berry the watershed approach
DESCRIPTION
69th SWCS International Annual Conference July 27-30, 2014 Lombard, ILTRANSCRIPT
Kicking Dirt for Soil HealthMessages from the field
Bill Berry, NACD communications specialist Stevens Point, Wisconsin
[email protected] 341 9119
www.nacdnet.org
SWCS 2014Lombard, Illinois
NACD Soil Health 2014
In brief…
• What is NACD?• NACD soil health activities• Survey of districts• Focus group comments from producers and conservation professionals
• Questions
NACD Soil Health 2014
National Association of Conservation Districts
• Represents 3,000 conservation districts• Almost one in every county• Districts are local partner in the traditional conservation partnership
• Believe in the locally led process to identify and address natural resources issues
NACD Soil Health 2014
NACD and Soil Health Initiative
• Develop, acquire, share soil health materials• Develop training modules • Conduct soil health webinars• Develop certification methods • Conduct focus groups of producers, professionals • Soil Health Initiative as a climate change adaptation strategy
NACD Soil Health 2014
NACD and Soil Health Initiative
• Draft SOPs to integrate soil health into all conservation activities
• Pilot small watershed planning exercise –Producers involved in planning and implementing
• Reach out to new and existing partners to collaborate in advancing soil health concepts
NACD Soil Health 2014
Soil Health Forum, Indianapolis
NACD Soil Health 2014
Soil Health Forum, Indianapolis
NACD Soil Health 2014
Survey of districts
Activities across nation• Technical assistance• Tours, workshops, discussion
groups• Cost sharing no‐till and covers• Farmer‐led cadres• Added staff to promote• Rent no‐till drills• Organize aerial spraying• Share peer lists
Activities across nation• Soil health workshops for
disadvantaged farmers• Order seed through districts• Offer free soil testing• No‐till demonstration plots
NACD Soil Health 2014
Survey of districts
• Needs– Funding!– Share their stories – Consistent practice standards
– Promote nationally with general public
– More outreach materials
NACD Soil Health 2014
• Needs– Help remove barriers within USDA and crop insurance
– Advocate for research to back up practices
Focus groups
• Northern Plains region producers, professionals
• National producers, professionals
• Majority of voices were producers
NACD Soil Health 2014
Northern Plains Leaders
• Need Field‐level research • Districts may be able to encourage and facilitate
• Research must clearly show economic gains
• Soil health strategies are effective weather adaptation tools
• For both drought and flooding
NACD Soil Health 2014
Northern Plains Leaders
• Lack of cover crop seeds is a challenge• Cereal rye, a preferred crop, is in high demand• Cover crops work well in cattle/grain operations on the Northern Plains
• Districts may find new niches for providing new equipment: “highboys”
• Training must be a priority: employees, boards
NACD Soil Health 2014
Northern Plains Leaders
• Soil health ambassador peers essential • In many states, the soil health movement is producer‐led
• Producer interest in education is high• Long‐term commitment from agencies and partners essential
NACD Soil Health 2014
NACD National Voices
• Training opportunities vary widely: None to many
• Lots of peer‐to‐peer education
• “Information gap”• Producers doing research on their own
NACD Soil Health 2014
NACD National Voices
• “Just getting into this”• Resistance to no‐till in some settings• Big opportunities on highly erodible soils• High cost of fertilizer is impetus (Guam)• Put soil health in your district work plans• Attach soil health to all conservation systems• There’s a shortage of no‐till equipment
NACD Soil Health 2014
NACD National Voices
• Need industry buy‐in• Don’t have runoff problems, have infiltration problems
• Farmer‐led movement until recently• Many land grants are way behind• Soil health is site‐specific• That opens up doors for local conservation
NACD Soil Health 2014
NACD National Voices
• Some states building resiliency to weather extremes
• Staff training should be a high priority• Tie to other conservation problems• Aquifer depletion is a great sales tool for soil health
• Educate, document, demonstrate
NACD Soil Health 2014
Kicking Dirt for Soil HealthMessages from the field
Bill Berry, NACD communications specialist Stevens Point, Wisconsin
[email protected] 341 9119
www.nacdnet.org
SWCS 2014Lombard, Illinois
NACD Soil Health 2014
QUESTIONS?