When everything else fails there’s always the “last ditch effort.” By definition, the last ditch effort is never the first choice. Instead, it is reserved as the last choice. In my opinion, buffer strips should be seen as the last ditch effort. Why? Because it is our last chance to filter sediment and nutrients out of the water before they leave the farm. While this may be good for downstream water quality, it doesn’t do much to help the farm itself. We need to rely more on in-field conservation practices and less on edge of field practices. …
Did the world just turn upside down? Walmart a corporate good guy?
At a time when conservation seems stuck in the quagmire of bureaucracy, red tape, old technology, and extremely low expectations it seems new life has been breathed into the conservation issue; and the timing could not be better. It reminds me of the legend where the Phoenix obtains new life by arising from the ashes of its predecessor. In the legend, when the Phoenix feels its end approaching, it builds a nest, sets it on fire, and is consumed by his own flames. From the pile of ashes, a new Phoenix arises, young and powerful. Hopefully …
Will Herbicide Resistance Cripple No-till?
This week I am pleased to have as my guest writer, Dr. Gordon Vail with Syngenta. Dr. Vail and I have had a long history of working together, dating back to our early days when we worked with Dr. Vail on herbicide efficacy. Recently I talked to Dr. Vail about herbicide resistance and I found his comments unsettling, especially for the future of weed control as it relates to no-till. Good to the Last Drop? Will Herbicide Resistance Cripple No-till? No-till is considered a key practice for controlling soil erosion, but it is …
Old Dog Teaching New Tricks
Ernie Aust was one of the most unique NRCS employees I have had the privilege of working with. Ernie was special. He served as Area Conservationist in Southwest Iowa and I was fortunate to have him as a supervisor. Looking back, it is obvious Ernie missed his calling. His talents would have been better utilized as an engineer or resource conservationist. During our professional visits, Ernie had little interest in talking about performance appraisals and workload analysis; instead he wanted to talk about engineering practices and variations …
Blockchain: The New Tool for Sustainability
As a child, I remember watching documentaries where wildlife biologists would track grizzly bears through the wilds of Montana. It always astonished me that scientists would risk their lives to tranquilize and collar a bear to track its whereabouts. Since those days, much has changed in our ability to tag and track locations. Today we have geotags, data loggers, advanced mapping systems and even solar powered GPS ear tags to track animal habits. Technology has advanced to the point where we can monitor the movement of cattle within in herd, …
Chainparency
Free to Small Farmers: Who says big farmers get all the breaks? I have some good news specifically directed to small farmers. Chainparency, a blockchain company, is providing complementary access to their software for the next year. Using blockchain technology, farmers can prove their food origin and chain of custody with a digitized record; providing a high level of transparency that will build trust between distributors and consumers. Chainparency’s 12-month Global Acceleration Program for Sustainability (GAPS) program is designed to …