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Guide Enhances Understanding of Farm Bill Conservation Programs

October 29, 2015 Michelle Banks, Natural Resources Conservation Service

The following guest blog by Hannah Ryan of Intermountain West Joint Venture and Matt Cimitile of Appalachian Mountain Joint Venture highlights key partnerships that work with farmers and ranchers to conserve habitat for the benefit of birds, other wildlife and people. The 2014 Farm Bill Field Guide...

Conservation

Heroes of the Harvest: Massachusetts Apple Farm Creates Productive Harvests

October 29, 2015 Diane Petit, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Massachusetts

NOTE: This week on the USDA Blog, we'll feature the stories of America's Harvest Heroes who, like farmers across the nation, are working this harvest season to secure the bounty of healthy food American agriculture is renowned for. From laying the foundation for the next generation of farmers...

Conservation

Collaboration and Innovation are Keys to Organic Success

October 28, 2015 Anne L. Alonzo, Agricultural Marketing Service Administrator

For years, the organic industry has experienced enormous growth, defying expectations and creating exciting opportunities for producers and entrepreneurs around the world. 2014 was another record year for the organic community, with 19,474 certified organic operations in the United States and nearly...

Conservation Trade

Urban Gardens Promote Education, Nutrition and More

October 28, 2015 Jody Christiansen, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Illinois

On a small parcel of land in the heart of the City of Champaign, Illinois, are two gardens that offer opportunities for neighbors and the community to learn about growing food, eating nutritious food and earning a living. The Prosperity Gardens are educational, bringing at-risk students to work the...

Conservation Initiatives

Smart Phones: The Latest Tool for Sustainable Farming

October 27, 2015 Jan Suszkiw, Public Affairs Specialist, Agricultural Research Service

This post is part of the Science Tuesday feature series on the USDA blog. Check back each week as we showcase stories and news from USDA’s rich science and research portfolio. Seems like there’s an “app” (application) for everything these days—perhaps because mobile phone use is becoming...

Research and Science Technology

Heroes of the Harvest

October 26, 2015 Ron Nichols, Natural Resources Conservation Service

NOTE: This week on the USDA Blog, we'll feature the stories of America's Harvest Heroes who, like farmers across the nation, are working this harvest season to secure the bounty of healthy food American agriculture is renowned for. From laying the foundation for the next generation of farmers...

Conservation

Gopher Tortoise Habitats Thrive along Alabama's Gulf Coast

October 19, 2015 Amelia Hines Dortch, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Alabama

Longleaf pine forests once dominated the Southeast. But over the past two centuries, many of these forests have disappeared along with the wildlife that called them home. Recent efforts to enhance longleaf forests on private lands are helping the ecosystem rebound as well as wildlife like the gopher...

Conservation

South Florida Drought: Mobile Irrigation Labs to the Rescue

October 19, 2015 Gail Hendricks, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Florida

Widespread drought in California and other parts of the western United States has been widely covered, but earlier this year, drought conditions in southeast Florida were “extreme” and are still considered “abnormally dry” according to the National Drought Mitigation Center. This heavily populated...

Conservation

Cattle and Honey Bees Graze in Harmony on Wisconsin Farm

October 15, 2015 Tivoli Gough, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Wisconsin

Reed Fitton grazes cattle on the same hilltop farm where the late conservationist Ben Logan grew up and later featured in his memoir, “The Land Remembers.” Fitton carefully manages the farm near Gays Mills, Wisconsin with a broad conservation ethic, preventing soil erosion and protecting waterways...

Conservation

USDA CREP Buffers Clean Water and Help Restore Chesapeake Bay

October 01, 2015 Skip Hyberg, Senior Advisor for Agricultural Economics and Natural Resources, Office of the Chief Scientist

At the English farm in York County, Pennsylvania, you’ll find a comfortable streamside setting that includes a babbling brook, clear water, singing birds, and a thriving young stand of trees -- all nestled in a productive cropland setting. However, this wasn’t always the case. Don English, the son...

Conservation
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