Conservation Blogger

Chipotle Airs Sustainability Ad

noreply@blogger.com (Annie Binder) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 23:02:00 +0000

Last night during the Grammy Awards, Chipotle aired their animated "Cultivate a Better World" advertisement, a music video argument for sustainability. Set to a soundtrack featuring Willie Nelson singing Coldplay's "The Scientist," the advertisement depicts a farmer wrestling with the practice of factory farming. By the end of the video, the farmer breaks down his confinements, frees the animals, and loads his product directly onto a Chipotle truck. Chipotle says that the ad was commissioned to "emphasize the importance of developing a sustainable food system."

The video has been available on YouTube for several months, but last night the advertisement reached a wider audience and since then has been tweeted over 10,000 times.

Soil Health Webinars

noreply@blogger.com (Annie Binder) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 19:32:00 +0000

Need something to do while snowed in this week? The nonprofit educational group No-Till on the Plains has posted several free, online webinars about soil health. They cover a range of topics and come in bite-sized lengths. Click through to watch

Rolf Derpsch explain "The Importance of Quality Continuous No-tillage"

Dr. Kristine Nichols discuss "Microbes Description and General Activites: The Living Soils"

Dr. Nichols lecture on "Management: Managing Soil Biology for Profitability"

Dr. Nichols show how in "Demonstrations: Measuring Soil Health Toolkit"

New online tool: Farmer's Legal and Regulatory Guide

noreply@blogger.com (Dewayne Johnson) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:44:00 +0000

Corn and Soybean Digest
The Iowa Soybean Association's Environmental Programs and Services team announced a new, free online tool for farmers wanting to know what rules and regulations impact their operation. Organized in a question and answer format, the "Iowa Farmer's Legal and Regulatory Guide to Environmental Issues" is intended to help farmers navigate issues to figure out what are their rights and responsibilities and where to find more information. Topics include: air quality, animal production, fertilizers, fuel storage, leasing, manure management, pesticide use, soil conservation programs, water quality and more. More

More from this week's Conservation NewsBriefs at http://www.multibriefs.com/briefs/swcs/

noreply@blogger.com (Dewayne Johnson) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 22:32:00 +0000

Message to Congress: Healthy lands, waters support a healthy economy
The Huffington Post    Share
Mark Tercek, CEO of The Nature Conservancy, writes that despite the billions of dollars generated from agriculture (among other lucrative industries), there's a serious misconception in the way people think and talk about government funding for conservation. Tercek says that conservation investments sustain the valuable benefits that nature provides to people — safe and plentiful water supplies, coastal buffers from storms, reduction in pollution and support of agriculture and forestry. More

Ohio farmers battle sedimentation, nutrient runoff in creative ways
Farm and Dairy    Share
Agricultural runoff and sedimentation into nearby water systems is nothing new in Fremont, Ohio. New data shows that the impact — large concentrations of harmful algal blooms just a few miles north in Lake Erie, where most of the water drains — is growing. A new device created by a farming family — a concrete trough or chute that's called an "instream sediment collector" — may help solve the problem. More

Agriculture must increase pace of food production
Western Farm Press    Share
The world's farmers are increasing food production, but not at the pace needed to meet the needs of 9 billion to 10 billion people in 2050. That was the message the Global Harvest Initiative delivered at this year's World Food Prize Symposium in Des Moines, Iowa. GHI's Bill Lesher and Laura Barringer discussed the organization's findings during interviews at a media briefing. More

Agriculture foes use 'perfect storm' to target farm programs
Delta Farm Press    Share
With farm commodity prices having hit record highs in recent years, and with the federal government facing record deficits, "in this fiscal environment, we have something of a perfect storm for opponents of production agriculture to target all of our programs for cuts," says Carlisle Clarke, agriculture liaison for Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Miss. The Obama administration, Clarke says, issued a proposal that would lop $33 billion from agriculture spending, coming from commodity, conservation and crop insurance titles. More

Paying farmers to protect habitat could save environment, cash
Canada.com    Share
A research consortium is field-testing a revolutionary plan that would pay farmers and ranchers in British Columbia, Canada, to produce cleaner air, water and wildlife habitat alongside their food crops. The enhancements range from increasing the buffer zone between crops and waterways, livestock fencing around environmentally sensitive areas, replanting native plant species to encourage native wildlife and reforesting to capture carbon or shade salmon spawning streams. More

Federal program would offer annual payments for North Dakota wetlands protection
Grand Forks Herald    Share
Farmers in the flooded Devils Lake Basin could benefit from a federal agricultural program designed to voluntarily protect wetlands and flooded agricultural lands. An appropriations bill recently released by a joint U.S. House-Senate conference committee includes $7.5 million for the program, according to Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., a member of the Appropriations Committee. The program allows producers and landowners to enter into 10-year agreements to voluntarily protect wetlands and flooded farmland in return for annual payments. More

From tragedy to action: USAID's environmental trajectory
USAID Frontlines    Share
On the border between Ecuador and Colombia, communities of Cofan Indians are using improved cocoa-production techniques to reduce pressure to convert neighboring forests to agricultural lands. Three indigenous groups in this highly biologically diverse region participate in a program with the Government of Ecuador under which they receive annual payments for upholding conservation agreements. These conservation efforts are just one example of USAID's innovative environmental work around the globe. More

Increased agriculture regulations still to come from EPA
Southwest Farm Press    Share
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency doesn't necessarily have farm interests lined up in its crosshairs, but it's not exactly ignoring agriculture as a target of opportunity either. "We've had it pretty good in agriculture for a long time," said Shannon Ferrell, assistant professor at Oklahoma State University, during the recent Rural Economics Outlook Conference. "EPA went after the low-hanging fruit first, the big polluters," Ferrell said. "Now, they're going after the rest." More

Iowa farmers complete 61,000-ton biomass harvest for cellulosic ethanol
Hoosier Ag Today    Share
As part of the 2011 harvest, farmers around Emmetsburg, Iowa, have baled approximately 61,000 bone-dry tons of corn crop residue. The bales of corn cobs and light stover will be delivered to a biomass storage site in Emmetsburg, where POET's commercial cellulosic ethanol biorefinery will be completed in 2013. More

Minimal tillage makes a difference in dry areas
Voice of America    Share
Since the dawn of agriculture, tilling the soil has been fundamental to farming. But today, experts say this age-old practice may do more harm than good in some places. That's why they've been telling farmers to throw away the plow. More

Conservation NewsBriefs is a weekly compilation of news stories of interest to SWCS members and stakeholders. The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect official policy of the Soil and Water Conservation Society unless so stated. The products mentioned herein are not endorsed by the Soil and Water Conservation Society unless so stated.

Conservation NewsBriefs: 11/10/11

noreply@blogger.com (Dewayne Johnson) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 15:46:00 +0000

Research shows health of Maryland's Chesapeake Bay is improving
United Press International
The water quality of Maryland's Chesapeake Bay is improving through efforts to reduce the flow of fertilizers, animal waste and other pollutants, U.S. researchers said. An analysis of bay water quality records from the past 60 years show the size of mid- to late-summer oxygen-starved dead zones has been declining since the 1980s, when a concerted effort to cut nutrient pollution was initiated through the federal Chesapeake Bay Program.More

Crop sensors outperform farmers at choosing nitrogen rates
Agronomy Journal via Crop Science Society of America

Researchers make variable-rate irrigation simpler to use
University of Georgia via Southeast Farm Press

Amending soils with gypsum
Crops & Soils magazine

Company wants to tap Mojave aquifer; conservationists worry about impact
The Associated Press via MSNBC

Expert: Kenya's agricultural sector at risk as biodiversity loss accelerates
Africa Science News

Genome of 'orphan crop' cracked; pigeonpea set for sustainable food production
ScienceDaily

Conservation NewsBriefs for 11/3/2011

noreply@blogger.com (Dewayne Johnson) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 17:55:00 +0000

Farm bill talks drag amid regional differences
The Argus Leader
Lawmakers missed a self-imposed deadline for having a new farm bill as they worked to resolve regional differences among farmers in how their crops would be subsidized. Leaders of the House and Senate agriculture committees and their aides have been rushing to write a bill that would reduce farm spending but still guarantee that grain and cotton growers can count on government payments to supplement their income.More

California farmers face future of grueling water regulations
Western Farm Press

Agroforestry: A growing science seeks to boost its practice
CSA News

Conservation practices survey coming to New York in November
National Agricultural Statistics Service via The Post Standard

Vertical farming: How a former meat-packing facility became a successful farm
Climate Progress

Expert: Climate change making country's water problems worse
Reuters

Rancher concerned about effects of fracking on water supply
Calgary Herald

Recycled sewage water aids biofuel crops
Laboratory Equipment

Catastrophic drought in Texas causes global economic ripples
The New York Times

noreply@blogger.com (Dewayne Johnson) — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 17:23:00 +0000

SWCS Conservation NewsBriefs

Sept. 22, 2011

More trouble lies ahead for Mississippi River watershed
Twin Cities Daily Planet
A three-hour drive separates the rolling hills of Minnesota's Douglas County from the front steps of the Bell Museum of Natural History. But a year after the controversy over "Troubled Waters" — the Bell's film on farmland pollution in the Mississippi River basin—brought words like dead zone, hypoxia and nitrogen fertilizer to the attention of the general public, what's happening in places like west-central Minnesota provides an insight into what the future holds for the health of the entire watershed all the way to the Gulf of Mexico.More
Chesapeake Bay: Farmers learn about tools that help reduce nitrogen pollution
Daily Press Diggin' In Blog
A U.S. Department of Agriculture soil scientist in Colorado is helping farmers grow crops with less nitrogen-based fertilizer. Jorge Delgado, with the Agricultural Research Service Soil Plant Nutrient Research Unit in Fort Collins, Colo., helped develop a tool designed for fledgling environmental trading credit programs that reward growers for reducing nitrogen losses. Known as the Nitrogen Trading Tool, it can be used to determine how much a proposed management practice may be able to reduce nitrogen losses, and how much "trading credit" could be earned by switching to it.More
A push to farm smarter — not bigger — to feed the world's hungry
The Christian Science Monitor
With famine in Africa and food prices at record highs, governments and agencies around the globe are looking to educate small farmers about more efficient, sustainable agriculture practices. The United States is rolling out agricultural partnerships around the globe, particularly through its $3 billion Feed the Future Initiative, led by the U.S. Agency for International Development. One of its stated goals is "to leverage $70 billion in private investment in agriculture that improves sustainable market opportunities and linkages with smallholder farmers."More
Study: Organic farming shows long-term profitability
WholeFoods Magazine
Farms that produce organic food are economically viable on a long-term basis, and are perhaps more profitable than conventional farms, according to new research by the American Society of Agronomy. The study, conducted by the University of Minnesota and recently published in Agronomy Journal, analyzed 18 years of crop yields and other farm data. Findings included a lower risk of poor returns for organic corn and soybean crop rotations than for conventional rotations.More
Sucking up water, sand in the quest for natural gas
Dallas Observer
For folks in the sandy hills an hour and a half northwest of Dallas, it's a devil's bargain for gas, water and jobs. The record drought is forcing farmers in and around Saint Jo, Texas, to tap into well water, putting added pressure on the Trinity Aquifer. The locals are especially worried about what is being fed into Mountain Creek with the construction of EOG Resources' sand mine just 50 yards away. EOG will soon need to pump large amounts of water from the aquifer for its sand mine’s primary business — fracking.More
Conservation farming threatened by lack of funds in Namibia
The Namibian
A six year conservation farming project in has led to a massive rise in output for around 400 northern Namibia agricultural farmers who took part in the trial runs. Statistics show that yield increases at farms which adopted a conservation approach to agriculture ranged from between 200 to 500 percent. Despite the success of the two phases of the project, funding has ended and the project's future hangs in the balance.More
Why hairy vetch should interest farmers
Winnipeg Free Press
Cover crops have traditionally been used by organic farmers to produce fertilizer, writes columnist Laura Rance. A legume crop, which produces its own nitrogen, such as clover, is planted in the field every second year or so and then worked into the soil, where it decomposes and feeds the following year's crop. As it turns out, some of these cover crops, particularly a legume called hairy vetch, are also good at controlling weeds.More
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SWCS Announces Conservation NewsBriefs

noreply@blogger.com (Dewayne Johnson) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 20:58:00 +0000

SWCS is excited to announce the upcoming launch of our newest member resource!
Conservation NewsBriefs is a brand-new weekly e-news brief that delivers timely, relevant news about soil and water conservation research and policy directly to your inbox! Sign up today by clicking here to ensure you don’t miss out on this great benefit from SWCS.
Prepared each week in partnership with MultiBriefs, Conservation NewsBriefs will be a highly informative e-news brief that delivers the most relevant content directly to your inbox every Thursday.
Look for Conservation NewsBriefs in your inbox starting June 23, 2011!
Learn more at:
http://multibriefs.com/briefs/swcs/index.php
http://www.swcs.org/en/communications/conservation_newsbriefs/

2011 Annual Conference News

noreply@blogger.com (Dewayne Johnson) — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 20:36:00 +0000

2011 SWCS Annual Conference (Washington, DC - July 17-20). Registration open. Program online. Posters still accepted thru 5/2. www.swcs.org/11AC

Annual Conference Deadline

noreply@blogger.com (Dewayne Johnson) — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 18:55:00 +0000

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: Friday, December 17^th

All proposals for symposia, oral or poster presentations, and workshops for the 2011 SWCS Annual Conference in Washington, DC, are due on Friday, December 17, 2010. If you are interested in making a presentation, organizing a symposium, or working with the SWCS Professional Development Committee to deliver a ½ day workshop in conjunction with the 2011 Annual Conference, go to the conference website for complete instructions.

All conference information is online at http://www.swcs.org/11AC.

2011 Annual Conference Call for Presentations Released

noreply@blogger.com (Dewayne Johnson) — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 16:21:00 +0000

The Call for Presentations and Symposia has been released for the 66th SWCS International Annual Conference (July 17-20, 2011 in Washington, DC).
The theme of the conference is "Conservation Science and Policy: Global Perspectives and Applications" and the deadline for submissions is 12/17/2010. For more information or to download the Call for Presentations, go to http://www.swcs.org/11ac

SWCS/NRCS Workshop and Webinar - Soil Health for Grazing Lands and Croplands

noreply@blogger.com (Dewayne Johnson) — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 15:33:00 +0000

SWCS/NRCS Workshop and Webinar

Soil Health for Grazing Lands and Croplands

Live from Monte Vista, Colo

November 2, 2010

8 a.m. — 3:30 p.m.

Two soil health experts from North Dakota will discuss the latest on cropland and rangeland system cover crops. The workshop will be streamed live on the web via Ustream.

Topics Include:

· Soil Health Timeline

· Cropping Systems Based on Soil Health

· Cover Crops as a Tool

· Team Building

· Grazing Systems Based on Soil Health

· Rebuilding Soil Health on a Farm (The Why)

Featured Speakers

Jay Fuhrer, District Conservationist

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

Bismarck, North Dakota

Ken Miller, District Grazing Specialist/Technician

Burleigh County Soil Conservation District

Bismarck, North Dakota

There is no charge to participate via Ustream. Go to: www.swcs.org/colorado to watch.

To register and attend in person (in Monte Vista, CO) or for more information on the workshop, contact Mike Collins at (719) 589-6432 ext 138 or email at mike.collins@co.usda.gov.

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Colorado Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS) have partnered to conduct the training session.

Smart Solutions to Climate Change

noreply@blogger.com (sworkman) — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 14:58:00 +0000

Smart Solutions to Climate Change: Comparing Costs and Benefits
Edited by Bjorn Lomborg
The failure of the Copenhagen climate conference in December 2009 revealed major flaws in the way the world's policy makers have attempted to prevent dangerous levels of increases in global temperatures. The expert authors in this specially commissioned collection focus on the likely costs and benefits of a very wide range of policy options, including geo-engineering, mitigation of CO2, methane and 'black carbon', expanding forest, research and development of low-carbon energy and encouraging green technology transfer.
413 pages, Cambridge University Press. Softcover ISBN-13: 9780521138567
'This book provides not only a reservoir of information on the reality of human induced climate change, but raises vital questions and examines viable options on what can be done to meet the challenge. In the introduction itself Bjorn Lomborg catalogues the impacts of climate change, highlighting the problem of sea level rise, pressure on water resources, and declining food production in some countries, 'possibly becoming a source of societal conflict'. It allows different authors to articulate their views on a range of solutions, and then leaves the book's readers to form their own conclusions on what might be the best set of actions to adopt. Even though its pages present a diversity of options, at the end the average reader would stand better informed, and would have formed his or her own compelling logic on the answer to this planet's problem of climate change. I would recommend this book as much for the fact that Lomborg supports the view that we have 'long moved on from any mainstream disagreements about the science of climate change', as for the rich diversity of analysis it presents on a range of possible solutions.' Rajenda K. Pachauri, Chairman, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

Climate change, water security and developing countries

noreply@blogger.com (sworkman) — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 15:55:00 +0000

Water security and climate change: Facts and figures

Water insecurity and scarcity already affect large parts of the developing world. The past century has seen a sixfold increase in global water demand. Climate change will affect the water security of developing countries. Hydrologist Lucinda Mileham explores their priorities as they struggle to cope.

NWF & SWCS Carbon Workshop Conclusions

noreply@blogger.com (Dewayne Johnson) — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 03:20:00 +0000

Carbon Workshop Proceedings and Presentations Available

Carbon sequestration through agriculture could provide farmers and forest owners with a new revenue stream worth billions of dollars, concluded presenters, panelists and attendees at a National Wildlife Federation and the Soil and Water Conservation Society workshop held in July. Read more conclusions in the workshop proceedings, abstracts, and presentations. Click here...

SWCS Sustainable Feedstocks for Advanced Biofuels Workshop

noreply@blogger.com (Dewayne Johnson) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 17:53:00 +0000

SWCS Sustainable Feedstocks for Advanced Biofuels Workshop

The SWCS "Biofuels Roadmap" Workshop will be held September 28-30, 2010, in Atlanta, GA. Workshop for developing regional roadmaps for sustainable feedstock production and delivery. Registration ($195) open thru Sept 12. www.swcs.org/roadmap

Soil and Water Conservation Society Members Join Feds, Farmers and Friends in Food Drive to Feed Families

noreply@blogger.com (Dewayne Johnson) — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 14:57:00 +0000

Source: Soil and Water Conservation Society Members Join Feds, Farmers and Friends in Food Drive to Feed Families

By USDA Blogger, 08/04/2010

By Dick Tremain, NRCS Iowa

There’s a little less hunger in St. Louis this summer, thanks to convention-going soil conservationists and scientists. When members of the Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS)preparing for their annual international conference heard about the national Feds, Farmers and Friends Feed Families (F5) food drive, they decided to help by bringing food to the St. Louis convention, where it was collected and weighed.

“We collected 250 pounds of food and donated it to the St. Patrick Center of St. Louis, which is the largest provider of homeless services in Missouri,” said Jim Gulliford, SWCS executive director. “When you consider that much of the donated food was packed in luggage and went through airport security, this is a great effort. I’m proud of our members and the success of our food drive.” SWCS is a professional society dedicated to promoting the science and art of natural resource conservation.

Gulliford credits Bonnie Allely, an exhibitor at this year’s SWCS conference, with the idea of having the organization participate. Allely is the Earth Team national volunteer liaison with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). “When Bonnie contacted us about participating in the NRCS F5 food drive, we jumped at the chance. We asked the 615 people attending our conference to ‘pack for two, bring food, and help “starve” hunger in St. Louis,’” Guilliford said. Allely’s Earth Team exhibit served as the food donation collection point.

Feds, Farmers and Friends Feed Families is a national program that contributes foods to communities across the country. Allely says she handed convention attendees fliers promoting the F5 partnership. “I’m hoping this hunger-fighting effort continues when the conference-goers return home,” she said. “This is a great program.”

Want to help? Between now and August 31, 2010, NRCS, Farm Service Agency and Rural Development field offices across the country are collecting non-perishable food items that will be delivered to local area food banks. Click here to find a nearby service center.

Bonnie Allely, NRCS Earth Team national volunteer liaison, and Jim Gulliford, SWCS executive director, collected more than 250 pounds of food from SWCS conference attendees to fight hunger in St. Louis through the Feds, Farmers and Friends Feed Families food drive. Photo courtesy of SWCS.

International Conservation News

noreply@blogger.com (sworkman) — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 15:30:00 +0000

UNEP/GPA ORGANIZES FIRST WASTEWATER TASKFORCE MEETING

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-Based Activities (GPA) organized the inaugural meeting of the UN-Water Taskforce on Wastewater at the offices of the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland, on 9 June 2010. The meeting brought together over 30 representatives from 23 organizations and was followed by a Multi-Stakeholder Partnership meeting, from 10-11 June 2010. The meetings used the six recommendations of the “Sick Water?” report (launched on World Water Day, 22 March 2010) as the starting point for their discussions.

Participants addressed the possible elements of the Multi-Stakeholder Collaborative Agenda on Wastewater, which will be a major product of the Taskforce. They identified the major causes of the wastewater challenge, namely: weak national policies/standards and limited capacity at the municipal level; and community perceptions/attitudes towards the re-use of wastewater. Meeting participants also recommended a number of immediate and longer-term actions that will contribute to the Collaborative Agenda and directly tackle the wastewater challenge, including: enhancing communication, capacity building and science; developing interaction with the climate change and food security agendas; carrying out field projects and twinning; exploring wastewater financing approaches; and documenting the economic valuation of ecosystem services affected by wastewater (IISD RS sources).

MEA BULLETIN - Issue Nº 97 Thursday, 29 July 2010 Published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)

Related Links:

World Water Week : | Stockholm, 5 - 11 September 2010
Joint workshop on Capacity Development for Farm Management Strategies to Improve Crop-Water Productivity using AquaCrop
World Water Development Report (WWDR)
Climate Change Adaptation: The Pivotal Role of Water
UN-Water Task Force on Transboundary Waters http://www.unwater.org/TFtrans.html
Transboundary Waters: Sharing Benefits, Sharing Responsibilities

SWCS Sustainable Feedstocks for Advanced Biofuels Workshop

noreply@blogger.com (Dewayne Johnson) — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 02:47:00 +0000

Workshop Summary

SWCS is hosting a special workshop for the development of regional specific roadmaps for sustainable feedstock production and delivery. A key point established by the organizing committee is that this workshop will differentiate itself from the myriad of other biofuels conferences and workshops by having a very focused, outcome-based goal of producing these regional specific roadmaps.

A complete agenda, speakers, lodging, and more information is online at: www.swcs.org/roadmap

Opportunity to participate: The Call for Posters, Abstracts, and Technology Demonstrations (Interactive Decision Support Tools) is on the conference website.

Deadline for poster abstracts: Monday, August 2, 2010

Workshop Dates

Tuesday, September 28, 2010 8:00 AM -

Thursday, September 30, 2010 12:00 PM

Where

Embassy Suites - Centennial Olympic Park

267 Marietta Street, Atlanta, GA 30313

Registration Fees

Student (Full Time) - includes 12-mo. SWCS Student Membership: $195.00

SWCS International Annual Conference - St. Louis

noreply@blogger.com (Dewayne Johnson) — Thu, 27 May 2010 11:56:00 +0000

2010 SWCS Annual Conference
July 18-21, 2010
St. Louis, Missouri

Early-bird rates end June 2!!

Registration fees for admission, tours, tickets to the Ballgame or anniversary dinner, regional lunches, etc. all increase beginning on June 3, so please register soon. Handy links below:

Already Registered? Click here to add extra tickets, workshops,etc.

Make hotel reservations at the Hilton (SWCS Block rate is Federal Per Diem -$110/night) Room Block expires June 16.

See who is already registered.

Speaker information, tour and workshop descriptions and much more is online at: www.swcs.org/10AC

2010 SWCS International Annual Conference

noreply@blogger.com (Dewayne Johnson) — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 02:32:00 +0000

Preliminary Program Released!
Online Registration Open!!

Join your colleagues in St. Louis for the 65th annual international conference of the Soil and Water Conservation Society. The conference, held July 18-21, includes workshops, concurrent sessions, symposia, posters, plenary sessions, and technical tours designed to raise the awareness of conference participants to recent developments in the science and art of natural resource conservation and environmental management. The 2010 conference will take place at the Hilton at the Ballpark in downtown St. Louis.

Detailed information at: www.swcs.org/10ac

Jim Gulliford Named SWCS Executive Director

noreply@blogger.com (Jacqueline Pohl) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:10:00 +0000

The SWCS Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Jim Gulliford as the new Executive Director of the Soil and Water Conservation Society, effective November 2, 2009. The announcement was made on October 22, 2009, by President Gary Steinhart.

“The strength of the Soil and Water Conservation Society has always been its thoughtful, science-based contribution to natural resource management policy,” Gulliford said. “The role of soil and water resources in issues of energy, climate, water quality and the production of food and fiber has never been more important. I look forward to working with the SWCS Board, its members and staff to assure that the voice of conservation scientists, educators and practitioners is a productive part of policy development and implementation.”

Gulliford has been an active member of the society since 1982 and was president of the Iowa Chapter in 1996. He was also a member of the National Association of State Conservation Agencies from 1982 to 2001, serving as president in 1989.

Read the full press release here.

Mapping Erosion to Aid Conservation Planning

noreply@blogger.com (Jacqueline Pohl) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 12:57:00 +0000

Where is the best place to focus conservation practices on farmland? The answer varies depending on many factors, such as the shape and slope of the land and even the conservation practice being introduced. A new research paper by A.C. Pike, T.G. Mueller, A. Schörgendorfer, S.A. Shearer, and A.D. Karathanasis uses logistic regression and neural networks to create maps that highlight areas where channel erosion is common. Grassed waterways can be used to reduce channel erosion, so knowing where the most erosion occurs would be very useful for conservation planning.

For more information about this research topic, check out the full article: “Erosion Index Derived from Terrain Attributes using Logistic Regression and Neural Networks.”

National Academies Releases Free Executive Summary of America’s Energy Future: Technology and Transformation: Summary Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Jacqueline Pohl) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 19:23:00 +0000

The America's Energy Future project was created by the Committee on America's Energy Future, the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the National Research Council. The goal of this project is to evaluate energy in relation to the US economy, national security, and climate change. Results from this project have been compiled in a book called America’s Energy Future: Technology and Transformation: Summary Edition and a free executive summary is available. This summary edition is part of a set; the final version of America’s Energy Future: Technology and Transformation is scheduled for release later this year.

To view the table of contents, read the executive summary, or purchase the summary edition, visit the National Academies Press Web site. The full version can be preordered here.

CSP Webinar August 19

noreply@blogger.com (Dewayne Johnson) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 15:36:00 +0000

Online Seminar on Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)

The free Webinar will be hosted by the American Society of Agronomy/Crop Science Society of America/Soil Science Society of America. Chief Dave White along with others from NRCS will provide information on the new CSP and will be available to answer questions.

Webinar registration at: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/275231451

Additional information on CSP at: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Programs/new_csp/csp.html

More than the name has changed! The new Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), part of the 2008 Farm Bill, began August 10.

CSP is a new voluntary conservation program that provides financial and technical assistance to farmers/landowners to conserve and enhance soil, water, air, and related natural resources on their land. CSP provides opportunities to both recognize excellent stewards and deliver valuable new conservation. The program will be offered to producers in all 50 states, District of Columbia and the Pacific and Caribbean areas through continuous sign-ups. The initial sign-up began August 10 and continues through September 30.

ASA and SSSA are pleased to host a special USDA update on the program
and are offering this seminar at no charge.

August 19, 2009
12:00 – 1:00 PM Central Time
1:00 – 2:00 PM Eastern Time

Dave White, Chief of NRCS, will provide an overview and highlights of the program. Program leaders Dwayne Howard and Steve Parkin will provide more program information/details and all three will take your questions about program benefits and eligibility requirements.

"This program will help the Nation's agricultural and forestry producers reach greater levels of conservation performance," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "The conservation benefits derived from maintaining and enhancing natural resources will improve the quality of soil and water, assist in addressing global climate change, and encourage environmentally responsible energy production."

Background
NRCS: The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) helps America's private land owners and managers conserve their soil, water and other natural resources. NRCS and its nationwide network of partners provide technical assistance based on sound science, as well as financial assistance that helps land owners and managers put conservation practices into service on their farms and ranches. NRCS reaches out to all segments of the agricultural community, including underserved and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers to ensure that conservation programs and services are accessible to everyone. NRCS celebrates its 75th year of service in 2010.

Chief White: Dave White was named Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service on March 24, 2009. He began his 32-year career with NRCS as a conservation aid in Missouri. Subsequently, he has served the agency in South Carolina, Montana and its Washington, D.C. headquarters. As Chief, he leads 12,000 employees and manages a budget in excess of $3 billion. From 2002 to 2008, Mr. White was assigned as the NRCS State Conservationist in Montana. For much of 2007 and 2008, he was also detailed to Senator Tom Harkin's Capitol Hill office, where he helped the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry craft the Conservation Title of the 2008 Farm Bill.

Chief White's earlier jobs in Washington, D.C. include two details to the staff of Senator Richard Lugar, in support of agriculture committee work on energy and alternative fuels and the 2002 Farm Bill, and a tour as Director of Communications for the White House Task Force for Livable Communities. Mr. White is an honors graduate of the University of Missouri, where he studied agriculture. He and his wife have a grown son and daughter.

Dwayne Howard: Dwayne Howard is the Branch Chief for NRCS Stewardship Programs. Dwayne's primary area of responsibility is managing the Conservation Security and Conservation Stewardship Programs. He has worked for NRCS for nearly 32 years at the field and state level in Indiana and has been in his current position at NRCS Headquarters since 2006.

Steve Parkin: Steve Parkin is a Stewardship Program Management Specialist. Parkin grew up on a working farm in Eastern Kansas. Over the past 29 years, he has held NRCS leadership positions at the field, area, state, and national levels.

Note:
If you are unable to participate, the session will be archived.

Specifications:
The seminar will be conducted online. However, participants may dial-in via their phone line (at their cost - the dial-in number will not be an 800 number). All participants will need internet access and your computer must be equipped with a soundcard and internal or external speakers. For those attendees wishing to access the seminar via phone only, you will still need to login prior to the seminar to access the dial-in number.

If you have any questions, please contact Michele Lovejoy, e-mail: mlovejoy@agronomy.org or phone: 608-268-4953.