Midwest states–Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
This website lets users (both graziers and landowners):
- Search listings, including through an interactive map with filters for criteria like season, land or livestock type
- Create listings of what land or livestock they have to offer
- Create a free account to have listings of interest, add new listings, see contact details, and message other users
- Browse a curated list of grazing resources, including examples of grazing lease agreements and contracts
- Explore the benefits of regenerative grazing for both landowners and livestock owners
The website also lists grazing specialists and organizations offering grazing support for each state participating in the exchange. For questions about the website, please contact Meghan Filbert at 515-232-5661. |
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
FOR SOIL HEALTH
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In Carver, Minn., NACD Soil Health Champion Lori Cox of Roots Return Heritage Farm had her operation highlighted in her local conservation district newsletter. As part of a three-year cost share project on cover crops, Cox was able to measure the soil health results through the rate of infiltration before and after implementation. Below is the article, written to share what soil health results occur with the implementation of cover crops: |
Cover Crops Improve Water Infiltration in Soil |
As published in the Carter SWCD Newsletter – October 2020
Cover cropping is one of the most rapidly growing soil and water conservation strategies for future improvements in soil health and the environment. Inter-seeded as a companion crop or following the cash crop harvest, cover crop benefits include increased nitrogen retention and efficiencies in the soil; erosion prevention; suppression of weeds and reducing the need of herbicides; water quality protection; increase of cash crop yields and many more.
Ponding water in Carver County cropland is another unwanted sight for producers that cover crops can also play a significant role in improving.
Tillage breaks down soil structure, as the soil “glues” are destroyed, which results in decreased pore space, which leads to soil slaking at the surface and poor infiltration. The SWCD recently completed follow-up soil health tests for one Carver County producer, where a five-fold improvement was made on infiltration rates, largely due to the adoption of establishing annual cover crops. Test results in 2017 showed two inches per hour infiltration rate prior to establishing any cover crops. Today, infiltration rates have improved to a whopping 11 inches per hour when the SWCD completed the same soil health tests on their land. This improvement shows how cover crops can substantially improve the ability of soils to soak up heavy rainfall, potentially alleviating the most severe effects of both flooding and drought.
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by David Montgomery
Dirt, soil, call it what you want―it's everywhere we go. It is the root of our existence, supporting our feet, our farms, our cities. This fascinating yet disquieting book finds, however, that we are running out of dirt, and it's no laughing matter. An engaging natural and cultural history of soil that sweeps from ancient civilizations to modern times, Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations explores the compelling idea that we are―and have long been―using up Earth's soil. Once bare of protective vegetation and exposed to wind and rain, cultivated soils erode bit by bit, slowly enough to be ignored in a single lifetime but fast enough over centuries to limit the lifespan of civilizations.
A rich mix of history, archaeology and geology, Dirt traces the role of soil use and abuse in the history of Mesopotamia, Ancient Greece, the Roman Empire, China, European colonialism, Central America, and the American push westward. We see how soil has shaped us and we have shaped soil―as society after society has risen, prospered and plowed through a natural endowment of fertile dirt. Author David R. Montgomery sees in the recent rise of organic and no-till farming the hope for a new agricultural revolution that might help us avoid the fate of previous civilizations.
by David Montgomery
For centuries, agricultural practices have eroded the soil that farming depends on, stripping it of the organic matter vital to its productivity. Now conventional agriculture is threatening disaster for the world’s growing population. In Growing a Revolution, geologist David R. Montgomery travels the world, meeting farmers at the forefront of an agricultural movement to restore soil health. From Kansas to Ghana, he sees why adopting the three tenets of conservation agriculture―ditching the plow, planting cover crops, and growing a diversity of crops―is the solution. When farmers restore fertility to the land, this helps feed the world, cool the planet, reduce pollution, and return profitability to family farms.
by David Montgomery and Anne Biklé
Prepare to set aside what you think you know about yourself and microbes. The Hidden Half of Nature reveals why good health―for people and for plants―depends on Earth’s smallest creatures. Restoring life to their barren yard and recovering from a health crisis, David R. Montgomery and Anne Biklé discover astounding parallels between the botanical world and our own bodies. From garden to gut, they show why cultivating beneficial microbiomes holds the key to transforming agriculture and medicine.
by Kristin Ohlson
Thousands of years of poor farming and ranching practices—and, especially, modern industrial agriculture—has led to the loss of up to 80 percent of carbon from the world's soils. That carbon is now floating in the atmosphere, and even if we stopped using fossil fuels today, it would continue warming the planet.
As the granddaughter of farmers and the daughter of avid gardeners, Author Kristin Ohlson has long had an appreciation for the soil. A chance conversation with a local chef led her to the crossroads of science, farming, food, and environmentalism and the discovery of the only significant way to remove carbon dioxide from the air—an ecological approach that tends not only to plants and animals but also to the vast population of underground microorganisms that fix carbon in the soil. Ohlson introduces the visionaries—scientists, farmers, ranchers and landscapers—who are figuring out in the lab and on the ground how to build healthy soil, which solves myriad problems: drought, erosion, air and water pollution and food quality, as well as climate change. Her discoveries and vivid storytelling will revolutionize the way we think about our food, our landscapes, our plants and our relationship to Earth.
by DeVon Miller
This is an indispensable reference guide on regenerative agriculture, whether you farm ten acres, a thousand acres, or have a ten square foot plot in your backyard. Farmers and gardeners alike will refer to this valuable information often. Secrets of good, down-to-earth, natural, sustainable farming practices will help you be a better success with your most valuable resource: the soil.
Written in easy to follow language, the text will clarify previous hard to understand concepts and will help you become a better farmer/gardener, whether you are just beginning or are an old hand at it. This guide will become a basic essential and valuable reference guide for all caretakers of the soil for years to come.
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OUT ON THE LAND:
TV SHOW AND BOOK
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From 2013 through 2016, Out on the Land was a TV series that aired on RFD-TV, showcasing conservation efforts of farmers, ranchers and land managers across the country. It was created, produced and hosted by Dr. Larry Butler, a former Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) employee of 33 years. The 104 episodes from the show's duration are going to be archived and available for viewing on the Out on the Land website.
Out on the Land – Sharing Conservation Secrets is the new book available now from author Dr. Larry Butler. This book chronicles the stories of people and circumstances that influenced Butler to dedicate his life to conservation. The stories are meant to inspire readers to affect positive change and develop their own conservation journeys. To read more about the book and purchase a copy, visit the Out on the Land website.
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TUNE IN:
SOUTHERN PLAINS PODCAST
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The Southern Plains Perspective holds a series of podcasts, which contain interviews with various leaders discussing a range of conservation-related topics. One of the latest episodes was released on Oct. 28.
“In this episode of the podcast we are honored to have as our guest Kevin Norton, the Acting Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Washington, D.C. Kevin talks to us about the history of the NRCS and the role of the agency in helping farmers and ranchers deal with extreme weather events and other natural resource concerns while producing the food and fiber we need to feed and clothe the world.”
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NEW SARE BULLETIN ADDRESSES ECOLOGICAL APPROACH TO MANAGE PESTS |
A flock of sheep is vital to the success of one particular vineyard in Winters, Calif. While many operations struggle to manage weeds, this vineyard used a Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE)-funded grant to test grazing sheep as a pest management practice, and they are seeing many whole-farm benefits. Rather than apply potentially harmful pesticides or do time-intensive mowing, the vineyard uses the sheep to manage its weeds. The sheep were trained to avoid the grape crop’s leaves and to instead graze only on weeds and other cover crops.
Producers using methods based on ecology to manage pests, like sheep grazing weeds in vineyards, are finding improvements and benefits across their farms. SARE’s newly revised A Whole-Farm Approach to Managing Pests bulletin discusses ecological approaches to pest management and highlights cases in which farmers are using innovative methods to manage pests.
A Whole-Farm Approach to Managing Pests describes ecological pest management strategies that focus on strengthening natural relationships throughout the farm to reduce pest pressures. These holistic strategies emphasize knowledge of cropping systems, biodiversity and farm resource management. Practices that produce healthy crops and keep insects, weeds and diseases away focus on:
- promoting biodiversity
- creating healthy crop habitat
- reducing disturbance to soil and non-crop vegetation, and
- minimizing off-farm inputs.
This newly updated technical bulletin is broken down into two parts. Part one examines how biodiversity and biological control drive management practices that can boost the natural defenses of your farm. The second part puts those tools into practice by providing reliable and profitable strategies to successfully manage pests.
Focusing on the farming system rather than on each individual pest can make pest control across the whole farm more effective and sustainable. Ecological strategies can be adopted incrementally to meet the unique pest management needs of every operation, while providing other benefits such as improved soil health and biodiversity maintenance.
This technical bulletin is useful to both educators and farmers alike. To download or print your free copy, please visit the SARE website or call (301) 779-1007. A Whole-Farm Approach to Managing Pests is available in quantity for free to educators for use in educational workshops, classes or tours.
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While many conferences are going virtual due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, the National No-Tillage Conference is still scheduled as an in-person event, following Indiana health and safety guidelines and taking necessary precautions to protect the safety of conference registrants.
Guest speakers at the event include NACD Soil Health Champions Annie Dee from Alabama and Jay Baxter from Delaware.
For more information and to register, click here to visit their website. Also, in these uncertain times, you have the option at any point prior to the event to request that your registration be transferred to the next year's event or offer your registration to a replacement attendee. Just contact info@notillfarmer.com or call 866-839-8455. |
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NACD Announces Transition to Virtual Annual Meeting Format |
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, the 2021 NACD Annual Meeting will be held online from February 1-10, 2021. Through NACD's virtual hub, we will celebrate "NACD's 75th Anniversary: A Diamond out of the Dust."
With our 75th anniversary, we are looking to the future, and we see this virtual meeting format as an opportunity. Moving the annual meeting to a virtual format will reduce the cost of participation for meeting attendees and allow more flexibility in attendance.
We're looking forward to hosting a more innovative meeting than ever before, with the same quality of breakout session presentations, informative symposia and inspiring leadership-oriented speakers as you've come to expect with NACD's Annual Meetings.
Keep up to date on our registration launch and other annual meeting updates by subscribing to our annual meeting newsletter. If you have any questions or comments about the virtual annual meeting, please email us at events@nacdnet.org.
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The Soil Health Institute (SHI) recently released a series of 13 virtual soil health field days on the SHI YouTube channel. This series of videos are farmer-focused education and training events, which include conversations with cotton growers and soil health specialists in Arkansas and South Carolina. The project aims to increase the adoption of soil health management systems among cotton producers while documenting environmental and economic benefits.
NACD Soil Health Champion Jason Carter of Richland Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) in South Carolina was featured in several of these videos, specifically addressing the principles of regenerative agriculture and cover crops.
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NRCS Releases "Conservation At Work" Video Series |
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) recently released a new video series called "Conservation At Work," which highlights farmers and ranchers who have benefited from implementing conservation practices on their operations.
The videos spotlight farmers, ranchers and forestland owners from across the U.S., who tell their conservation stories and how their practices have helped them protect and improve resources while saving time and money.
NACD Soil Health Champions Don Norwood and Charlie Roberts of Tennessee were featured in videos focusing on Conservation Crop Rotation and Cover Crops. Additional soil health related topics are showcased through farmer/rancher interviews, such as grassed waterways, no-till, nutrient management and prescribed grazing.
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Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) offers many grant opportunities throughout the year for a variety of interests. Grants are offered to farmers/ranchers, researchers, educators and graduate students throughout the U.S.
The broad focus of all grants involve research and education, and by visiting the webpage for your specific region, you can find out specific opportunities and the guidelines to apply. A search of previous grant reports will also assist in guiding you toward the kinds of projects that could be funded.
For more information and to be connected to your specific region, please visit the SARE website.
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Subscribe to NACD Conservation Clips |
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.
This weekly collection can be a great source of social media content for you to share with your various audiences, whether personal or professional, keeping the conversation focused on conservation.
To receive Conservation Clips every Friday, please click here to be added to our mailing list.
If you have a relevant submission or need assistance with accessing articles, please contact the NACD Communications Team. |
This year, the film " Kiss the Ground" was released. The movie focuses on the threat of climate change and what citizens all over the globe can do to make an impact.
Soil health experts Ray Archuleta, formerly of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Gabe Brown, regenerative farmer and rancher, are both featured in the film.
"Kiss the Ground reveals that, by regenerating the world’s soils, we can completely and rapidly stabilize Earth’s climate, restore lost ecosystems, and create abundant food supplies. Using compelling graphics and visuals, along with striking NASA and NOAA footage, the film artfully illustrates how, by drawing down atmospheric carbon, soil is the missing piece of the climate puzzle." - Kiss the Ground film website
Now available to view on Netflix, or with a donation of $1, you can view it here. |
Promote Your
Next Soil Health Event
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Do you have any upcoming soil health events? Are you looking for an upcoming soil health event to attend?
Both NACD and the Soil Health Institute have opened their events calendars for folks to post various soil health events whether they are local, state, national or even international.
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Need a Reason to Celebrate? |
November 15 - America Recycles Day
November 17 - Take a Hike Day
November 26 - Thanksgiving
November 27 - Maize Day
December 10 - Chanukah Begins
December 13 - National Day of the Horse
December 17 - National Maple Syrup Day
December 25 - Christmas Day
January 1 - New Years Day
January 6 - National Bean Day and National Technology Day
January 10 - Save the Eagles Day and National Cut Your Energy Costs Day
January 11 - National Milk Day
January 20 - National Cheese Lover's Day
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