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.
The 73rd Annual National Land & Range Judging Contest was held in El Reno, Oklahoma, from April 30 through May 2, 2024. This national event drew over 1,000 student contestants, comprising 194 teams from 34 states across the nation, including Washington, Maryland, New Jersey, Florida, and Hawaii.
The push to add solar energy is gaining traction across the U.S., and it’s coming with sticker shock on just how much solar companies are willing to pay farmers to lease their ground. A survey of farmers shows the majority of farmers are being offered more than $1,000 per acre by companies for solar leasing, and that could also drive up the price of cash rental rates.
If enacted, the detailed farm bill proposal released last week by Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) would finally make it a permanent Department of Agriculture priority to support farmers harmed by the extreme weather caused by climate change.
Researchers at the Indiana University School of Science in Indianapolis compiled data from more than 100 field trials across the globe and found that cover crops have a net-positive impact, overall increasing crop yield by 2.6% globally. Standing out among the findings was how substantially yields benefited from the use of legumes as cover crops, including peas, vetch and clover.
Today, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Xochitl Torres Small announced that the USDA Forest Service is partnering with States to conserve nearly 168,000 acres of economically and ecologically significant forestlands across the nation as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda.
Today, the Sentinel Landscapes Partnership, comprised of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Department of Defense (DOD), and Department of the Interior (DOI), announced the designation of five new sentinel landscapes.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced new programs, partnerships, grant awards and an additional $10 million in funding to expand the markets for organic products and help producers transition to organic production. These programs will support the development of new and better markets for domestic organic products, provide hands-on training to producers transitioning to organic production and ease the financial burden of obtaining organic certification.
The McKean County Conservation District completed a wide variety of water quality projects in 2023 to prevent nonpoint source pollution of local waterways and improve natural resources.
Nature enthusiasts across the Upstate spent the first week of May celebrating the forests of the Palmetto State and learning more about how to care for them. April 29-May 5 marked the 69th annual National Conservation District Association’s Stewardship Week. This year’s theme was “May the Forest be with You, Always,” and focused on forest conservation in each county.
The National Conservation Planning Partnership (NCPP) recently announced Texas rancher Carroll Collier as the 2023 Hugh Hammond Bennett Award for Conservation Excellence, South Central Regional Producer of the Year winner.
Envirothon starter kits are now available for new teams through a diversity grant from the U.S. Forest Service, National Conservation Foundation, and NCF-Envirothon.
Are you ready to soil your undies? The Hamilton County Conservation District has launched its own version of the USDA’s Soil Your Undies Challenge, where residents are challenged to bury a pair of 100% cotton underwear, wait two months, and dig them up. The more decomposed the undies are, the healthier their soil is. It’s a brief introduction to soil testing.
