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. If you have a relevant submission or need assistance accessing articles, please contact the NACD Communications Team.
Successful Farming: DIY Conservation: Farmers Can Save Soil and Water Without Government Help
By John Walter
04/18/2025
Recent threats of drastic cutbacks in federal funding for agricultural conservation programs have prompted me to recall a campaign I worked on at Successful Farming many years ago, “Conservation on Your Own.” The idea, which was developed in cooperation with a colleague at USDA, involved promoting eight conservation practices that farmers could accomplish more or less without any outside financial or technical support.
Farm Policy News: USDA Downsizing Plan to be Ready by Mid-May, Rollins Says
By
04/24/2025
Agri-Pulse’s Noah Wicks and Steve Davies reported Wednesday that “the Trump administration’s plan for reorganizing and downsizing USDA should be out by the middle of May, and it will likely call for consolidating some programs with other agencies, according to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.”
CNBC: U.S. agriculture isn’t nearing a trade war tariff crisis, it’s in a ‘full-blown crisis already,’ farmers say
By Lori Ann LaRocco
04/28/2025
The clock is ticking on trade deals that the U.S. will need to strike with many nations, most notably China, to avoid what President Donald Trump’s Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, has described as an unsustainable tariff war. But in the U.S. farming sector, the damage has already been done and the economic crisis already begun.
MSN: Trump Admin Ready To Provide Another Round Of Financial Aid To Farmers Impacted By China Trade War
By Floyd Buford
04/29/2025
As trade tensions with China continue to simmer, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins confirmed the Trump administration is standing ready to support farmers whose sales are hurt by the growing trade dispute with China. Rollins said during an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union” that while the administration hopes a bailout won’t be necessary, they are actively preparing for the possibility.
USDA: In the First 100 Days of the Trump Administration, Secretary Rollins Puts Farmers First
04/30/2025
In the first 100 days of the Trump Administration, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has taken action to support the leadership of President Donald J. Trump and put Farmers First at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Northern Ag Network: Rooted in Regeneration: A Family’s Experimental Journey to Regenerative Agriculture
Wilsall, MT | Northern Plains Region
04/24/2025
In the fields of Wilsall, Montana, the Bays family works their land with dedication and a willingness to learn. A lifelong farming family, John and Vanessa Bays, along with their daughter Sadie Collins, have embraced regenerative agriculture in an area of Park County that Collins refers to as “the valley experiment station.” Working with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) on various conservation projects, they aim to improve the health of their soil.
Agri News: Farmers utilize a variety of tools to evaluate soil health
By Martha Blum | Richmond, IL | North Central Region
04/24/2025
Focusing on soil health is important for farmers since soil fertility is not inexhaustible. “Soil health is the continued capacity of the soil to function as a living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals and humans,” said Brenna Ness, working lands ecologist for the McHenry County Conservation District.
Farms.com: Fridays on the Farm: The Hearts Behind Heart of the Desert
By Jennifer Strickland | Alamogordo, NM | Southwest Region
04/27/2025
This Friday meet George and Marianne Schweers, owners and operators of Heart of the Desert in Alamogordo, New Mexico. Along Highway 54, you’ll find signs leading to their operation where they grow, process, and market farm-grown pistachios, along with wine, oil, confections, gift baskets, and more. While the two celebrated 50 years in business last July, their story began seven decades ago in a small town in rural Nebraska.
The Sentinel: Area students test environmental knowledge
By Greg Williams | Lewistown, PA | Northeast Region
04/28/2025
Each year the Mifflin and Juniata conservation districts sponsor Envirothon, an environmental education competition for high school students that tests their knowledge in natural resource issues. And each year students pass with flying colors, with the winning team from each county advancing to the state competition.
KBIA: Two federal agencies in Columbia are losing their offices
By Nikita Ponomarenko | Missouri | North Central Region
04/28/2025
Another office on the government’s lease termination list holds the Missouri Natural Resources Conservation Service, which provides consultation and funding to farmers who want to establish conservation practices on their land. If that office shuts down, farmers would lose the largest funding source for adopting conservation practices, said Ryan Britt, a farmer and former president of the Missouri Association of Soil & Water Conservation Districts board of directors.
The Sand Paper: Kean-Ocean Students Learn About NJ Soil Erosion Control
Surf City, NJ | Northeast Region
04/30/2025
The Kean-Ocean students enrolled in Professor Becky Laboy’s Principles of Environmental Soil Science course departed Ocean County College’s Toms River campus on a cold day last month for a guided tour of active construction sites in the area. Throughout the field trip, staff members from the Ocean County Soil Conservation District and the South Jersey Resource Conservation and Development Council provided expert insight into how erosion control measures are implemented to prevent sediment runoff and protect local waterways.
Progressive Farmer: Research Uncovers Benefits of Cover Crops on Cotton Yield and Nitrogen Use
By Des Keller | Georgia | Southeast Region
04/30/2025
(Edited) “The first irrigated farm I took on in 2006, minimum tillage was in the contract by the owner,” he continues. In 2021, Faust was named Conservationist of the Year by the Georgia Association of Conservation Districts as well as Friend of Conservation by the National Association of Conservation Districts that same year. In 2020, the Fausts (Robbie’s father, Mike, also still farms) began participating in a research project with several entities that included the University of Georgia (UGA) Extension.