Alabama’s Natural Resources Conservation Service invites producers to an Irrigated Intensive Grazing System tour on October 8th. Foy Kirkland in Morgan County explains what they will be showing that day.
To reserve your spot for the tour call the Morgan County NRCS office at 256-773-6541.
Forestry land management will be the focus of four regional field days coming up in Alabama next month and anyone who owns or manages forest land in the state is invited to attend one of the events.
The forestry field days are scheduled for October 1 in Conecuh county, October 3 in Franklin/Colbert counties, October 16 in Covington County and October 18 in Clay County. Find out more information on the Alabama NRCS website here.
Using homebrewed biodiesel on the farm was the focus of a workshop held last week in Quincy, co-sponsored by three Resource Conservation and Development Councils, or RC&Ds of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service.
The Association of Florida Conservation Districts met last week in Panama City and Florida Farm Bureau field services assistant director Eva Webb of Palm Beach County is this year’s president of the association.
Webb says AFCD works closely in partnership with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in Florida to help producers meet their conservation goals.
Alabama has created a state task force on cogongrass, according to state resource conservationist Bill Hughes with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service.
A revolution is coming to Alabama next month – the Alabama Energy Revolution Summit.
The Summit will be held on September 17 -18, 2008 at the Renaissance Hotel in Montgomery, Alabama. Registration information can be found at www.midsouthrcd.com
A portion of the Emergency Watershed Protection program funding announced last month by the USDA will be going for projects in Florida, according to Doug McKalip with the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Washington DC. Doug was in Florida last week attending the Agricultural Media Summit in Tampa.
USDA-NRCS State Forester Tim Albritton is encouraging landowners to attend regional forestry events and field days coming up in October.
The forestry field days are scheduled for October 1 in Conecuh county, October 3 in Franklin/Colbert counties, October 16 in Covington County and October 18 in Clay County. Find out more information on the Alabama NRCS website here.
USDA has announced $390 million is available through the NRCS Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) program for landowners and communities to cope with the aftermath of recent floods, fires, drought, tornadoes and other natural disasters.
The National Association of Conservation Districts met in Washington DC last week and Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer told the group that he was pleased with the conservation elements in the new farm bill that build on the conservation commitment established in the last bill.
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Alabama is encouraging landowners to sign up for the forest health initiative, which is in its second year according to state forester Tim Albritton.
USDA’s Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics was in Florida last week for the annual Suwannee River CARES awards dinner. Dr. Gale Buchanan was impressed with the CARES program and the Suwannee River Partnership especially for the efforts in improving water quality and quantity in the region.
The Environmental Quality Incentives Program is helping landwoners across the country in various ways, as the Providence Farm in North Florida is an example of how the various aspects of EQIP can make a difference when applied. Report (2:00 mp3)
A recently completed project in Mill Creek at the Eglin Air Force Base Golf Course helped to restore habitat for an endangered species, according to Travis Davis with Three Rivers RC&D who explains the project here to Congressman Jeff Miller.
Twenty-nine Suwannee River Basin farmers and ranchers were recognized for their outstanding natural resource stewardship during the 8th Annual CARES dinner held on the Dwight Stansel farm this week. Representatives from USDA in Washington DC and USDA-NRCS in Florida were on hand to celebrate the event.
The Florida Farm Bureau and the Suwannee River Partnership created CARES to bring agricultural associations, public agencies and institutions, and farmers together to increase environmental awareness on farms.
The Florida Wildlife Fund recently was awarded a grant to continue work that’s been underway with cattle producers in the Lake Okeechobee watershed. Report (2:00 mp3)
USDA has announced $14 million in Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) to fund 45 projects in 40 states to develop and refine new technologies and approaches that will help farmers conserve and sustain natural resources on their operations.
In Florida, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) was awarded a grant of more than $950,000 based on paying for environmental services on Florida ranches to move from the pilot program to the operational phase.
In Alabama, Tuskeegee University received a $250,000 grant for the “Integration of Goats into Alabama Grazing-Land Systems for Vegetation Management and Improved Pasture Health.”
Landowners in Florida still have one more week to apply for the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program, or WHIP, under the current batching period. The cutoff date is June 27 at the close of business at any county NRCS office.
In Alabama, this coming Friday June 20th is the deadline to signup for both the Environmental Quality Incentives and Wildlife Habitat Incentives Programs. Report (1:00mp3) Contact your local Natural Resources Conservation Service office to learn more.
Tropical Soda Apple is an invasive weed that many across Florida have to deal with each year, but there has been research underway using a beetle to help destroy the plant, and a group effort in Okeechobbee is proving that this does work as others are being encouraged to try this method. Report (1:30mp3)
Richard Coombe, Eastern Regional Assistant Chief for USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, was a panelist and participant this week at a global conference to consider the concept of market-based water conservation efforts.
WHIP offers financial and technical assistance to install structural and management practices on eligible non-federal lands to address restoration of declining habitats of Florida.