usda

USDA Adds Flexibility for Cover Crop Management in Crop Year 2020

Dan Economy, Industry News Release, Soil

WASHINGTON DC (USDA/FSA) – The 2018 Farm Bill mandated changes to the treatment of cover crops for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs, which add more flexibility to when cover crops must be terminated while remaining eligible for crop insurance. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Risk Management Agency (RMA) developed new guidelines and policy provisions …

soil surveys

NRCS Florida State Technical Committee Meeting

Dan Florida, Forestry, Soil, USDA-NRCS, Water

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Florida has announced they will conduct a State Technical Committee Meeting on May 21, from 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Doyle Conner Agriculture Building Auditorium in Gainesville. The meeting is open to the public and will give an overview of the 2018 Farm Bill programs and conservation easements. This year’s …

soil health

NRCS Helping Landowners Improve Soil Health

Dan Cotton, Soil, USDA-NRCS

Kenneth McAlister, a nationally recognized soil health champion from Texas, uses no-till and cover crops to diversify his operation and strengthen his bottom line. And when it comes to farming cotton, McAlister has his bases covered and most of his fields. In a story from USDA, he said “No-till really helped improve our soil health, but when we started planting …

usda

USDA Invests in Projects to Spur Innovation in Grazing Lands, Organic Systems and Soil Health

Dan Cattle, Livestock, Organic, Soil, USDA-NRCS

USDA will invest more than $10.6 million for 22 new projects that will drive public and private sector innovation in conserving natural resources in 27 states. The competitive Conservation Innovation Grants program helps spur development and adoption of new conservation approaches and technologies. “Through our Conservation Innovation Grants, we are able to bring together a wide array of groups to drive innovation …

compacted soil

Dealing with Compacted Soil

Dan Soil, This Land of Ours

Compacted soil is something every gardener deals with at the beginning of most garden seasons. Cathy Isom has some ways to deal with compacted soil in your garden. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Dealing with Compacted Soil When faced with less than favorable gardening conditions such as compacted soil, and turning the soil with a shovel or …

celebration

Celebration Florida H. S. Takes 1st Place Envirothon in Regional Competition

Dan Education, Environment, Florida, Soil, USDA-NRCS

Students from Celebration High School in Osceola County have placed first for the second year-in-a-row in the annual Orange, Osceola, and Seminole Regional Envirothon competition held February 8, 2018 at Harry P. Leu Gardens in Orlando. The 5-member winning team of sophomores and juniors was made up of Julian Landin, Matthew Eynan, Bradley Band, Spencer Schmidt, and Mason Theurer. Envirothon …

alabama

Financial Assistance Available for Soil Health through Alabama Partnership

Dan Alabama, Soil, USDA-NRCS

USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) State Conservationist for Alabama Ben Malone announced that the agency is providing funding to help landowners improve soil health by enhancing current conservation efforts through a Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) project. This RCPP project will be funded through the Agency’s Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). A collaborative effort between NRCS and the Alabama Soil and …