Kicking dirt for soil health
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69th SWCS International Annual Conference July 27-30, 2014 Lombard, IL
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Kicking dirt for soil health
- 2. 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
- 3. 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
- 4. 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
- 5. NACD and Soil Health Initiative ⢠Draft SOPs to integrate soil health into all conservation activities  ⢠Pilot small watershed planning exercise â Producers involved in planning and implementing ⢠Reach out to new and existing partners to collaborate in advancing soil health concepts NACD Soil Health 2014
- 8. Survey of districts Activities across nation ⢠Technical assistance ⢠Tours, workshops, discussion groups ⢠Cost sharing noâtill and covers ⢠Farmerâled cadres ⢠Added staff to promote ⢠Rent noâtill drills ⢠Organize aerial spraying ⢠Share peer lists Activities across nation ⢠Soil health workshops for disadvantaged farmers ⢠Order seed through districts ⢠Offer free soil testing ⢠Noâtill demonstration plots NACD Soil Health 2014
- 9. Survey of districts ⢠Needs â Funding! â Share their stories â Consistent practice standards â Promote nationally with general public â More outreach materials NACD Soil Health 2014 ⢠Needs â Help remove barriers within USDA and crop insurance â Advocate for research to back up practices
- 10. Focus groups ⢠Northern Plains region producers,  professionals ⢠National producers, professionals ⢠Majority of voices were producers NACD Soil Health 2014
- 11. Northern Plains Leaders ⢠Need Fieldâlevel 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
- 12. 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: âhighboysâ ⢠Training must be a priority: employees, boards NACD Soil Health 2014
- 13. Northern Plains Leaders ⢠Soil health ambassador peers essential ⢠In many states, the soil health movement is producerâled ⢠Producer interest in education is high ⢠Longâterm commitment from agencies and partners essential NACD Soil Health 2014
- 14. NACD National Voices ⢠Training opportunities vary widely: None to many ⢠Lots of peerâtoâpeer education ⢠âInformation gapâ ⢠Producers doing research on their own NACD Soil Health 2014
- 15. NACD National Voices ⢠âJust getting into thisâ ⢠Resistance to noâtill 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 ⢠Thereâs a shortage of noâtill equipment  NACD Soil Health 2014
- 16. NACD National Voices ⢠Need industry buyâin ⢠Donât have runoff problems, have infiltration problems ⢠Farmerâled movement until recently ⢠Many land grants are way behind ⢠Soil health is siteâspecific ⢠That opens up doors for local conservation NACD Soil Health 2014
- 17. 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