2. Conservation Choices
Total Resource Management:
The key to a successful total
resource management
system takes careful and
complete planning, patience,
organization, and teamwork.
Like pieces of a jigsaw
puzzle, each practice fits
together with others to
create a complete system
that protects resources
found on your land.
3. Conservation Choices
Total Resource Management:
When designing a total resource
management plan, remember to . . .
• Consider your objectives for your farm
• Take an inventory; think about every
field, pasture, pond, and stream
• Consider the problems you want to
solve, e.g., erosion, water quality
4. Conservation Choices
Total Resource Management
Checklist:
• What are the natural resources on my farm?
• What crops do I plan to plant?
• Have I minimized runoff?
• Am I using crop rotations to reduce disease
and pest problems?
• What type of wildlife would I like on my farm?
5. Conservation Choices
Total Resource Management
Checklist: (continued)
• Does any practice interfere with or cancel out
another practice?
• Can I use filter strips to filter nutrients from
runoff water?
• Am I making the best use of animal manure
as nutrients for plants?
6. Conservation Choices
These five icons will show the
benefits each practice offers...
The practice reduces soil erosion and
sediment runoff, or may add organic matter
to the soil.
The practice protects or improves water
quality.
Use this practice to increase profits by
reducing costs, increasing production, or
both.
7. Conservation Choices
You’re thinking of wildlife by providing
habitat or food sources with this practice.
This practice improves air quality by
reducing odor and other problems.
8. Conservation Practices
Planned Grazing System
Soil Erosion
Water Quality
Profits
Wildlife
Planned grazing systems use forage plantings
and grazing rotations to maximize production and
reduce sediment and nutrient runoff. Remember
to consider food, water, and herd size.
9. Conservation Practices
Planned Grazing System
Soil Erosion
How it helps . . .
Water Quality
• Improves vegetative cover, reducing erosion,
and improving water quality
• Increases harvest efficiency and helps ensure
adequate forage throughout grazing season
Profits
Wildlife
• Increases forage quality and production, which
helps increase feed efficiency, and can
improve profits
• Rotating also evenly distributes manure
nutrient resources
10. Conservation Practices
Upland Wildlife Habitat Management
Soil Erosion
Water Quality
Wildlife
Wildlife upland habitat is designed to create,
maintain, or improve food and cover for a variety
of upland wildlife.
11. Conservation Practices
Upland Wildlife Habitat Management
Soil Erosion
How it helps . . .
Water Quality
• Ground cover reduces soil erosion, adds
organic matter to the soil, filters runoff, and
increases infiltration
• It can add value to your farmstead
Wildlife
• Planned wildlife habitat provides food and
cover for wildlife.
12. Conservation Practices
Wildlife Food Plot
Soil Erosion
Water Quality
Wildlife
Wildlife food plots establish a variety of plants that
furnish food for wildlife.
13. Conservation Practices
Wildlife Food Plot
Soil Erosion
How it helps . . .
Water Quality
• Standing crops with unharvested grain provide
food to wildlife that may otherwise not be
accessible after heavy snows or ice
• A food plot helps maintain wildlife on your farm
by providing a reliable food source
Wildlife
14. Conservation Practices
Filter Strip
Soil Erosion
Water Quality
Wildlife
Filter strips are strips of grass, trees, or shrubs that
filter or clean runoff and remove contaminants
before they reach water bodies or water sources,
such as wells.
15. Conservation Practices
Filter Strip
Soil Erosion
How it helps . . .
• Grass, trees, and shrubs provide cover for
small birds and animals
Water Quality
• Ground cover reduces soil erosion
Wildlife
• The vegetative strip moves row crop
operations farther from a stream
• Vegetation prevents contaminants from
entering water bodies, protecting water quality
16. Conservation Practices
Grassed Waterway
Soil Erosion
Water Quality
Wildlife
Grassed waterways are shaped to establish a
natural drainageway that prevent gullies from
forming by safely conveying water flows off the
field.
17. Conservation Practices
Grassed Waterway
Soil Erosion
How it helps . . .
• Grass cover protects the drainageway from
gully erosion
Water Quality
• Vegetation may act as a filter absorbing some
of the chemicals and nutrients in runoff water
Wildlife
• Vegetation provides cover for small birds and
animals
18. Conservation Practices
Contour Farming
Soil Erosion
Water Quality
Contour farming is farming with row patterns that
run nearly level around the hill--not up-and-down
the hill.
19. Conservation Practices
Contour Farming
Soil Erosion
How it helps . . .
• Contouring can reduce soil erosion by as much
as 50 percent from up-and-down hill farming
Water Quality
• By reducing sediment and runoff, and
increasing water infiltration, contouring
promotes better water quality
20. Conservation Practices
Contour Buffer Strips
Soil Erosion
Water Quality
Wildlife
A contour buffer strip is a strip of grass or
legumes in a contoured field, that helps trap
sediment and nutrients. Similar to stripcropping,
buffers have more narrow grass/legume strips.
21. Conservation Practices
Contour Buffer Strips
Soil Erosion
How they help . . .
• Vegetation provides cover and habitat for small
birds and animals
Water Quality
• The strips reduce erosion by slowing water
flow and increasing water infiltration into soil
Wildlife
• By reducing siltation and filtering nutrients and
chemicals from runoff, grass strips improve
water quality
23. Conservation Practices
Terrace
Soil Erosion
How it helps . . .
• Both water and soil quality are improved
Water Quality
Wildlife
• Terraces with grass on front or backslopes can
provide valuable nesting habitat
24. Conservation Practices
Field Border
Soil Erosion
Water Quality
Profits
Wildlife
A field border is a strip of grass or legumes
established at the edge of a field used in place of
end rows.
25. Conservation Practices
Field Border
Soil Erosion
How it helps . . .
Water Quality
• Vegetative cover reduces sheet and rill erosion
by slowing water flow
• Vegetation filters runoff, improving water quality
Profits
Wildlife
• Grass and legume strips may be harvested in
some cases and are easier to turn on than end
rows
• Vegetation provides cover and habitat for small
birds and animals
26. Conservation Practices
Well Protection
Soil Erosion
Profits
Wildlife
Well protection is necessary when changing
farming practices which occur on or near the
farmstead in order to reduce the risk of
contamination of water sources—mainly the well.
27. Conservation Practices
Well Protection
Soil Erosion
How it helps . . .
Profits
• Modifications in farming operations may
improve your efficiency and reduce operation
or production costs
• Soil conservation practices may be necessary
to divert runoff from the well area
Wildlife
28. Conservation Practices
Range Planting
Soil Erosion
Water Quality
Profits
Wildlife
Range plantings are used to plant grass and
legumes that reduce soil erosion and improve
production.
29. Conservation Practices
Range Planting
Soil Erosion
How it helps . . .
Water Quality
• Heavy grass cover slows water flow, reducing
soil erosion
• Good grass stands protect water quality by
filtering runoff water and increasing infiltration
Profits
Wildlife
• Lush pastures and rangeland offer wildlife
cover and habitat
• As plants recycle and roots die, organic matter
in the soil is improved
30. Conservation Practices
Stream Protection
Soil Erosion
Water Quality
Wildlife
Stream protection is a practice that protects
streams by excluding livestock and establishing
buffer zones of vegetation to filter runoff.
31. Conservation Practices
Stream Protection
Soil Erosion
How it helps . . .
• Streambanks are covered with rocks, grass,
trees, or other cover to reduce erosion
Water Quality
• Better water quality results from reducing
amounts of nutrients, chemicals, animal waste,
and sediment entering the stream
Wildlife
• Buffer zones provide cover and habitat for
birds and small animals
32. Conservation Practices
Crop Residue Management
Soil Erosion
Water Quality
Profits
Wildlife
Air Quality
Crop residue management is leaving last year’s
crop residue on the soil surface by limiting tillage.
Includes no-till, mulch till, ridge till, and strip till.
33. Conservation Practices
Crop Residue Management
Soil Erosion
How it helps . . .
Water Quality
• Ground cover prevents soil erosion and
protects water quality
• Residue improves soil tilth and adds organic
matter to the soil as it decomposes
Profits
• Fewer trips and less tillage reduces soil
compaction
Wildlife
• Time, energy, and labor savings are possible
with fewer tillage trips
Air Quality
35. Conservation Practices
Crop Rotation
Soil Erosion
How it helps . . .
Water Quality
Profits
Wildlife
• Pesticide costs may be reduced by naturally
breaking the cycles of weeds, insects, and
diseases
• Grass and legumes in a rotation protect water
quality by preventing excess nutrients or
chemicals from entering water supplies
• Meadow or small grains cut soil erosion
dramatically
• Crop rotations add diversity to an operation
36. Conservation Practices
Cover Crop
Soil Erosion
Water Quality
Air Quality
Wildlife
Cover crops are a close-growing crop that
protects the soil when crop residues are not
adequate.
37. Conservation Practices
Cover Crop
Soil Erosion
How it helps . . .
Water Quality
Air Quality
Wildlife
• Cover crops keep ground covered, add organic
matter to the soil, trap nutrients, improve soil
tilth, and reduce weed competition
• Provides cover and feed for wildlife and
pollinator habitat
38. Conservation Practices
Nutrient Management
Water Quality
Profits
Nutrient management is applying the correct
amount and form of plant nutrients for optimum
yield with minimal impacts on water quality.
39. Conservation Practices
Nutrient Management
Water Quality
How it helps . . .
Profits
• Sound nutrient management reduces input
costs and protects water quality by preventing
over application of commercial fertilizers and
animal manure
• Correct manure and fertilizer application on all
fields can improve soil tilth and organic matter
• Nutrients should be applied with the right
placement, in the right amount, at the right
time, and from the right source to minimize
nutrient losses to surface and groundwater
40. Conservation Practices
Pest Management
Soil Erosion
Water Quality
Profits
Pest management is
evaluating and using a
tailored pest management
system to reduce crop and
environmental damages.
Scouting is done to identify
insects, weeds, and
diseases.
41. Conservation Practices
Pest Management
Soil Erosion
How it helps . . .
Water Quality
• Scouting and spot treatment of only those
pests that are reaching the economic threshold
can save money
• Using fewer chemicals improves water quality
Profits
• Specific treatments for specific pests on
specific areas of a field prevents over
treatment of pests
42. Conservation Choices
Challenges Ahead . . .
Farmers are applying conservation and
environmental practices to their land at
record rates.
Farmers have accepted the challenge
of protecting our natural resources and
continue to educate themselves about
new technologies and techniques as
they are developed.
43. Conservation Choices
Helping People Help the Land
The USDA Natural Resources
Conservation Service’s technical staff is
here to give you a hand to help you put
conservation on the land and protect and
preserve our natural resources.
44. Equal Opportunity
Nondiscrimination Policy
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination against its customers, employees and applicants for employment on the bases of
race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity, religion, reprisal, and where applicable, political beliefs, marital status, familial or parental
status, sexual orientation, or all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program, or protected genetic information in
employment or in any program or activity conducted or funded by the Department. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs and/or employment
activities.)
To File an Employment Compliant
If you wish to file an employment complaint, you must contact your agency’s EEO Counselor within 45 days of the date of the alleged discriminatory act,
event, or in the case of a personnel action. Additional information can be found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_file.html.
To File a Program Complaint
If you wish to file a Civil Rights program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, found online at
http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, or at any USDA office, or call (866) 632-9992 to request the form. You may also write a letter
containing all of the information requested in the form. Send your completed complaint form or letter to us by mail at U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9419, by fax at (202) 690-7442, or email at
program.intake@usda.gov.
Persons with Disabilities
Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities and you wish to file either an EEO or program complaint please contact USDA
through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339 or (800) 845-6136 (in Spanish).
Persons with disabilities, who wish to file a program complaint, please see information above on how to contact us by mail or by email. If you require
alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.), please contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202)
720-2600 (voice and TDD).
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
For any other information dealing with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) issues, persons should either contact the USDA SNAP
Hotline Number at (800) 221-5689, which is also in Spanish, or call the State Information/Hotline Numbers.
All Other Inquires
For any other information not pertaining to civil rights, please refer to the listing of the USDA Agencies and Offices.
