The Back 40

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. [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

A recent report states that agricultural producers in the United States are capable of meeting the world’s growing need for food, as well as enhance natural resources, by 2050. But, the authors stress that changes must be made in our nation’s approach to land management. The report, titled Developing a New Vision for United States [...]

The Farm Bill we had hoped Congress would act on last year is still pending. One of the conservation issues under discussion has been conservation compliance – the requirement that farmers receiving farm program payments maintain a conservation plan to limit damage to highly erodible land and wetlands. Some have argued that, with direct farm [...]