Precision Conservation

Late last year, Peggy and I were vacationing in Alabama.  Driving along Interstate 85, I noticed signs for Tuskegee, Alabama.  It took me a few miles to put things together, but I started to recall my history lesson about George Washington Carver and his passion for soil health.  In one of those unplanned side trips, Peggy and I exited I85 and toured the George Washington Carver Museum on the campus of Tuskegee University. The son of a slave woman, Carver was born into slavery, and spent his childhood in Missouri.  In 1888, Carver moved …

Do you remember The Jerk, a 1979 movie comedy?  In the movie, Navin R. Johnson (played by Steve Martin) is thrilled to find that his name is listed in the local phone book. Since the release of the book “Precision Conservation: Geospacial Techniques for Agricultural and Natural Resources Conservation” I find myself relating to this movie.  It is not that I am mentioned in the book, but my name is mentioned along with so many precision conservation superstars. The book consists of 17 chapters, each chapter written by leading researchers who …

As a conservation community, we spend very little effort on controlling the cost of soil and water conservation. Let’s face it, most of our efforts are spent on marketing conservation, working to increase funding, or fighting for or against regulations.  When was the last time you heard anyone discuss effective ways to reduce the cost of conservation? Any company knows that reducing cost, while maintaining the same quality, leads to more sales.  Conservation is no different.  If we expect farmers to install more conservation practices, we …

Each year, my pharmacist, Dr. Jennifer Filloon, demands that I get a flu shot; no excuses.  Flu shots are truly a part of precision medicine.  Flu shots are designed to do one thing - prevent the flu. And the benefits are clear: The flu shot targets seasonal flu strains predicted by researchers. The flu shot has no appreciable side effects. Getting an annual flu shot boosts immunity to the flu and can prevent, or minimize, the flu. Getting the flu shot is simple and inexpensive. In a recent webinar, Dr. Steven Hall (Assistant …

I will be attending the 2018 Sustainable Agriculture Summit, will you? The Sustainable Agriculture Summit is the premier annual gathering for major food companies, conservation groups, and farmers. The summit is committed to advancing a comprehensive approach to driving change in agriculture sustainability. Join me! If you are motivated to impact large-scale changes in agricultural sustainability, your focus must include Precision Conservation. I would like to spend a few minutes with you talking about what motivates farmers and ways to …

This month marked the passing of a great conservationist. On October 2nd, my dad, Ludwig Buman, yielded to colon cancer; dying at the age of 91. Dad’s name will never be etched among the likeness of Hugh Hammond Bennett, Theodore Roosevelt, Aldo Leopold, Rachel Carson, or "Ding" Darling, but his children will tell you his name belongs on that list. Dad was not a great orator. He did not lead a conservation agency. He never desired the power to create national parks. He did not publish scientific papers, nor did he incite public outcry against …