Growing Returns

Conservation Technical Assistance should not get lost in the shuffle

By Callie Eideberg / Bio / Published: May 12, 2017

Farmers understand the importance of sustainability and conservation in ag practices Yesterday, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced a massive reorganization of the agency. Among other changes, the Secretary plans to create a new Undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation to oversee the Farm Service Agency (FSA), the Risk Management Agency (RMA), and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Previously, NRCS reported to the Undersecretary of Natural Resources and the Environment, and both RMA and FSA reported to the Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services.

On the surface, combining conservation and farm productivity programs makes sense, since sustainability is almost always good for a producer’s bottom line. Reducing duplication and bureaucracy between these agencies could streamline efforts to implement conservation practices while protecting farmers’ incomes. However, a lot remains to be seen and will depend on who fills the Undersecretary position.

No matter who fills that role, Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA) funding and outreach should remain a top priority under the new organization. Here’s why. Read More »

Posted in Uncategorized / Tagged agriculture, conservation, cover crops, ecosystems, environmental defense fund, farm bill, farmers, farming, fertilizer, food production, nitrogen, NRCS, nutrient efficiency, Sonny Perdue, sustainability, sustainable agriculture, technical assistance, USDA | Comments are closed

We need to get creative to protect wildlife in the face of climate risk

By Dan Kaiser / Bio / Published: May 10, 2017

The Swainson's hawk will need to be protected from the effects of climate change

A pilot project for Swainson’s hawk is creating high-quality nesting habitat on a 4,000-acre farm in San Joaquin County.

Landowners and environmentalists both grapple with the same question: In the midst of uncertainty, what is the most effective way to reconcile short-term and long-term needs for wildlife habitat?

For example, it can be risky to invest in permanent conservation on a property vulnerable to climate change, but failing to protect existing habitat in the face of uncertainty is an existential threat to species like the Swainson’s hawk.

Fortunately, new habitat accounting tools are emerging that bring more certainty to conservation planning, which helps landowners make effective management decisions for their property, helps biologists design effective restoration plans and ultimately helps wildlife thrive. Read More »

Posted in Climate Resilience, Habitat Exchange, Wildlife Protection / Tagged AB 2087, adaptation, california, central valley, central valley habitat exchange, conservation easement, habitat quantification tool, NatureServe, Resource Conservation Investment Strategy, San Francisco-San Joaquin Bay Delta, San Joaquin County, Swainson's hawk | Comments are closed

Conservation relies on profitability

By Suzy Friedman / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: May 5, 2017

Conservation practices help make this wheat field more profitable Whether in agriculture or any other business, if you don’t have enough money coming in to pay the bills, it’s hard to find the time or resources for anything other than working to turn a red budget spreadsheet black.

A wheat farmer friend from Washington recently told me that current prices are $4/bushel, the same as 40 years ago. Take into account inflation, and that’s a significant decline. Nationally, the USDA predicts that net farm income will drop by almost 9 percent this year, the fourth year in a row of declines after reaching a record high in 2013. Farmers also face enormous volatility in income, with fluctuations in yield, demand, as well as crop and input prices.

It’s no surprise then that environmentalists’ calls to cut crop insurance, disaster programs or other conservation payments fall on deaf ears in the agricultural community – or serve only to raise blood pressure levels across the Corn Belt. Read More »

Posted in Uncategorized / Tagged Conservation Technology Information Center, conservation tillage, corn, cover crops, crop insurance, farm bill, fertilizer, fertilizer efficiency, kansas, National Corn Growers Association, no-till, nutrient efficiency, profitability, soil erosion, soil health, Soil Health Partnership, stewardship, sustainable agriculture, water quality, wheat | Read 2 Responses

Why ag advisers should increase conservation offerings to farmers

By Jamie Powers / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: April 28, 2017

Ag retailers help these farmers manage their farm sustainably Farmers have a host of competing priorities clamoring for their time, energy and money. Fortunately, they often have trusted advisers to help them make good decisions for their operations – including about conservation practices on the farm.

These practices, such as improving fertilizer efficiency and planting cover crops, can provide significant benefits for farmers: increasing or stabilizing yields, reducing erosion, and ensuring more of the fertilizer applied delivers yield instead of being lost to water or air. They can also increase profitability.

But in order to get the best bang for every conservation buck, many of these practices require technical and agronomic expertise. As PrecisionAg suggested, who better to help integrate these practices into farm operations than the ag retailers and consultants who know their clients’ farms so well?

By expanding their conservation service offerings, ag retailers and crop advisers can meet growing demand from farmers – while also keeping their businesses, and that of their farmer clients, competitive. Read More »

Posted in Uncategorized / Tagged ag retailers, conservation district, conservation tillage, cover crops, crop advisors, extension services, extreme weather, fertilizer, fertilizer efficiency, Iowa State University, Natural Resources Conservation Service, no-till, nutrient efficiency, nutrient management, resilience, soil erosion, soil health, sustainable agriculture, USDA NRCS, water quality | Read 3 Responses

Why Sonny Perdue should prioritize these 3 farm programs

By Callie Eideberg / Bio / Published: April 24, 2017

Sonny Perdue will now lead the United States Department of Agriculture The U.S. Senate will confirm the Secretary of Agriculture today, empowering former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue to lead an agency with a $155 billion budget, some 100,000 employees and ultimate responsibility for our nation’s food security.

Over 80 percent of this budget goes toward farm programs, food stamps, school meals and other mandatory spending programs. The remainder goes to protect farmers’ livelihoods, rural economies and the environment – but according to the Administration’s budget proposals, this pot of funding could be cut by over 21 percent.

Retaining current funding levels for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) – and conservation programs in particular – ensures that farmers can remain productive during periods of extreme weather, protects habitat for wildlife without sacrificing profitability and improves on-farm efficiencies.

Secretary Perdue will need to advocate on behalf of farmers to protect these programs – and he’ll need help from the private sector, since the federal government alone cannot maintain farming as a core industry in America, make sustainable agriculture the norm or feed a growing population.

Here are three programs that provide widespread benefits – and that should be a top priority for the new Secretary. Read More »

Posted in Wildlife Protection / Tagged agriculture, confirmation, confirmation hearing, conservation, Conservation Reserve Program, Conservation Stewardship Program, cover crops, ecosystems, Environmental Quality Incentives Program, farm bill, food production, NRCS, Partnerships, pollution, profitability, public-private partnerships, Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue, sustainability, sustainable agriculture, USDA, water quality, Working Lands for Wildlife | Comments are closed

Meet sustainable agriculture’s new whiz kid

By Suzy Friedman / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: April 19, 2017

Scott Henry is the business development manager for LongView Farms, a row crop grain operation in central Iowa that specializes in seed production

Scott Henry, 27, a partner and business development manager for LongView Farms

Every year right before Commodity Classic, EDF brings together a group of farmers who share their lessons learned in sustainable agriculture – and offer insights on bringing conservation practices to scale. These producers are our advisors, sounding boards and partners. They help us understand what agricultural policies really look like when implemented on the farm, and how best to convey to farmers that not all environmentalists point fingers at ag.

This year we had a new addition to the group, someone who brought an important perspective because he’s far younger than the average-aged farmer. Scott Henry is a 27-year-old partner and business development manager for LongView Farms, a row crop grain operation in central Iowa that specializes in seed production. Scott is responsible for business growth, strategy, production operations and the implementation of precision agriculture technology across the farm.

I asked Scott about his start in farming, about the importance of financial expertise in agriculture and whether sustainability really is good for growers’ bottom lines. Read More »

Posted in Uncategorized / Tagged 4Rs, ADM, agree, economics, Indiana University, iowa, Iowa State University, Kelley School of Business, Kristin Weeks Duncanson, Land O'Lakes, land stewardship, LongView Farms, Purdue University, Scott Henry, SUSTAIN, sustainable agriculture, Texas A&M, Unilever | Comments are closed

How my passion for food and history led me to the farm bill

By Callie Eideberg / Bio / Published: April 4, 2017

Despite growing up without any real interest in conservation or farming, I now spend every working day knee deep in agricultural policy – and I love it.

I grew up in the suburbs of Louisville, Kentucky, the daughter of a teacher and a salesman. My parents instilled in me a love and deep respect for the place. I was taught to value the importance of rural America, farming, horse racing and bourbon.

But it’s an obsession with food and history that brought me to where I am today. For as long as I can remember, I’ve started planning my dinner at breakfast time. After college, my passion for government led me to law school – but I just couldn’t ignore my love of food. Read More »

Posted in Uncategorized / Tagged agriculture, california, conservation, cooking, ecosystems, farm bill, farmers, farming, Florida, food, food production, Kentucky, law school, NRCS, sustainable agriculture, Tulane, USDA, USDA NRCS | Read 1 Response

If you’re marketing a product to a farmer, show them where and how it will work

By Karen Chapman / Bio / Published: March 30, 2017

Farmers should know how new products will work for them Farmers are bombarded by product claims these days – and they need help.

According to a recent report from Boston Consulting Group and AgFunder, venture capital firms increased their investments in agriculture technologies at an annual rate of approximately 80 percent between 2012 and 2015. The report claims “the surge in agtech investment has brought the agriculture industry to the threshold of a new green revolution.”

Yet amid this surge in technologies to help farmers grow crops more efficiently, reduce environmental impacts and save money, many start-ups and even established companies often forget to consider: what does the farmer actually want and need? And, what would make them decide to spend money after seeing years of low commodity prices and profits?

In agriculture, no product or technology works everywhere, all the time. Navigating this world of advertising and marketing can be a frustrating and time-consuming endeavor, often leaving farmers to wonder if a tool is going to work in their region and in their soil type. NutrientStar can help.

In a new video, farmers from across the Midwest clearly state what it is they want when it comes to technologies to manage fertilizer, their most expensive input: independent assurance that a nutrient management tool or product is worth their money. Read More »

Posted in Uncategorized / Tagged 4Rs, ag tech, fertilizer, fertilizer management, nutrient efficiency, nutrient management, NutrientStar, product review, sustainable agriculture, tool review, water quality | Read 1 Response

To help the environment, we must first help people

By Audrey Archer / Bio / Published: March 27, 2017

Author Audrey Archer explores her natural surroundings and assesses need for conservation practices

Now living in Austin, Texas where diverse wildlands are numerous and easily accessible, Audrey takes any opportunity she can get to put on her hiking boots and explore her natural surroundings. She also volunteers with the City of Austin to give guided hikes on preserves. Credit: Rob Binder

I grew up in the high and dry panhandle plains of Texas, where trees are scarce, wind is always blowing, and the smell of feedlots lingers in the air. Needless to say, I was not overly inspired by my surroundings – at least not at the time I lived there.

Had I not traveled with my family growing up, I wouldn’t have known what I was missing. Throughout these travels, I became enraptured by the biodiversity and lushness of other ecosystems and felt compelled to learn as much as I could about them.

But the stark contrast between some of the natural ecosystems and working landscapes I was exposed to led me to develop a pretty pessimistic view of humans’ impact on the environment. Surely, there had to be a better way of balancing human needs for things like food, water and shelter with nature’s needs.

Determined to tackle this problem, I got my Master’s in Environmental Management from Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment and took a job at Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), where I had heard that scientists and economists were developing incentive programs for landowners to improve water quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and restore habitat for at-risk wildlife.

Little did I know my worldview was about to be turned upside down.

Putting people first Read More »

Posted in Habitat Exchange, Wildlife Protection / Tagged conservation, Duke University, ecosystems, environmental defense fund, farmers, habitat, habitat exchange, Kristin Weeks Duncanson, Minnesota, monarch butterfly, Nicholas School of the Environment, ranchers, Texas, wildlife | Read 2 Responses

Inclusion and collaboration: Governor Ducey has a new strategy for water in Arizona

By Kevin Moran / Bio / Published: March 23, 2017

Governor Ducey has a new strategy for water conservation in Arizona Last week, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey illustrated strong and consistent leadership in addressing Arizona’s pressing water supply needs with two significant announcements.

A powerful voice for water

First, Governor Ducey appointed longtime water attorney and Gila River Indian Community member Rodney Lewis to the Central Arizona Water Conservation District (CAWCD) Board of Directors. This appointment was widely applauded across the region as a positive step, most notably as a sign that including diverse voices in water management decisions is key in moving the state toward improved sustainability and collaboration, both within Arizona and with regional partners in the Lower Colorado River Basin. Read More »

Posted in Uncategorized / Tagged Arizona, Central Arizona Project, colorado river, Drought Contingency Plan, Gila River Indian Community, Governor Ducey, Lake Mead, water use, western water | Comments are closed