A recent study in the journal, Water Policy, compares the water supply histories of four major cities: San Diego, Phoenix, San Antonio, and Adelaide, Australia. The major conclusion of the report was that urban water conservation, recycling, and desalination can’t nearly come close to the level of water conservation that can be provided by upstream farmers. The authors conclude that the conservation of 5 to 10 percent of agricultural irrigation in upstream watersheds in agricultural areas could satisfy a city’s entire water needs.

There are a couple of issues, however, that make the depleting water situation look rather bleak. As James Workman outlines in his terrific series of essays on water scarcity, urban water saving methods and technologies may be ineffective, and he also questions whether municipalities, from an economic standpoint, truly want their citizens to conserve water. In addition, as the authors point out in the study, farmers and ranchers won’t, typically, implement water conservation measures unless there is financial incentives for them to do so.

So, what can be done? In the interview linked below, Brian Richter, a freshwater scientist with The Nature Conservancy argues for the creation of urban-rural partnerships where farmers and ranchers are rewarded by municipalities for the water they conserve. For instance, Richter mentions water markets that have been established in Australia and the Edwards Aquifer in Texas. In this scenario, farmers and ranchers would “sell any ‘saved’ water to other farmers, cities, or environmental interests as long as it does not harm other water users or the environment.”

A similar, incentives-based approach, is being utilized by Sand County Foundation in the Midwest through its Agricultural Incentives program, which offers Midwestern farmers financial incentives to implement water conservation practices that keep water, and its nitrogen and phosphorous content, on the land and out of waterways. As part of this program, the Foundation has entered into a partnership, called Yahara WINs, with several municipalities, landowners, and other organizations to help reduce phosphorous and nitrogen runoff from agricultural lands into waterways in the Madison, Wisconsin area. Sand County Foundation also launched a program, Water As A Crop™, now operating a pilot program in Texas, which pays financial incentives to landowners who implement water conservation practices.

Water scarcity, obviously, is not something to be taken lightly, but it’s fairly clear that the agricultural community plays an integral role in the issue. So, these incentive-based urban-rural and private-public partnerships are a step in the right direction.

Will cities ever get smart about water use?

By Robert Lalasz, Grist

If the definition of insanity is making the same mistakes over and over, then many cities have taken a certifiable approach to securing their water supplies — and they need some radical therapy before taking the big economic, ecological, and human hits that come with a permanent state of thirst.

That’s the conclusion from a new study in the journal Water Policy, whose authors compared the water supply histories of four cities — San Diego, Phoenix, San Antonio, and Adelaide, Australia. Among the lessons learned? Urban water conservation, recycling, and desalination aren’t silver bullets. In fact, the best solution may lie upstream with farmers — saving just 5-10 percent of agricultural irrigation in upstream watersheds could satisfy a city’s entire water needs.

But the time to act is now, argues Brian Richter, a senior freshwater scientist at The Nature Conservancy and the study’s lead author — he says a global urban water crisis is already here. Below, Richter tells us more about what cities need to do to say on the right side of dry. Read more …

As technology continues to play an increasing role in agricultural operations, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) launched the Water Quality Index for Agricultural Runoff (WQIag), which helps producers calculate how much impact their agricultural and conservation practices are having on water quality.

Producers input information about a given field, such as slope and soil characteristics. They can also enter their tillage, nutrient and pest management, and conservation practices. The combination gives them a single number that indicates their water quality level. Producers can also make adjustments to elements, such as conservation variables, to gauge what kind of impact certain practices will have on their operation.

WQIag presents a simplicity and accessibility to this information that wasn’t available before. It’s a 10-point system that’s less expensive and easier to interpret than the data that are collected from in-stream and edge of field water quality monitoring systems.

NRCS continues to improve the system, which is still in a pilot phase, and plans to launch a smartphone app at some point.

Water quality index for ag runoff streamlined

By Spencer Miller, NRCS

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service has developed a new web-based tool to help producers easily calculate the quality of water flowing off their fields.

It’s called the Water Quality Index for Agricultural Runoff, or WQIag for short, and this is how it works: Producers input variables about their field, such as slope, soil characteristics, nutrient and pest management, tillage practices, and, finally, conservation practices.

Then, as NRCS National Water Quality and Quantity team leader Shaun McKinney explains, “The WQIag takes the complex scientific information of these variables and synthesizes them into a single number.”

Though some variables – such as slope and soil – won’t change, producers can adjust others for a quick estimate of how conservation impacts water quality. A few clicks calculate the consequences, in terms of water quality, of using less tillage, less fertilizer, natural pest management techniques and other conservation practices.

“Water quality is complex,” says McKinney. In the past, “experts have usually focused on one aspect of water quality – such as temperature, nutrients or pesticide content –instead of thinking about a more complete picture.” Read more …

In celebration of Earth Day, Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman announced the Beel family  as the recipient of the 2013 Leopold Conservation Award, the state’s premier award for private lands conservation, during a ceremony at the State Capitol on Friday.

The award, which is presented by Nebraska Cattlemen, Cargill, and Wisconsin-based Sand County Foundation, recognizes outstanding, positive contributions to natural resources by agricultural families.

Third generation ranchers Frank, Henry, and Adam and their wives, Jennifer, Mary, and Jenny operate the nearly 22,000-acre ranch located in north-central Nebraska. Carrying on a tradition of conservation begun by their ancestors, the Beel brothers and their families, among other efforts, implement practices that improve wildlife habitat and water quality and quantity, which has helped them withstand the second driest season on record.

Congratulations to the Beel family!

Photo courtesy of Omaha World-Herald

Johnstown family receives conservation award

By Martha Stoddard, Omaha World-Herald

Nebraska ranch family that has handed down an ethic of conservation from father to son was honored Friday for its stewardship.

Gov. Dave Heineman announced the Beel family of Johnstown as the recipients of the 2013 Leopold Conservation Award.

The award, named in honor of world-renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, is presented to agricultural families in Nebraska who practice responsible land stewardship and management.

“Conservation on private land is something Nebraskans do very well,” the governor said.

The Beel brothers, Frank, Henry and Adam, along with wives Jennifer, Mary and Jenny, operate a nearly 22,000-acre cattle operation along the border between Brown and Cherry Counties. Read more …

Although nearly half of the country still struggles with the lingering drought, recent precipitation is providing some relief. 47.82 percent of the nation is experiencing moderate to severe drought, which is the first time that stat has dropped below 50 percent in 10 months.

Snow and rainfall are helping Great Plains states such as Nebraska, Kansas, and South Dakota slowly climb out of severe drought. For instance, 86 percent of South Dakota was classified to be in moderate to severe drought last week but that figure has dropped to 70 percent this week.

States like Colorado and Texas, however, have not been as fortunate. Colorado’s drought has continued to persist and Texas has seen a slight increase in drought conditions from last week.

Is the western Corn Belt drought finally breaking?

April showers brought improved drought conditions to a large swatch of the nation’s midsection and helped drop drought levels across the contiguous United States below 50 percent for the first time in 10 months.

The latest Drought Monitor, released on Thursday, showed that 47.82 percent of the country is in moderate or worse drought. This is 3 percentage points below last week’s report and 13 percentage points below levles reported on Jan. 1.  Read more …

Soil conservation experts in Maryland recently discovered that the level of conservation practices on farmland in their state has been underestimated by as much as 40 to 50 percent. A major reason for the discrepancy is some farmers are engaging in efforts to enhance soil, water, wildlife habitat, and vegetation without assistance from state and federal agencies. With or without assistance, however, the researchers found that most farmers are adding these practices, such as riparian buffers and efficient water management structures, to their farming operations simply because it’s the “right thing to do”.

This is nothing new, however, and, given the fact that most land in the United States is privately owned, it is vital to our nation’s environmental health. Landowners across the country are making an effort to enhance natural resources, so high quality land, water, and wildlife will endure for future generations. These efforts are evident through recognition programs such as the Leopold Conservation Award and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s Environmental Stewardship Award, which identify hundreds of farmers, ranchers, and foresters who are worthy candidates for the awards. These landowners “do the right thing,” not out of obligation, but out of passion for the natural resources they care for as an integral part of their successful agricultural operations.

Conservation on local farms is highly underestimated

Star Democrat

According to a study by soil conservation experts released in March, farmers in Queen Anne’s, Kent and Howard counties have been implementing environmentally conscious practices on their own to the extent that the Watershed Implementation Plan will need to be re-evaluated.

Conservation on Maryland farms in general, may be underestimated by 40 to 50 percent according to the data.

Most of these undocumented practices were installed by farmers without technical or financial assistance from state or federal agencies, because it’s the right thing to do, the farmers said. Read more …

Excess manure running off of farmlands into waterways is a significant issue across the nation, negatively impacting the quality of soil, water, and wildlife. In Wisconsin, county conservationists play a major role in working with farmers who wish to develop crop rotation and other nutrient management practices to reduce the runoff. The conservationists also often find state and federal funding to help farmers implement these nutrient reduction methods.

However, proposed cuts in Wisconsin’s upcoming budget may mean fewer county conservationists across the state, leading to less encouragement for farmers to voluntarily engage in conservation programs. The proposed budet calls for funding cuts for two programs in the Agriculture Resource Management Division of the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP). The first is a carryover from the previous budget, which reduces funding for county conservation offices. Critics fear that this will lead to staffing cuts. The second slashes DATCP’s budget for soil and water resource management by 50 percent. This fund provided financial assistance to farmers who wished to utilize soil and water conservation programs.

Although DATCP Secretary Ben Brancel claims that the conservation programs can survive with less funding, others aren’t so sure, pointing to a state law that requires DATCP to develop conservation practices that meet the DNR’s performance standards for farms. In its fiscal estimate, DATCP projected that this effort would require an additional 40 county conservation staffers.

If you are interested in learning more, DATCP will hold five public hearings on the proposed changes. A hearing will be held from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m., Thursday, April 4, in the State Agriculture Building, Room 106, located at 2811 Agriculture Drive in Madison.

Photo: USDA NRCS

Farmland conservation efforts take double hit in Walker budget

By Jessica Van Egeran, The Cap Times

Earlier this month, after a substantial rainfall on top of the snow-covered farm fields across Dane County, an all-too-familiar problem arose that pulled Dane County conservationist Pat Sutter away from a conference where attendees were discussing the very situation he was headed off to fix: manure runoff.

As Sutter knows all too well, the slick conditions caused by the rain work against keeping manure, in this case liquid manure, in its place.

“It’s like putting waste on top of a parking lot,” he says. “It can’t be absorbed. It’s going to run off.”

The result was nine calls from Dane County residents to his office. The liquid manure from nearby farmland had flowed onto the callers’ properties and in one case into the basement of a house.

“This is not the first conference I’ve had to split on to address calls,” says Sutter, who manages Dane County’s Land Conservation Division. “We didn’t have enough folks to address the problems and we like to get out within 24 hours. It’s amazing how a day can change things if you don’t respond timely to situations.”

In Dane County, 111 farms encompassing 67,000 acres of land have permits that allow the spreading of liquid manure when the ground is frozen or snow-covered. This activity is only allowed with a permit. Read more …

When Ram Trucks aired its “God made a farmer” ad during the Super Bowl last month, it created a sensation inside and outside of the agricultural community. But, it largely missed on one highly important aspect of farming and ranching, the role of women.

In an industry that has, traditionally, been dominated by men, female farmers find themselves battling stereotypes as farmers’ wives, rather than farmers, as their ranks grow in numbers. In fact, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that the number of women involved in farming increased 19% from 2002 to 2007. Upcoming census numbers are expected to demonstrate a much larger increase.

Although, the numbers are growing, active female farmers and ranchers are hoping to speed up the process. Several groups, focused on women in agriculture, exist to help women with farming issues. One of these, Women, Food, and Agriculture (WFAN), teaches women skills, such as problem solving and record keeping, that are beneficial on the farm or ranch. Another program, Annie’s Project, takes a similar approach and is currently offered in 27 states.

The USDA, which, in the past, has been criticized for its lack of support for female farmers, is getting involved, too. It has developed a program to help increase the number of women-owned and/or operated profitable farms.

We have met many strong, highly intelligent female farmers and ranchers across the nation, so it can only be a good thing for agriculture that women are playing more of an active role in the industry.

Breaking the ‘grass ceiling’: More women are farming

By Christopher Doering, Gannett Washington Bureau

he popularity of the “God created a farmer” ad during the Super Bowl last month was widely praised as a fitting tribute to the millions of people working in agriculture.

But of the more than a dozen pictures of hardworking and sensitive farmers and ranchers in the commercial, only a handful of the images shown during the two-minute ad were women.

The slight is being viewed by some as symbolic of the battle women across the country are engaging in as they play an increasing role in a field that has been traditionally dominated by men.

“That image of (a man) is so embedded in all of us that it’s hard to imagine that women are part of farming when they show an ad like that. On one hand, it’s a really nice tribute to agriculture, but on the other hand, they’re missing more than half the population that’s involved with it,” said Denise O’Brien who has been farming with her husband for almost 40 years in Atlantic, Iowa. Read more …

Wisconsin-based Sand County Foundation and the Kentucky Agricultural Council have announced the launch of the Leopold Conservation Award in Kentucky. Kentucky is the ninth state to offer the $10,000 award, which honors farmers, ranchers, and foresters who do outstanding work to enhance natural resources as part of their agricultural operations. 

Applications are being accepted until July 31, 2013 and the award will be presented at the Kentucky Ag Summit in November. Read the full press release below.

New Leopold Conservation Award program seeks nominees in Kentucky

PRWeb

Sand County Foundation and Kentucky Agricultural Councilhave announced the launch of the Leopold Conservation Award program in Kentucky, and are accepting applications for the award.

The $10,000 Leopold Conservation Award will honor Kentucky farmers, ranchers and other private landowners who voluntarily demonstrate responsible stewardship and management of natural resources.

“Private landowners across the State of Kentucky are doing exceptional land conservation work,” said Brent Haglund, Ph.D., Sand County Foundation President. “We look forward to honoring these good stewards of the land who are committed to the enhancement of Kentucky’s rich and diverse agricultural landscape.”

Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the Leopold Conservation Award recognizes extraordinary achievement in voluntary conservation. It inspires other landowners through these examples and provides a visible forum where farmers, ranchers and other private landowners are recognized as conservation leaders. In his influential 1949 book, “A Sand County Almanac,” Leopold called for an ethical relationship between people and the land they own and manage, which he called “an evolutionary possibility and an ecological necessity.”

“The Kentucky Agricultural Council is proud to be part of the Leopold Conservation Award program,” said Kentucky Agricultural Council Chairman, Tony Brannon. “From the beginnings of pioneering no-till farming in the 1960’s through today’s many and varied farm sustainability efforts to leave this place better than they found it, Kentucky farmers have a proud tradition of feeding, clothing, sheltering and fueling our nation and our world. This award will allow us to celebrate and learn from the examples of Kentucky farmers who have taken a thoughtful approach to conservation and stewardship of our land.”

The Kentucky Agricultural Council will be seeking sponsorships to host the award and will present a celebration of the award recipients at the Kentucky Ag Summit, to be held in November 2013.

Nominations must be postmarked by July 31, 2013, and mailed to Leopold Conservation Award c/o Kentucky Agricultural Council, P.O. Box 5478 Louisville, Kentucky 40255-0478.

For application information, please visit www.leopoldconservationaward.org or www.kyagcouncil.net

Wisconsin is experiencing some deep budget cuts to land and water conservation efforts, which is being felt by state conservation offices at the county level. As the article below states, cuts at the county level will have an immediate impact on Wisconsin agriculture.

Cap Times writer Margaret Krome traveled around Wisconsin, asking farmers how these budget cuts will affect their farms:

Sam Zimmerman, a Marathon County dairy farmer is concerned that this will negatively affect the conservation tradition his grandfather started on the farm. In addition, county conservation staff have acted as the catalyst for Zimmerman receiving state and federal assistance for various conservation projects.

Joe and Christy Tomandl said that county conservation funding helped their farm, and others, get off the ground. They also cite county conservationists for helping them implement a grazing plan, as well as keeping their farm up to environmental standards.

For Richard Wagner, as well as the Tomandls, their relationship with county conservationists is mutually beneficial. Farmers can benefit financially from conservation practices and the county and state can, too.

Robert Grove, a crop farmer in Racine County, said that county conservationists help him achieve much more than what he would be able to do on his own.

“It doesn’t seem fair that the state is always pushing for conservation but then they cut the exact help we need to make it happen,” Grove said.

Wisconsin is just an example of the impacts budget cuts can have on conservation efforts. It’s clear that cuts to county conservation offices will hurt farmers, ranchers, and foresters on a number of levels.

Photo: USDA NRCS

Farmers explain how land conservation cuts hurt

By Margaret Krome, The Cap Times

Wisconsin’s agricultural economy was most recently estimated as bringing $52 billion into the state each year. Across the state, with manure from all of those cows, hogs, sheep and goats, and with the millions of acres of plowed ground, it’s the land conservation department in each county that works with Wisconsin farmers and other landowners to protect the natural resources that are the foundation for this industry and that are crucial to state residents, while helping farmers stay profitable.

Because of their crucial role statewide, county conservationists are funded largely from the state budget. Unfortunately, Gov. Walker’s proposed budget was not kind to local land conservation, making permanent cuts to that funding, from about $9.3 million in the 2009-2011 budget down to $8 million, in addition to cutting by over half other funding to protect water quality.

This matters, because soil erosion rates are increasing, reversing decades of progress. Not only is the impact readily seen in lakes and streams, but increasing runoff also erodes the foundation of Wisconsin’s agricultural economy.

These cuts would come on top of previous cuts; any flexibility that existed in the system has long since been removed.

I talked with farmers of various sizes and kinds across Wisconsin about these cuts. They make the case better than anyone of the powerful importance of county conservation staff to the state’s economy and its long-term agricultural prospects. Read more …

A recent article, by William R. Wootton, linked below, argues that too many American colleges, especially liberal arts institutions, which typically advocate for issues like sustainability, environmentalism, and social justice, often turn to large corporate agribusiness to handle their food service. In fact 50-60% of college food service is handled by large corporations and three – Aramark, Sodexo, and the Compass Group – dominate the market.

Colleges and universities have the ability to positively contribute to American agriculture by directly supporting local and regional producers. Not surprisingly, students and faculty at some institutions are working to do just that. First, they are pushing to develop independent, college operated food services, that primarily utilize locally-sourced food. Second, they’re demanding more agriculture-focused degree programs.

In terms of independent, locally sourced food service, a national, student-led organization called Real Food Challenge advocates for colleges and universities to source 20% of their food options locally by 2020. Thus far, they’ve gotten 9 colleges to commit to this effort and 31 others are in the process of making the commitment. This is an effort that can only benefit these educational institutions and the farmers and ranchers that are nearby.

The other piece of this puzzle is the lack of agricultural education at liberal arts colleges and universities, which is very surprising given the size of the agricultural industry in the United States. In fact, according to Mr. Wootton, only a handful of liberal arts colleges across the nation have degree programs devoted to or related to agriculture and food systems. Available agricultural programs will have to increase significantly to meet the USDA’s goal of 100,000 new farmers and ranchers.

Given academic institutions’ presence and influence in the United States, they have the opportunity to, in Mr. Wootton’s words, “harness the wealth of talent and energy that will be needed to build and fill the food basket for tomorrow’s world.”

Fire your food service and grow your own

By William R. Wootton, The Chronicle of Higher Education

American colleges, especially undergraduate liberal-arts institutions that profess a deep commitment to sustainability, environmentalism, and social justice—which, of course, they all do—cannot continue to turn a blind eye to the unsustainable and environmentally harmful practices of corporate agribusiness and its on-campus partners, college food services.

Instead, colleges can and should be playing a significant part in reshaping American agriculture, first by figuring out the exciting, complex, and potentially daunting process of developing an independent, college-operated food service, reliant upon locally and regionally sourced food, and firing their corporate food services. And second by building new, baccalaureate-level programs in agriculture.

Those two steps will allow colleges to get themselves out of an ethical pickle that’s been sitting in brine for a decade or more. In the same way that many colleges crow about their LEED-certified buildings, their low carbon footprints, the importance of their communities, and their commitments to everything green, sustainable, and just, they talk about their food. They show beautiful pictures of salads, fruits, and plated meals on their Web sites. They show gardens at harvest and chefs in white hats. The impression is that all this good stuff is somehow directly reflective of the institution itself; that it is part of the ethos and practice of the place.

It is anything but. Read more …