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: New USDA Action Plan Cracks Down on Foreign Influence in American Agriculture
By Jessie Scott
07/08/2025
Tuesday morning, on the steps of the USDA in Washington, D.C., Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins rolled out the next pillar of the USDA’s Make Agriculture Great Again initiative: the National Farm Security Action Plan. This policy pillar “seeks to protect our borders, enhances the farm safety net and domestic agricultural production, and improves outcomes for American consumers,” according to policy documents.
Farm Policy News: Ag Legislators Look Ahead to “Skinny” Farm Bill this Fall
By
07/09/2025
Politico’s Grace Yarrow reported that “after clearing their agriculture megabill hurdle, Republicans are looking to pass a smaller farm bill that includes some key policies that haven’t been updated since the last farm bill was passed in 2018.” “Lawmakers already included $67 billion in spending farm bill programs in the reconciliation package, meaning some of the most expensive (and controversial GOP priorities) have already been handled,” Yarrow reported.
Morning AgClips: Farmers: Don’t Miss What’s in the Big Beautiful Bill
07/13/2025
The recently passed One Big Beautiful Bill brings sweeping policy changes across sectors, including significant updates for U.S. agriculture. With new funding for commodity support programs, permanent tax provisions, and expanded disaster relief, producers will need to take a fresh look at long-term planning and operational decisions.
USDA: Secretary Rollins Statement on Increased Federal Fire Preparedness Level
07/14/2025
Secretary Rollins has made it a top priority for the Department to ensure the entire agency is geared to respond to what is already an above normal summer fire season. We are providing the resources needed to ensure the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) has the strongest and most prepared wildland firefighting force in the world.
USDA: Secretary Rollins Terminates COVID-era Program
07/15/2025
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins today announced the termination of the Regional Food Business Centers (RFBC) program. This pandemic-era, Biden program was created using one-time, temporary funding from Congress. The Department is terminating this program that should not have been established in this manner in the first place, but are doing so in a way to honor commitments made to farmers.
Successful Farming: The ‘National Menace’ That Launched 90 Years of NRCS Progress
By Mariah Squire
07/16/2025
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is celebrating 90 years of “helping people help the land.” “Born out of troubled times,” according to USDA, NRCS was established in 1935 as a permanent USDA agency in response to the dust storms that ravaged U.S. farmland. It was originally known as the Soil Conservation Service (SCS).
Farm Progress: This NRCS expert makes soil exciting
By Jason Johnson
07/09/2025
Soil scientist — to many people — may sound like a less-than-exciting career choice. Digging around and looking at different soil identifiers such as colors, moisture levels and textures might seem a little boring. But for the soil scientists across the country working for USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, soil is exciting. To them, soil is literally and figuratively the foundation for many decisions made by farmers.
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No-Till Farmer: Farmers, Ranchers in Texas Fighting Flood Destruction
By John Dobberstein | Texas | South Central Region
07/07/2025
Texas Department of Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller told Fox News that in the 21-county area affected by the floods, hundreds of miles of fencing was lost, along with countless barns, outbuildings and other farm structures. Deceased livestock is another challenge farmers and ranchers are dealing with.
American Farmland Trust: A Farm Legacy of Love: Gretchen and Dick Regnery’s Gift to the Land
By Sydney Green | Door County, WI | North Central Region
07/09/2025
Some places don’t just hold memories—they carry a legacy. For more than four decades, Gretchen and Dick Regnery have poured their hearts and souls into Whitefish Bay Farm—a sanctuary of serene pastures, naturally colored Corriedale sheep, and the fiber art that has defined their lives. Nestled in the stunning landscape of Door County, Wisconsin, their farm has been more than just a home; it has been a labor of love, a commitment to land stewardship, and a place where people from all walks of life have come to experience the beauty of farming and art.
WGTD: Morning Show – Kailyn Palomares
Wisconsin | North Central Region
07/10/2025
For Kailyn Palomares’s monthly visit to the program, we are speaking with Monte Osterman, Vice Chair of Wisconsin Land + Water …. and Wisconsin’s representation for NACD- the National Association of Conservation Districts. We’ll be talking about the NACD and one of the Racine County conservation projects funded by NACD this year.
Farm Bureau News: Restoring Soil Health: A Farm Family’s Regenerative Ag Journey
By Kari Barbic | Missouri | North Central Region
07/14/2025
Ryan Britt knows that farming is a marathon, not a sprint. His family has been farming in north-central Missouri since 1865. Today, the rolling green hills of Britt Farms stretch out for miles. While the farm has changed and grown over the years, the family’s commitment to caring for the land has remained steady.
Vermont Daily Chronicle: Orleans County Conservation District secures $600,000 for local projects
By Daniel Duric | Newport, VT | Northeast Region
07/15/2025
The Orleans County Natural Resources Conservation District has secured $600,000 in federal grant funding to address soil and water conservation issues throughout the county. The funding, called the Local Fund Pool, targets farmers with wet, low-producing hay fields or pastures, and property owners in the Upper Barton River Watershed dealing with soil erosion or invasive species problems.
Napa Valley Register: Napa County awash in invasive species
By Barry Eberling | Enosburg Falls, VT | Northeast Region
07/16/2025
Martin Perales of the Napa County Resource Conservation District last spring was on the group’s rotary screw trap in the Napa River near Big Ranch Road. The contraption is like a giant, rotating funnel that captures fish in a holding tank. Perales was doing the annual Napa River fish survey. The count typically yields non-natives such as bluegill and golden shiner, along with natives such as the Chinook salmon and steelhead trout.
Irrigation Leader: Napa County awash in invasive species
By Kris Polly | Wyoming | Northern Plains Region
07/16/2025
In our cover story this month, we interview Kelsey Beck, the executive director of the Popo Agie Conservation District, which engages with water quantity, water quality, and watershed planning issues across 2.5 million acres in central Wyoming. The district aims to enhance storage capacity and address critical water challenges while strengthening the resilience of agriculture, recreation, and municipal communities.