ars

ARS and U.S. Army Join Forces to Revitalize Soil with Paper

Dan Industry News Release, Soil

(USDA/ARS-Oct. 2, 2019) — The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is helping to arm the U.S. military with a solution to two major environmental problems: the disposal of paper waste and revegetating damaged training grounds. Under federal regulations, U.S. Army classified papers must be pulverized to a fine consistency, which leaves the material unsuitable for recycling. Continued disposal of this waste …

nrcs

NRCS Continues Promoting Soil Health

Dan Environment, Soil, USDA-NRCS

Soil health, also referred to as soil quality, is defined as the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans. And USDA’s National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) continues to promote the benefits and importance of soil health. Plus, this year the Soil Health Partnership (SHP) is celebrating its fifth anniversary and the foundational collaborations that developed …

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 …

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 …

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Grant to Provide Greater Soil Health Research

Dan Corn, Industry News Release, Soil

A more than $9 million grant from the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research will assist farmers, ranchers, and landowners strategically assess and implement soil health improvement practices on their farm.  Awarded to the to the Soil Health Institute, the Soil Health Partnership and The Nature Conservancy, the grant will support research efforts aimed at improving soil health. Nick Goeser, …

general mills

General Mills Contributes to National Wheat Foundation

Dan Industry News Release, Soil

General Mills has sent a contribution of $735,000 to the National Wheat Foundation. The funds are earmarked for the foundation to work with the Soil Health Partnership to advance adoption and implementation of soil health practices. The funds, equally distributed over the next three years, will be used to conduct soil health research on wheat farms and education outreach to …

USDA report

Reasons to Mulch Your Garden

Dan Soil, This Land of Ours

Cathy Isom gives you some of the most important reasons why you should mulch your garden. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.       When it comes to promoting and maintaining healthy soil in our gardens, year after year, it really can’t be done without the magic of mulching. Mulch plays a large role in creating a sustainable …